NASCAR returns to Chicagoland Speedway for the 2026 In-Season Challenge

It is finally time to get back to the Midwest. After the California road-course swings through Naval Base Coronado and Sonoma Raceway, the NASCAR Cup Series arrives at the 1.5-mile Chicagoland Speedway this Sunday for the second leg of the 2026 In-Season Challenge.

The storylines are absolutely wild. Alex Bowman, the 2019 winner here, is riding the momentum of his upset over Tyler Reddick and faces Austin Cindric in Round 2. We also have some internal heavy-hitting matchups on the cards, with Hendrick Motorsports teammates Kyle Larson and William Byron squaring off, while Joe Gibbs Racing sees Ty Gibbs against Chase Briscoe.

There is a massive field of 39 cars heading to the track. Corey Heim is back in the No. 67 23XI Racing Toyota fresh off his maiden win at Naval Base Coronado, and we see the return of both Josh Bilicki and JJ Yeley to the fold.