Denny Hamlin will lead the field to green when the NASCAR Cup Series returns to Chicagoland Speedway after putting together another impressive qualifying effort Saturday afternoon. The Joe Gibbs Racing veteran turned the fastest lap of the session at 178.241 mph, beating Kyle Larson by the narrowest of margins to earn his fourth pole award of the season. Larson’s lap missed the top spot by just 0.001 seconds, setting up an all-star front row for Sunday’s race.
For Hamlin, the result continues an impressive run in qualifying. The No. 11 team has now captured three straight poles on oval tracks, another sign that the organization has found speed as the regular season enters its second half. The pole is also the 52nd of Hamlin’s Cup Series career, moving him ahead of Ryan Newman on NASCAR’s all-time list.
After climbing out of his car, Hamlin pointed to changing track conditions as one of the biggest factors in the final qualifying runs. As the racing surface heated up, lap times began to fall, leaving the earlier qualifiers with a slight advantage. The pole couldn’t come at a better time for the veteran, who arrives at Chicagoland sitting atop the Cup Series standings by a single point over Tyler Reddick.
Hamlin is also chasing his fifth victory of the season at a track where he previously celebrated a win in 2015. While Larson showed race-winning speed by qualifying second, the Hendrick Motorsports team suffered a setback after qualifying concluded. NASCAR officials failed the No. 5 Chevrolet twice during inspection, resulting in the ejection of car chief Jesse Saunders for the remainder of the weekend. The team also forfeited its pit stall selection.
Behind the front row, RFK Racing continued to build momentum with Chris Buescher and Brad Keselowski qualifying third and fourth, respectively. It’s the team’s first time putting two cars inside the top five on the starting grid since Darlington in 2024. Ty Gibbs rounded out the top five, followed by Christopher Bell and Chase Briscoe. Rookie Connor Zilisch posted the fastest qualifying run among the first-year drivers and will roll off 21st.
With Hamlin once again starting from the front, Larson looking to recover from an eventful Saturday, and several championship contenders beginning near the front of the field, Sunday’s race marks a highly anticipated return to Chicagoland Speedway after seven seasons away from the Cup Series schedule.
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