Overview
- Joey Logano won the NASCAR Cup pole Saturday with a 32.817‑second lap at 137.124 mph, beating Kyle Larson by 0.276 seconds and putting Team Penske drivers near the front.
- Carson Kvapil took the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Nu Way 225 pole with a 33.626‑second lap at 133.825 mph to lead Saturday night’s O’Reilly field.
- NASCAR used a single‑car, single‑lap format to set both series’ starting lineups, which also awards first pit‑stall selection and can strongly affect race strategy at Gateway.
- Both races are the second events of their 2026 Chase brackets, so stage points and finishes here can shift momentum for contenders such as points leader Denny Hamlin and Darlington winner Christopher Bell.
- The Nu Way 225 airs Saturday night on The CW and streaming platforms, and the Enjoy Illinois 300 runs Sunday at 3 p.m. ET on USA Network with streaming on HBO Max and radio coverage on MRN/SiriusXM.