Chase Briscoe wins eero 400 NASCAR returns to Chicagoland

Chase Briscoe held off a hard-charging teammate to win Sunday's eero 400 NASCAR Cup Series race at Chicagoland Speedway, marking his first victory of the 2026 season. The event was NASCAR's return to the Joliet, Illinois, track for the first time since 2019.

Briscoe, driving the No. 19 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing, took the lead after a pivotal pit stop strategy and defended his position over the final laps against teammate Christopher Bell. Bell, who was racing with a fractured left wrist, closed a one-second gap in his No. 20 Toyota but finished just 0.276 seconds behind. Denny Hamlin, who started from the pole, completed a dominant 1-2-3 finish for Joe Gibbs Racing. William Byron and Alex Bowman rounded out the top five.

The win was particularly sweet for Briscoe, as it came on the birthday of his crew chief, James Small. The two had a pre-race agreement that Small would share a stash of British chocolate buttons if Briscoe won. Following the race, Small delivered the treat to the driver in victory lane. Briscoe, an Indiana native, celebrated his sixth career Cup win with a burnout in front of a sellout crowd.

For Christopher Bell, the runner-up finish was another frustrating...