What’s Happening?

This weekend, the NASCAR Xfinity Series joins the NASCAR Cup Series for a doubleheader weekend with weighty playoff implications. For the Cup Series, it is race two of the Round of Sixteen, and for the Xfinity Series, their return to WWT Raceway serves as the cutoff race for their playoff.

• WWT Raceway, often referred to as Gateway, is a low-banked 1.25-mile short track located on the border of Illinois and Missouri in Madison, Illinois. The track opened its oval in 1995, and has hosted all of the top divisions of American oval racing, including CART, IndyCar, ARCA, and NASCAR.
• The NASCAR Cup Series did not race at WWT Raceway until 2022, but prior to that, the track was a staple of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck and Xfinity Series. The track was a staple of both series from the late 1990s until 2010, before its recent return to their schedule.
• While the Cup Series has only raced at Gateway for three years, no driver has shown pure dominance, though the Penske Fords have won two of three races. Specifically, Joey Logano, who won the track’s inaugural event, has an average finish of third in his three starts.

Weekend TV Schedule (All Times EST)*

Friday, September 5: Xfinity Series Practice

• 5:05 PM – 5:55 PM — Xfinity Series Practice on the CW App

Saturday, September 6: Xfinity Series Qualifying | Cup Series Practice and Qualifying | Xfinity Series Race

• 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM — Xfinity Series Qualifying on the CW App
• 4:30 PM – 5:30 PM — Cup Series Practice on TruTV
• 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM — Cup Series Qualifying on TruTV
• 7:30 PM — Xfinity Series Nu Way 200 Sauced by Blues Hog on the CW [TV] & MRN [Radio]

Sunday, September 7: Cup Series Race

• 2:00 PM – Cup Series Enjoy Illinois 300 on USA [TV] & MRN [Radio]

*Track is located in Central Time

Race Facts: World Wide Technology Raceway

Track Facts: World Wide Technology Raceway

• Year Opened: 1995
• Length: 1.25 Miles
• Banking: 11° in Turn 1 and 2; 9° in Turn 3 and 4
• Surface: Asphalt
• Rain Tires: Yes
• Lights: Yes

Nu Way 200 Sauced by Blues Hog on the CW:

• Race Length: 170 Laps (200 Miles)
• Stages: 35 Lap Stage One, 35 Lap Stage Two, 90 Lap Final Stage
• Most Recent Race Winner: Brad Keselowski (2010)

Enjoy Illinois 300 on USA:

• Race Length: 240 Laps (300 Miles)
• Stages: 45 Lap Stage One, 135 Lap Stage Two, 105 Lap Final Stage

2024 Enjoy Illinois 300 Results:

• First: Austin Cindric — No. 2
• Second: Denny Hamlin — No. 11
• Third: Brad Keselowski — No. 6
• Fourth: Tyler Reddick — No. 45
• Fifth: Joey Logano — No. 22

Top Storylines of the Weekend

• For the first time since 2010, the NASCAR Xfinity Series returns to WWT Raceway this weekend. During its time as a staple of NASCAR’s lower two National Divisions, Gateway saw some highlight moments, including that final 2010 season, with Carl Edwards wrecking Brad Keselowski for the win in the spring, and Keselowski rebounding with a win in search of the series championship.
• Unlike the NASCAR Cup Series, the NASCAR Xfinity Series hosts their playoff cutoff race in September. Entering this weekend, three open spots remain open with top drivers like Sheldon Creed, Taylor Gray, and Harrison Burton sitting above the cutoff line. Just below the cut line lies Harrison’s cousin Jeb, who is sitting just 31 points below a shot at the playoffs. Only one driver, Carson Kvapil, is locked in without a win.
• This is race two of the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs. Chase Briscoe is the first driver locked into the round of eight after a dominant performance at Darlington Raceway. But perhaps the most interesting story of last weekend was Toyota’s dominance and the struggles of Chevrolet and Ford. In total, three Chevrolets and one Ford found the top ten at Darlington, none of which were playoff drivers.

Entry Lists

Cup Series

This information will be available when NASCAR releases it on Tuesday afternoon.

Xfinity Series

This information will be available when NASCAR releases it on Tuesday afternoon.

Note: This article will be updated as more information about the weekend comes out.