A Wet Weekend at Chicagoland
NASCAR called off the O'Reilly Auto Parts Series qualifying session at Chicagoland Speedway on Saturday as a line of thunderstorms moved across the Joliet, Illinois, venue. Instead of a timed run, teams were sent out for a brief practice to keep the cars on track.
If the Cup Series qualifying is also abandoned because of the weather, the starting lineup for Sunday's eero 400 will be set by reversing the metric scores that would have determined the original order. Under that system, Ty Gibbs will inherit the pole position, while J.J. Yeley will be placed at the back of the 38‑car field.
The forecast calls for a 55 percent chance of thunderstorms on Saturday, with heavy downpours expected to linger into the evening. Organizers have said the race will go on as scheduled, but the altered qualifying format could affect strategy for the teams.
The eero 400 is slated to start at 6:00 p.m. Eastern and will be broadcast live on TNT. It marks the first race of the second half of the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season and also serves as the second event of the series' In‑Season Challenge tournament.
Beyond the weather drama, the weekend features a deep field of competitors, including Ty Gibbs, Kyle Larson, Chase Briscoe, Ryan Blaney, Christopher Bell, Chase Elliott, Denny Hamlin and many others, all eyeing a strong performance in the early stages of the championship battle.