Kyle Larson Seeks Win at Chicagoland

Kyle Larson is confident about his chances at Chicagoland Speedway, a 1.5-mile track where he has a strong record. On July 4, he will attempt to stop his 42-race drought dating back to his win at Kansas in May 2025.

Larson has four top-five finishes in six Cup Series starts at Chicagoland, with an average finish of 6.17, the best among drivers with multiple starts. He was second in the previous two Cup races at the speedway.

Larson participated in two days of testing at the track in April and had one of the fastest cars in practice on Friday. He feels that the extra laps have given him confidence, but acknowledges that his competitors will quickly catch up.

Larson's history at Chicagoland includes a memorable last-lap duel with Kyle Busch in 2018. He rewatched the highlights before testing at the track in April and again before his return this weekend. Busch's death in May has given the memory a different meaning for Larson.

Larson is taking on William Byron this weekend in one of the most intriguing matchups for the second round of NASCAR's In-Season Challenge. The winner of the five-race tournament receives $1 million.

Larson and Byron discussed their duel within the race on Friday, with no signs of awkwardness. Larson said it would be fun to go head-to-head with Byron, but his focus is on winning the race.

Denny Hamlin has the pole position for the NASCAR Cup Series race, edging Larson in second with a lap time of 30.296 seconds at 178.241 m.p.h. Larson's time was 30.297 seconds at 178.235 m.p.h.

Larson posted top-five finishes in five of his last six races, including fourth at Sonoma last weekend. He is looking to round into form midway through the season and secure his first win at Chicagoland Speedway.

The NASCAR Cup Series race at Chicagoland Speedway will take place on July 4, with Larson seeking to break his winless drought and claim his first win at the speedway.