Denny Hamlin edges Kyle Larson by 0.001 seconds for pole at NASCAR Cup eero 400

Denny Hamlin claimed the pole position for the NASCAR Cup Series eero 400 by outqualifying Kyle Larson by 0.001 seconds, Usa Today reported. The race is scheduled to start at 6 p.m. ET on Sunday, July 5, 2026, at the 1.5-mile Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Illinois.

The eero 400 consists of 267 laps for a total distance of 400.5 miles. Stage 1 runs 80 laps, Stage 2 covers 85 laps and ends on Lap 165, and Stage 3 runs the final 102 laps to the checkered flag on Lap 267. The event marks the Cup Series' first race at the track since Alex Bowman won there on June 30, 2019.

The race will be broadcast on TNT and truTV with a pre-race show at 5 p.m. ET. It can be streamed on Sling and HBO Max and heard on Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. The 1.5-mile oval has not been repaved since it opened, and the Cup Series competed there annually from 2001 through 2019.

Only three active drivers have won a Cup Series race at Chicagoland: Alex Bowman, Denny Hamlin, and Brad Keselowski. Keselowski recorded victories in 2012 and 2014. Bowman started eighth in 2019, led 88 laps, and won by 0.546 seconds over Kyle Larson.

Kyle Larson participated in two days of testing at the track in April 2026. He enters the race with a 42-race winless streak in the Cup Series dating to May 2025 and posted top-five finishes in five of his last six events. Denny Hamlin overtook Tyler Reddick for the top spot in the Cup Series points standings ahead of the event.

The starting lineup places Hamlin on the pole in the No. 11 Toyota, followed by Larson in the No. 5 Chevrolet, Chris Buescher in the No. 17 Ford, Keselowski in the No. 6 Ford, and Ty Gibbs in the No.

54 Toyota.