Hamlin grabs Chicagoland pole thanks to the sun.

JOLIET, Ill. — Denny Hamlin grabs the first NASCAR Cup Series pole for the Eero 400 at Chicagoland Speedway since 2019 thanks to the sun.

This is his fourth pole of the 2026 season and his 52nd career pole overall.

Hamlin went out with 12 cars remaining in the order and mentioned straight away, “I thought we would be a fifth-placed car”.

But, from a little luck and a whole lot of skill, he continues to dominate qualifying on intermediates this season.

“We were very fortunate that the last twelve cars had full sun…that was the deciding factor,” said a reluctant Hamlin.

He now has won poles at both Chicago-based tracks on the circuits – Chicagoland and the Chicago Street Course.

As a funny form of celebration, Hamlin said he would “run the street course layout in a few hours to practice for next year”.

Notable Starters

Denny Hamlin will be joined on the front row from his intermediate foe Kyle Larson in second. Larson failed pre-race technical inspection twice and has lost his pit selection and car chief for the weekend.

RFK Racing has found speed in the Windy City. Chris Buescher and owner/teammate Brad Keselowski will fill the second row. Both need good runs to either vault themselves into the top five in points and back into the Chase.

Ty Gibbs rounds out the top five from fifth. He is joined by Christopher Bell alongside him in third row from sixth.

Chase Briscoe will line up directly behind his teammate and second round matchup from seventh. Bubba Wallace will start from eighth his 30th anniversary Space Jam Toyota.

Finally, Hendrick Motorsports completes the fifth row. Chase Elliott will start ninth and tenth.

23XI Racing has brought fast cars to Chicagoland. Riley Herbst led the lone practice session in the Cup Series. He turned that speed into an 18th placed start.

Corey Heim will make his first start since his heroic and historic win on Naval Base Coronado. He placed his No. 67 Toyota inside the top five in practice and his qualifying speed decreased even worse than Herbst for a 28th starting spot

Michael McDowell did not complete a qualifying lap because he failed pre-race tech three times. In addition to starting from the rear, his car chief was ejected, and McDowell will serve a pass-through penalty after the race starts.

Below is the full starting lineup for the Eero 400 at Chicagoland Speedway.

Starting Lineup