Kyle Busch takes Cup Series pole at Gateway ahead of Ryan Blaney and Denny Hamlin

The NASCAR Cup Series is making only its second trip to World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway on the outskirts of St. Louis this weekend for the Enjoy Illinois 300. The asymmetrical 1¼ mile speedway with a low incline presents a challenge unique for both teams of setting up cars and drivers passing through it, resulting in eight crash-related yellow flags in 2022.

Here’s everything you need to know before the Enjoy Illinois 300:

Enjoy Illinois 300 qualifying results

1. Kyle Busch (8), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

2. Ryan Blaney (12), Penske Ford Team

3. Denny Hamlin (11), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

4. Kevin Harvick (4), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

5. Martin Truex Jr. (19), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

6. Joey Logano (22), Penske Ford Team

7. William Byron (24), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

8. Ross Chastain (1), Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

9. Tyler Reddick (45), 23XI Racing Toyota

10. Austin Cindric (2), Team Penske Ford

11. AJ Allmendinger (16), Kaulig Racing Chevrolet

12. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (47), JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet

13. Daniel Suarez (99), Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

14. Harrison Burton (21), Wood Brothers Racing Ford

15. Ty Gibbs (54), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

16. Austin Dillon (3), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

17. Christopher Bell (20), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

18. Alex Bowman (48), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

19. Brad Keselowski (6), RFK Racing Ford

20. Bubba Wallace (23), 23XI Racing Toyota

21. Michael McDowell (34), Ford of motorsport in the front row

22. Kyle Larson (5), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

23. Justin Haley (31), Kaulig Racing Chevrolet

24. Aric Almirola (10), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

25. Chase Briscoe (14), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

26. Carson Hocevar (7), Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

27. Chris Buescher (17), RFK Racing Ford

28. Todd Gilliland (38), Ford of motorsport in the front row

29. Ryan Preece (41), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

30. Corey LaJoie (9), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

31. Erik Jones (43), Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet

32. Noah Gragson (42), Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet

33. Ty Dillon (77), Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

34. BJ McLeod (78), Live Fast Motorsports Ford

35. Gray Gaulding (15), Rick Ware Racing Ford

36. JJ Yeley (51), Rick Ware Racing Ford

Enjoy the Illinois 300 TV/streaming/radio program

All times Eastern

SATURDAY
10am-10.45am: Training (FS1, Fox Sports app, MRN)
10.45 a.m.-12 p.m.: Qualifications (FS1, Fox Sports app, MRN)

Sunday
2-3:30 p.m.: Pre-Race Show (FS1, Fox Sports App)
3:30 p.m.-7 p.m.: Enjoy the Illinois 300 (FS1, Fox Sports app, MRN)

Take Advantage of the Illinois 300 Enrollment List

Ross Chastain (1), Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Austin Cindric (2), Team Penske Ford
Austin Dillon (3), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Kevin Harvick (4), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Kyle Larson (5), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Brad Keselowski (6), RFK Racing Ford
Carson Hocevar (7), Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
Kyle Busch (8), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Corey LaJoie (9), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Aric Almirola (10), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Denny Hamlin (11), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Ryan Blaney (12), Penske Ford Team
Chase Briscoe (14), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Gray Gaulding (15), Rick Ware Racing Ford
AJ Allmendinger (16), Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
Chris Buescher (17), RFK Racing Ford
Martin Truex Jr. (19), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Christopher Bell (20), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Harrison Burton (21), Wood Brothers Racing Ford
Joey Logano (22), Penske Ford Team
Bubba Wallace (23), 23XI Racing Toyota
William Byron (24), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Justin Haley (31), Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
Michael McDowell (34), Ford of motorsport in the front row
Todd Gilliland (38), Ford of motorsport in the front row
Ryan Preece (41), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Noah Gragson (42), Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet
Erik Jones (43), Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet
Tyler Reddick (45), 23XI Racing Toyota
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (47), JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet
Alex Bowman (48), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
JJ Yeley (51), Rick Ware Racing Ford
Ty Gibbs (54), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Ty Dillon (77), Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
BJ McLeod (78), Live Fast Motorsports Ford
Daniel Suarez (99), Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

Chase Elliott suspended for Gateway

NASCAR’s most popular driver will not be at Gateway this weekend as he serves a one-race suspension. Elliott was suspended for a retaliatory move against Denny Hamlin last week in Charlotte. Midway through the Coca-Cola 600, Hamlin pressed Elliott on the exit of Turn 4, and Elliott turned into Hamlin’s right-back quarter panel, knocking both of them out of the race.

Corey Lajoie will drive Elliott’s #9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet this weekend. Elliott missed six races earlier in the season due to injuries sustained in a snowboarding accident.

Enjoy the details of the Illinois 300

Track: World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway (1¼ mile asymmetric oval) in Madison, Illinois
Length: 240 laps for 300 miles
Banking: 11 degrees in turns 1-2, nine degrees in turns 3-4.
Last year’s winner: Joey Logano, Penske Ford Team

Top drivers and best bets for the Enjoy Illinois 300

For the second straight weekend, Hendrick Motorsports’ Kyle Larson and William Byron enter the weekend as the top two favorites, according to BetMGM, as the HMS team has been absolutely dominant on non-superspeedways.

Better chances of winning
• Kyle Larson +500
• William Byron +700
• Ryan Blaney +1000
• Kyle Busch +1,000
• Denny Hamlin +1,000

Byron has won three of six races on intermediate tracks (between 1 and 1 ½ miles) this season and has partnered with Larson to lead 1,270 of 3,943 total laps this season. Blaney and Busch both finished in the top 5 in this race last year in the first Cup Series race there, while Hamlin won at Kansas earlier this year, which has a similar profile to Gateway. .

We wrote earlier in the week about other bets worth considering this weekend: you can find good mid-level value at Ty Gibbs (+3000) and Brad Keselowski (+3500) who both had wins in feeder series races at Gateway.

Enjoy Illinois 300 Weather Forecast

Summer is officially still a few weeks away, but in the metropolis of St. Louis, it’s already in full swing. It should be hot and dry with temperatures in the 90s. This should lead to rapid tire wear and multiple headaches for team managers and race strategists.