Race: Enjoy Illinois 300
Date: Sunday, September 7, 2025
Track: World Wide Technology Raceway
Time: 3 pm ET
Channel: USA
What Did We Learn From Last Weekend?
The Southern 500 turned out to be a bust for many of the playoff drivers, but for Chase Briscoe it was a huge win ultimately locking him into the Round of 12 with only two races remaining for everyone else to secure a win that are in the transfer positions. For Briscoe, the win here seemed to come easily. He led 309 of 367 laps, only being challenged really during the closing laps of the race. He won all stages and easily showed everyone else what he and his team are capable of moving forward.
For Tyler Reddick, a second place finish wasn’t exactly what he was looking for, but he had to settle for it nonetheless after struggling on the short runs. He admitted that he could’ve caught him on the long runs if there had been any left, but it was too little too late for Reddick. The silver lining to the 2nd place finish was gaining a valuable 35-point lead above the cut line. It’s going to continue to be razor thin with just two races remaining in this stage of the playoffs, and many drivers have some ground to make up. The Hendrick garage struggled from the beginning and ended the night with a best finish of 17th from Chase Elliott. That’s out of character for that entire organization, so they are really going to lean in hard for some better success this weekend.
Where Are We Headed This Weekend?
As the drivers move into the second of three races in the Round of 16, the crews are headed to World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison, Illinois. This 1.250 asphalt oval has 11 degrees of banking through turns 1 and 2, with 9 degrees of banking through turns 3 and 4. This is another high tire wear track, and also a track where position is going to be everything. The configuration of this track is somewhat unique and similar to Darlington in a way, and always presents some challenges to the drivers and teams.
Odds and Value Picks
Let’s take a look at your potential winners heading into this weekend’s race in Illinois:
Winner: Joey Logano (+1000)
I’m a little confused about some of the books putting Logano so far back based on his record at this track. He’s got the best average finish and has never finished outside of the top 5. There have been only three races here, but he’s also one of the winners. Logano has done a great job in recent weeks and will look to capitalize on his success at Illinois to lock down his spot in the Round of 12.
Mid-Range Pick: Kyle Busch (+2500)
Busch is also a winner at this track. He’s got two top tens to include that win and holds the 7th-best average finish. He’s struggled this year, but he needs a win. This could be his redemption. Look for Busch to give this one everything he’s got. He’s got nothing to lose after all.
Dark Horse: AJ Allmendinger (+10000)
The Dinger has the 12th-best average finish here, finishing no worse than 14th in his two starts. He’s also got nothing to lose and everything to gain from a strong run. This is potentially one of his better runs this year. No playoff points are on the line, so he will be giving it all he’s got.
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Here are your current top 16 after Darlington:
- Chase Briscoe
- Denny Hamlin
- Kyle Larson
- Tyler Reddick
- Bubba Wallace
- William Byron
- Ryan Blaney
- Ross Chastain
- Austin Cindric
- Christopher Bell
- Chase Elliott
- Shane van Gisbergen
- Joey Logano
- Austin Cindric
- Alex Bowman
- Josh Berry
Berry and Bowman are both 19 points below the cutoff line and have their work cut out for them. Logano being below the cutoff should light a fire under that team, but this should be a solid weekend and an opportunity to lock down their spot in the Round of 12. How will it all play out, especially with Bristol being the last race of this round? Stay tuned for a great afternoon of racing at World Wide Technology Raceway!
