Chase Elliott on renewed excitement heading into the NASCAR playoffs
NASCAR Cup Series driver Chase Elliott said the regular season can get long and drawn out, making the playoffs something to look forward to.
It took one weekend for Chase Briscoe to equal his regular season win total in the playoffs.
Briscoe dominated the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs opener at Darlington in leading 309 of 367 laps and sealing his spot in the Round of 12. The fourth win of his Cup Series career came by 0.408 seconds over Tyler Reddick and a second over Erik Jones.
Briscoe earned his playoff spot by winning in Pocono back in June. Three months later, he’s secured his best finish in the Cup Series since 2022 when he finished ninth.
This week, NASCAR heads to World Wide Technology Raceway – known as Gateway – for the Cup Series’ first playoff race at the venue. The event has only been on the calendar since 2022 with different winners in each race.
A new winner could emerge again this weekend as the playoff field marches closer to the first stage of elimination. Here’s everything you need to know to get ready for the Enjoy Illinois 300 presented by TicketSmarter on Sunday, Sept. 7:
What time does the NASCAR Cup race at Gateway start?
The Enjoy Illinois 300 presented by TicketSmarter is scheduled to start at 3 p.m. ET on Sunday, Sept. 7 at World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison, Illinois.
What TV channel is the NASCAR Cup race at Gateway on?
The Enjoy Illinois 300 presented by TicketSmarter will be broadcast on USA Network, the channel for most of the Cup Series playoffs. Pre-race coverage will start at 2:30 p.m. ET.
Will there be a live stream of the NASCAR Cup race at Gateway?
Yes, the Enjoy Illinois 300 presented by TicketSmarter will be streamed on Peacock, HBO Max, Sling TV and Fubo, which is offering a free trial to new subscribers.
Stream the NASCAR playoff race at Gateway on Fubo
How many laps is the NASCAR Cup race at Gateway?
The Enjoy Illinois 300 presented by TicketSmarter is 240 laps around the 1.25-mile track for a total of 300 miles. The race will have three segments (laps per stage) — Stage 1: 45 laps; Stage 2: 95 laps; Stage 3: 100 laps.
NASCAR Cup Series playoff standings
Here’s how things look after the playoff opener at Darlington with the gap to the leader in parentheses. The bottom four drivers will be eliminated after the first round of the playoffs.
- Chase Briscoe
- Denny Hamlin (+3)
- Kyle Larson (+8)
- Tyler Reddick (+11)
- Bubba Wallace (+21)
- William Byron (+21)
- Ryan Blaney (+24)
- Ross Chastain (+25)
- Austin Cindric (+34)
- Christopher Bell (+35)
- Chase Elliott (+37)
- Shane van Gisbergen (+43)
- Joey Logano (+46)
- Austin Dillon (+51)
- Alex Bowman (+62)
- Josh Berry (+62)
Who won the NASCAR Cup race at Gateway last year?
Last year’s race came down to the final laps in a battle between Team Penske teammates as Austin Cindric earned his first win of the season. Teammate Ryan Blaney led heading to the start/finish line for the final lap but his No. 12 Ford ran out of gas and he slowed as Cindric soared past and into the lead and his first win since the 2022 Daytona 500. Denny Hamlin, Brad Keselowski, Tyler Reddick and Joey Logano rounded out the top five.
NASCAR Cup race at Gateway starting lineup
- Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
- Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
- Chase Briscoe, No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
- Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
- Ryan Blaney, No. 12 Team Penske Ford
- William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
- Tyler Reddick, No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota
- Christopher Bell, No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
- Austin Cindric, No. 2 Team Penske Ford
- Zane Smith, No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford
- Chris Buescher, No. 17 Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford
- Josh Berry, No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford
- Joey Logano, No. 22 Team Penske Ford
- Bubba Wallace, No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota
- Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
- Erik Jones, No. 43 Legacy Motor Club Toyota
- AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
- Shane van Gisbergen, No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
- Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
- John Hunter Nemechek, No. 42 Legacy Motor Club Toyota
- Ty Gibbs, No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
- Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
- Brad Keselowski, No. 6 Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford
- Noah Gragson, No. 4 Front Row Motorsports Ford
- Alex Bowman, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
- Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
- Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
- Michael McDowell, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
- Cole Custer, No. 41 Haas Factory Team Ford
- Todd Gilliland, No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford
- Justin Haley, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
- Ryan Preece, No. 60 RFK Racing Ford
- Riley Herbst, No. 35 23XI Racing Toyota
- Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 HYAK Motorsports Chevrolet
- Ty Dillon, No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
- Cody Ware, No. 51 Rick Ware Racing Ford
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