The 2026 eero 400 at Chicagoland Speedway opened under a sky heavy with rain, a condition that would soon reshape the narrative for Kyle Larson, the defending NASCAR Cup Series champion.
On lap 94, Larson’s No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet slipped on the slick surface, sending him into the grass and mud where his tires went flat, leaving the car immobilized and requiring a tow back to the pits.
The incident dropped him two laps behind the leaders, a setback that forced the team to work quickly to extract the vehicle and get him back on track while the crowd watched the drama unfold on the historic 1.5‑mile oval.
A championship contender's dilemma
Having started the race alongside Denny Hamlin, who claimed the pole position, Larson had been running third and was viewed as a serious contender for the win, a position that had eluded him for 42 races without a victory.
The race marked NASCAR’s first return to Chicagoland in seven years, a comeback that added extra anticipation, but for Larson the day ended with a reminder of how quickly fortunes can shift on a wet track.
Now sitting fifth in the points standings and 148 points behind Hamlin, Larson’s winless streak continues, yet the championship battle remains wide open as the season progresses.