Denny Hamlin struggled for most of the Enjoy Illinois 300, feeling like he didn’t have the car or pace needed at World Wide Technology Raceway. Yet, the championship leader still managed to finish ninth in the chaotic race and maintain his lead in the standings.

Only three Chase drivers held their positions after crashes, pit-road problems, and mechanical failures wreaked havoc in the Enjoy Illinois 300 at WWTR.

Bubba Wallace, Chase Briscoe and William Byron, all in the NASCAR Chase, were involved in a crash in Stage 3 at Gateway.

After having his 25-point Chase lead cut to 12 last week, Hamlin heads to a track where’s he is the defending champion and finished runner-up the previous two years. Still, he was reserved in his level of confidence at the 1 1/4-mile oval in suburban St. Louis that’s known for vastly different turns at the two ends of the track.

The NASCAR O\\\"Reilly Auto Parts Series travels from outside St. Louis to Bristol, Tennessee, to compete at Bristol Motor Speedway on Friday (7:30 p.m. ET, The CW, ESPN Unlimited, PRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

After nearly a month away from the track, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series returns to action to begin The Chase presented by Mobil 1 at Bristol Motor Speedway on Thursday (8 p.m. ET, FS1, FOX One, NASCAR Racing Network Radio,

Ryan Blaney’s chances at a second NASCAR Cup Series championship took a massive hit after Sunday’s Enjoy Illinois 300 at World Wide Technology Raceway. The driver of the No. 12 suffered a brake failure in the final stage,

Denny Hamlin remains the NASCAR Cup Series championship point leader, but his previously slim advantage is even smaller after the second race in the Chase.Hamlin and his Joe Gibbs Racing team were able to salvage a ninth-place finish out of Sunday’s race at World Wide Technology Raceway with the