The 2022 Enjoy Illinois 300 was a NASCAR Cup Series race that was held on June 5, 2022, at World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison, Illinois. The 15th race of the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series season, it was contested over 245 laps – extended from 240 laps due to an overtime finish, on the 1.25-mile (2.01 km) paved oval motor racing track.
Report
Background World Wide Technology Raceway (formerly Gateway International Raceway and Gateway Motorsports Park) is a motorsport racing facility in Madison, Illinois, just east of St. Louis, Missouri, United States, close to the Gateway Arch. It features a 1.25-mile (2 kilometer) oval that hosts the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, and the NTT IndyCar Series, a infield road course used by the SCCA, Porsche Club of America, and various car clubs, and a quarter-mile drag strip that hosts the annual NHRA Midwest Nationals event.
On September 15, 2021, it was announced WWT Raceway at Gateway would be added to the NASCAR Cup Series schedule for the first time for the 2022 season.
Entry list (R) denotes rookie driver. (i) denotes driver who is ineligible for series driver points.
Driver Team Manufacturer 1 Ross Chastain Trackhouse Racing Team Chevrolet 2 Austin Cindric (R) Team Penske Ford 3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 4 Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 5 Kyle Larson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 6 Brad Keselowski RFK Racing Ford 7 Corey LaJoie Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 8 Tyler Reddick Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 9 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 10 Aric Almirola Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford 14 Chase Briscoe Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 15 Parker Kligerman (i) Rick Ware Racing Ford 16 A. J. Allmendinger (i) Kaulig Racing Chevrolet 17 Zane Smith (i) RFK Racing Ford 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 19 Martin Truex Jr. Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 20 Christopher Bell Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 21 Harrison Burton (R) Wood Brothers Racing Ford 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 23 Bubba Wallace 23XI Racing Toyota 24 William Byron Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 31 Justin Haley Kaulig Racing Chevrolet 34 Michael McDowell Front Row Motorsports Ford 38 Todd Gilliland (R) Front Row Motorsports Ford 41 Cole Custer Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 42 Ty Dillon Petty GMS Motorsports Chevrolet 43 Erik Jones Petty GMS Motorsports Chevrolet 45 Kurt Busch 23XI Racing Toyota 47 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 48 Alex Bowman Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 51 Cody Ware Rick Ware Racing Ford 77 Josh Bilicki (i) Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 78 B. J. McLeod Live Fast Motorsports Ford 99 Daniel Suárez Trackhouse Racing Team ChevroletOfficial entry list
Practice Joey Logano was the fastest in the practice session with a time of 32.906 seconds and a speed of .
Practice results Pos Driver Team Manufacturer Time 1 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 32.906 136.753 2 12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford 33.025 136.260 3 2 Austin Cindric (R) Team Penske Ford 33.063 136.104Official practice results
Qualifying Chase Briscoe scored the pole for the race with a time of 32.544 and a speed of .
Qualifying results Pos Driver Team Manufacturer 1 14 Chase Briscoe Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 32.528 32.544 2 2 Austin Cindric (R) Team Penske Ford 32.797 32.662 3 20 Christopher Bell Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 32.703 32.713 4 8 Tyler Reddick Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 32.656 32.724 5 12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford 32.719 32.735 6 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 32.762 32.760 7 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 32.605 32.820 8 10 Aric Almirola Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 32.814 32.820 9 21 Harrison Burton (R) Wood Brothers Racing Ford 32.877 32.828 10 1 Ross Chastain Trackhouse Racing Team Chevrolet 32.904 32.870 11 45 Kurt Busch 23XI Racing Toyota 32.803 — 12 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 32.827 — 13 19 Martin Truex Jr. Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 32.868 — 14 41 Cole Custer Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 32.932 — 15 5 Kyle Larson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 32.939 — 16 9 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 32.941 — 17 34 Michael McDowell Front Row Motorsports Ford 32.960 — 18 23 Bubba Wallace 23XI Racing Toyota 32.977 — 19 7 Corey LaJoie Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 32.997 — 20 4 Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 33.019 — 21 43 Erik Jones Petty GMS Motorsports Chevrolet 33.019 — 22 38 Todd Gilliland (R) Front Row Motorsports Ford 33.055 — 23 99 Daniel Suárez Trackhouse Racing Team Chevrolet 33.088 — 24 24 William Byron Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 33.112 — 25 48 Alex Bowman Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 33.150 — 26 42 Ty Dillon Petty GMS Motorsports Chevrolet 33.285 — 27 47 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 33.299 — 28 31 Justin Haley Kaulig Racing Chevrolet 33.339 — 29 3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 33.415 — 30 6 Brad Keselowski RFK Racing Ford 33.575 — 31 51 Cody Ware Rick Ware Racing Ford 33.625 — 32 17 Zane Smith (i) RFK Racing Ford 33.671 — 33 77 Josh Bilicki (i) Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 33.744 — 34 78 B. J. McLeod Live Fast Motorsports Ford 34.477 — 35 16 Ben Rhodes (i) Kaulig Racing Chevrolet 0.000 — 36 15 Parker Kligerman (i) Rick Ware Racing Ford 0.000 — Official qualifying results
Race
Stage Results
Stage One Laps: 45
Pos Driver Team Manufacturer Points1 2 Austin Cindric (R) Team Penske Ford 102 12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford 93 8 Tyler Reddick Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 84 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 75 1 Ross Chastain Trackhouse Racing Team Chevrolet 66 10 Aric Almirola Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 57 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 48 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 39 9 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 210 20 Christopher Bell Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 1Official stage one results
Stage Two Laps: 95
Pos Driver Team Manufacturer Points1 45 Kurt Busch 23XI Racing Toyota 102 19 Martin Truex Jr. Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 93 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 84 5 Kyle Larson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 75 10 Aric Almirola Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 66 20 Christopher Bell Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 57 99 Daniel Suárez Trackhouse Racing Team Chevrolet 48 41 Cole Custer Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 39 43 Erik Jones Petty GMS Motorsports Chevrolet 210 12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford 1Official stage two results
Final Stage Results
Stage Three Laps: 100
Pos Grid Driver Team Manufacturer Laps Points1 7 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 245 442 12 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 245 463 11 45 Kurt Busch 23XI Racing Toyota 245 444 5 12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford 245 435 8 10 Aric Almirola Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 245 436 13 19 Martin Truex Jr. Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 245 407 21 43 Erik Jones Petty GMS Motorsports Chevrolet 245 328 10 1 Ross Chastain Trackhouse Racing Team Chevrolet 245 359 3 20 Christopher Bell Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 245 3410 35 16 A. J. Allmendinger (i) Kaulig Racing Chevrolet 245 011 2 2 Austin Cindric (R) Team Penske Ford 245 3612 15 5 Kyle Larson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 245 3213 25 48 Alex Bowman Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 245 2414 28 31 Justin Haley Kaulig Racing Chevrolet 245 2315 29 3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 245 2216 4 8 Tyler Reddick Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 245 2917 32 17 Zane Smith (i) RFK Racing Ford 245 018 17 34 Michael McDowell Front Row Motorsports Ford 245 1919 24 24 William Byron Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 245 1820 30 6 Brad Keselowski RFK Racing Ford 245 1721 16 9 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 245 1822 22 38 Todd Gililand (R) Front Row Motorsports Ford 245 1523 23 99 Daniel Suárez Trackhouse Racing Team Chevrolet 245 1824 1 14 Chase Briscoe Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 245 1325 9 21 Harrison Burton (R) Wood Brothers Racing Ford 245 1226 18 23 Bubba Wallace 23XI Racing Toyota 245 1127 26 42 Ty Dillon Petty GMS Motorsports Chevrolet 245 1028 33 77 Josh Bilicki (i) Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 245 029 14 41 Cole Custer Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 245 1130 34 78 B. J. McLeod Live Fast Motorsports Ford 245 731 36 15 Parker Kligerman (i) Rick Ware Racing Ford 245 032 27 47 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 241 533 20 4 Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 235 434 6 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 234 1035 31 51 Cody Ware Rick Ware Racing Ford 166 236 19 7 Corey LaJoie Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 72 1Official race results
Race statistics Lead changes: 12 among 9 different drivers Cautions/Laps: 10 for 53 Red flags: 0 Time of race: 3 hours, 7 minutes and 34 seconds Average speed:
Media
Television Fox Sports covered the race on the television side. Mike Joy, Clint Bowyer, and Michael Waltrip called the race from the broadcast booth, with Kenny Wallace joining for Stage 2. Jamie Little and Regan Smith handled pit road for the television side, and Larry McReynolds provided insight from the Fox Sports studio in Charlotte. On the drive to his dealerships in Emporia, Kansas, Bowyer was involved that night in fatal crash where his car struck an impaired motorist in Osage Beach, Missouri that evening. Because of an investigation into the incident, Bowyer was on leave for legal issues and did not make the trip to Sonoma for the ensuing week's race.
FS1Booth announcersPit reportersIn-race analystLap-by-lap: Mike JoyColor-commentator: Clint BowyerColor-commentator: Michael WaltripColor-commentator: Kenny Wallace (Stage 2) Jamie LittleRegan Smith Larry McReynolds
Radio MRN had the radio call for the race and was simulcasted on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio. Alex Hayden, Jeff Striegle, and Rusty Wallace called the race for MRN from the booth when the field raced down the front straightaway. Dave Moody called the race from turns 1 & 2 while Kurt Becker called the race from turns 3 & 4. Pit Road for MRN was manned by Steve Post Brienne Pedigo and Chris Wilner.
MRN RadioBooth announcersTurn announcersPit reporters Lead announcer: Alex HaydenAnnouncer: Jeff StriegleAnnouncer: Rusty Wallace Turns 1 & 2: Dave MoodyTurns 3 & 4: Kurt Becker Chris WilnerSteve PostBrienne Pedigo
Standings after the race
Drivers' Championship standings Pos Driver Points 1 Chase Elliott 507 1 2 Kyle Busch 498 (–9) 1 3 Ross Chastain 490 (–17) 4 Ryan Blaney 479 (–28) 5 Martin Truex Jr. 470 (–37) 6 Joey Logano 467 (–40) 2 7 Kyle Larson 444 (–63) 8 Alex Bowman 439 (–68) 2 9 William Byron 438 (–69) 10 Christopher Bell 434 (–73) 3 11 Aric Almirola 385 (–122) 12 Tyler Reddick 379 (–128) 2 13 Kevin Harvick 377 (–130) 1 14 Chase Briscoe 362 (–145) 1 15 Erik Jones 353 (–154) 1 16 Austin Dillon 350 (–157)Official driver's standings
Manufacturers' Championship standings Pos Manufacturer Points 1 Chevrolet 542 2 Toyota 521 (–21) 3 Ford 506 (–36)
Note: Only the first 16 positions are included for the driver standings. . – Driver has clinched a position in the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs.
Notes
References