Eero 400
Location: Joliet, Ill.
Course: Chicagoland Speedway
Format: 1.5-mile tri-oval
Laps: 267
NASCAR Cup Series Race Preview
Shane van Gisbergen returned to the top last week at Sonoma with another emphatic road course performance. The win was an important one for the No. 97, especially after SVG crashed out early in San Diego the week before and with Sonoma marking the final road course stop on the 2026 calendar. If he is going to maintain his place among the contenders for The Chase, continued oval improvement will be essential. That challenge resumes this week at Chicagoland Speedway, where the 1.5-mile oval hosts the series for the first time since 2019. Several veteran drivers bring prior experience at this track, including former winners Alex Bowman, Denny Hamlin, and Brad Keselowski, but much of the weekend will still feel new. With a different chassis, different tires, and a changed racing landscape, every team will be working quickly to learn the track again, adapt to current conditions, and find any early advantage that could help carry them to victory on Sunday.
Key Stats at Chicagoland Speedway
- Number of previous races: 19
- Winners from pole: 1
- Winners from top-5 starters: 2
- Winners from top-10 starters: 8
- Winners from 21st or lower starters: 5
- Fastest race: 145.401 mph
Previous 10 Chicagoland Winners
2019 - Alex Bowman
2018 - Kyle Busch
2017 - Martin Truex Jr.
2016 - Martin Truex Jr.
2015 - Denny Hamlin
2014 - Brad Keselowski
2013 - Matt Kenseth
2012 - Brad Keselowski
2011 - Tony Stewart
2010 - David Reutimann
The NASCAR Cup Series is returning to Chicagoland Speedway this week for the first time since 2019. The track historically produced exciting races with the 1.5-mile tri-oval layout. As the race wore on, the groove tended to widen, which enabled cars with long-run speed to drive through the field. While this will be the 20th series race at the track, it will likely function more like a debut. With a new generation of car and unknown tire falloff, much of this weekend will be a learning experience for drivers and teams. However, there is anticipation that Chicagoland will deliver. Cars run closer together than prior generations now, and if the racing line widens as rubber is laid down like it used to, the conditions are ripe for a wide-open race. In that case, long-run cars may have the advantage. With Chicagoland's history of cars able to make moves to get to the front, a car that manages its tires throughout a fuel run should rise to the top, but that could be for naught with late restarts. In that case, track position may be key to winning this shootout.
RotoWire NASCAR DFS Tools
DraftKings Value Picks for the eero 400
Based on Standard $50K Salary Cap
DraftKings Tier 1 Values
Denny Hamlin - $11,000
Kyle Larson - $10,500
Ryan Blaney - $10,200
Christopher Bell - $10,000
DraftKings Tier 2 Values
Chase Briscoe - $9,900
William Byron - $9,700
Chase Elliott - $9,500
Ty Gibbs - $9,000
DraftKings Tier 3 Values
Carson Hocevar - $8,800
Chris Buescher - $8,700
Bubba Wallace - $8,500
Joey Logano - $8,200
DraftKings Long-Shot Values
Alex Bowman - $7,300
Austin Cindric - $7,000
Zane Smith - $6,600
John Hunter Nemechek - $5,700
Optimal DraftKings Lineup for the eero 400
Kyle Larson - $10,500
Chase Briscoe - $9,900
Chris Buescher - $8,700
Alex Bowman - $7,300
Austin Cindric - $7,000
Zane Smith - $6,600
Denny Hamlin and Toyota may be the ones to beat, but Kyle Larson (DK $10,500, FD $13,000) and Hendrick Motorsports have been closing the gap. Larson led multiple laps in the last six races, which is evidence of being the closest to a win yet this season. Additionally, in his prior six Chicagoland starts, he finished second or third three times with just one finish outside of the top 10. This week's unknowns coupled with an increased in competitiveness could be the recipe for Larson to score a long-awaited breakthrough.
Given Toyota's continued advantage, it makes sense to include a driver like Chase Briscoe (DK $9,900, FD $11,000) in this week's lineups. Like Larson, things have been improving recently for him, and it feels like he may be overdue for some success. He is coming off of a great showing at Sonoma last week and he finished eighth at Las Vegas and third at Kansas earlier this season, which are the two tracks most comparable to Chicagoland. Briscoe's price this week is also significantly less than some other Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota options.
While Ford has work to do to catch Toyota and Chevrolet, a few of their drivers have been maximizing their opportunities. One of those is RFK Racing's Chris Buescher (DK $8,700, FD $9,500). Buescher is seventh in points and had three straight top-10 finishes before Sonoma. He also finished in the top 10 at both Kansas and Las Vegas earlier in the year. Sonoma wasn't the race the No. 17 wanted, but they have been putting themselves in contention for top-10 finishes consistently and specifically at 1.5-mile ovals.
NASCAR stopped racing at Chicagoland in 2019 and the last series winner there was Alex Bowman (DK $7,300, FD $7,800). The Hendrick driver has been pretty quiet in 2026 but has still turned in two top-fives and scored his latest top-10 just a week ago at Sonoma. Bowman stands poised to benefit from Hendrick's improvement this week at a track he will feel confident at. This could be the week fantasy players get a bigger-than-usual return from the No. 48.
Austin Cindric (DK $7,000, FD $7,200) stands out as a value target this week because of his low price point. Earlier in the year, the No. 12 team showed consistent top-10 pace, but Cindric now finds himself trying to hold onto a spot in The Chase as the summer stretch heats up. He has three top-15 finishes in the last five races and appears to be moving closer to another top-10 result. He also finished 12th at Kansas in April, which adds to the case for him on a similar-style intermediate track. If he can deliver another top-15 finish this week, this salary cost would be a relative bargain.
Zane Smith (DK $6,600, FD $6,000) has been one of the best bargain plays all season, and this week is no exception. Smith has six top-10 finishes so far this season, which is more than any other driver outside of the top 16 in the championship standings. He finished 14th at Las Vegas in March and was ninth at Nashville in May. As long as Smith continues to add top finishes to his 2026 numbers, fantasy players should keep him in their sights.
Best Bets for the eero 400
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook as of 7:00 PM ET Friday
Race Winner - Denny Hamlin +320, Christopher Bell +850
Top-Five Finish - Chase Briscoe +160
Top-10 Finish - Bubba Wallace +135
Denny Hamlin's recent success has made him the driver to beat on ovals, and his past experience at Chicagoland Speedway is contributing to his lower odds. He won at Chicagoland in 2015, albeit with completely different equipment, and he also was one of the top cars at both Las Vegas and Kansas earlier this season. At those two races he led a combined 265 laps, winning Las Vegas in the process. However, there have been two races since Hamlin's last oval outing and things can always change, which makes these odds a difficult pill to swallow.
Those not willing to go with Hamlin's low odds should consider teammate Christopher Bell as an alternative play. Just as Bell was looking likely to win a race, bad luck struck and has plagued him since. His broken wrist might have been the worst of his issues, but after completing the full race a week ago at Sonoma and finishing fifth, it seems unlikely that will be an issue this week at Chicagoland. Bell seems overdue for a victory in 2026 and last week's top-five run makes him look like a potential contender this week with significantly better profit on offer versus Hamlin.
Another Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota in play this week is Chase Briscoe. Here we choose him as a top-five option. Like teammate Bell, Briscoe has been getting closer to a potential 2026 victory. Last week, he ran down the best road course racer in the business to finish second, and he finished well at both Kansas and Las Vegas. Briscoe has the equipment to bag a top finish this week if nothing gets in his way.
Bubba Wallace also poses an attractive wager this week for a top-10 finish. The 23XI Racing driver has been somewhat inconsistent from week to week, but the past few races he has been alternating between top-five finishes and a sub-20 outing. If that pattern holds, this would be the week to expect him to grab another top finish. His 1.5-mile oval results are the real driver here, though. Wallace finished ninth at Las Vegas and fifth at Kansas. This should be a race he is able to deliver on expectations of a top-10 finish.
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