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Hamlin Snags Pole, Ties Newman for Ninth All-Time

7/5/2026

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Summary

Hamlin Secures Pole

Denny Hamlin earned pole for Cup eero 400 at Chicagoland on July 4, 2026 with a 30.296-second lap that beat Kyle Larson by 0.001 seconds.
It was Hamlin’s 52nd pole, tying Ryan Newman for ninth-all-time and moving him one point ahead of Tyler Reddick.
Chris Buescher (3rd) and Brad Keselowski (4th) were followed by Ty Gibbs, Christopher Bell and Chase Briscoe, while Michael McDowell failed inspection and will start 38th with penalty.

Summary

Herbst Fastest Lap

Riley Herbst posted the fastest lap of practice at Chicagoland, a 30.326-second run at 178.065 mph.
All four 23XI Racing cars finished inside the top eight, showing the team’s depth.
Bubba Wallace’s No. 23 Toyota ran a Space Jam-themed livery to mark the film’s 30th anniversary.
Kyle Larson was third-fastest in the hour-long practice session.
Denny Hamlin posted the fourth-quickest time, completing 43 laps per driver.

History

Historical Context

Chicagoland Speedway broke ground on September 28 1999 and opened July 12 2001, debuting a 1.5-mile tri-oval that cost about $130 million and hosted Jeff Gordon’s 176.5 mph pole in the inaugural Cup race. Six years later, Denny Hamlin’s 2026 pole by 0.001 seconds echoes Gordon’s razor-thin margins, underscoring the track’s lasting development influence on NASCAR’s strategic aerodynamic competition.

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Hamlin Secures Pole

Denny Hamlin earned pole for Cup eero 400 at Chicagoland on July 4, 2026 with a 30.296-second lap that beat Kyle Larson by 0.001 seconds.
It was Hamlin’s 52nd pole, tying Ryan Newman for ninth-all-time and moving him one point ahead of Tyler Reddick.
Chris Buescher (3rd) and Brad Keselowski (4th) were followed by Ty Gibbs, Christopher Bell and Chase Briscoe, while Michael McDowell failed inspection and will start 38th with penalty.

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