Rain clouds gathered over Chicagoland Speedway this weekend, forcing NASCAR to call off the scheduled practice for the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. With the drivers still seeking valuable track time, officials announced that the session would be folded into the qualifying window, a move designed to accommodate the inexperience of several entries.
A Revised Grid Takes Shape
Connor Zilisch will lead the field, with Brent Crews taking the front‑row alongside him. Carson Kvapil will start third, while the New Zealand‑born Shane van Gisbergen will be counted on to help push Kvapil into the top five.
Corey Day and Parker Retzlaff complete the second row, followed by Jesse Love, Anthony Alfredo and the Viking Motorsports pairing of Sheldon Creed and Sam Mayer. Sammy Smith rounds out the top ten in the fifth row, ensuring a blend of rookie energy and veteran poise.
Chase Elliott, despite his pedigree, will have to start eleventh, just outside the top ten, while Myatt Snider makes a welcome return to the O’Reilly garage in the No. 91 for DGM Racing, lining up twelfth. Austin Hill will sit sixteenth and Justin Allgaier will be positioned seventeenth, both looking to climb through the pack.
The reshuffled grid highlights how a sudden weather interruption can rewrite expectations, giving emerging talents a platform while veteran drivers like Elliott must adapt quickly. Fans can anticipate a race that promises unexpected moves and a fresh order of finish.