The NASCAR Cup Series heads to Gateway Motorsports Park hoping for a less stressful weekend after weather wreaked havoc on the Coca-Cola 600 one week ago.
Last year's Enjoy Illinois 300 was dominated by Kyle Busch, who won the pole Saturday and won the race Sunday in Madison, Illinois. The win came a year after Busch finished second at Gateway, so the veteran driver has put his name all over the event. Could he make Sunday's race a highlight of what's been a challenging season for him at times?
Christopher Bell, meanwhile, is looking to build off his second win of the season, a Coca-Cola 600 victory that propelled him to 11th in the season standings despite a string of poor finishes between the two victories.
Busch and Bell both have reason for hope Sunday at Gateway, but neither won the pole Saturday.
Here's a look at the complete qualifying results ahead of the Enjoy Illinois 300, including the pole winner and starting order.
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Who won the Enjoy Illinois 300 pole for 2024?
Michael McDowell won the pole for the Enjoy Illinois 300 on Saturday, outlasting Team Penske's Austin Cindric and Ryan Blaney.
It's McDowell's third career pole and third of the season. The win also comes after McDowell revealed he will leave Front Row Motorsports at the end of the 2024 season.
"When it comes to qualifying, you just have to execute your plan. And I planned all week to do that, and I'm just going to execute my plan, right, wrong or indifferent," McDowell told reporters after winning the pole. "And so I just committed to it. And fortunately, we're on the right side of it."
Bell will be in the No. 4 position a week after winning the Coca-Cola 600, with Tyler Reddick rounding out the top five.
NASCAR Cup Series points leader Denny Hamlin will start sixth, while 2023 Enjoy Illinois 300 winner Kyle Busch is set to start 10th in Sunday's race.
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Enjoy Illinois 300 starting lineup 2024
| Starting pos. | Driver | Car No. | Team |
| 1 | Michael McDowell | 34 | Front Row Motorsports |
| 2 | Austin Cindric | 2 | Team Penske |
| 3 | Ryan Blaney | 12 | Team Penske |
| 4 | Christopher Bell | 20 | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 5 | Tyler Reddick | 45 | 23XI Racing |
| 6 | Denny Hamlin | 11 | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 7 | Brad Keselowski | 6 | RFK Racing |
| 8 | Bubba Wallace | 23 | 23XI Racing |
| 9 | Ty Gibbs | 54 | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 10 | Kyle Busch | 8 | Richard Childress Racing |
| 11 | William Byron | 24 | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 12 | Joey Logano | 22 | Team Penske |
| 13 | Kyle Larson | 5 | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 14 | Alex Bowman | 48 | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 15 | Corey LaJoie | 7 | Spire Motorsports |
| 16 | Ross Chastain | 1 | Trackhouse Racing |
| 17 | Chase Elliott | 9 | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 18 | Austin Dillon | 3 | Richard Childress Racing |
| 19 | Martin Truex Jr. | 19 | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 20 | Carson Hocevar | 77 | Spire Motorsports |
| 21 | Justin Haley | 51 | Rick Ware Racing |
| 22 | Erik Jones | 43 | Legacy Motor Club |
| 23 | Chase Briscoe | 14 | Stewart-Haas Racing |
| 24 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | 47 | JTG Daugherty Racing |
| 25 | Derek Kraus | 16 | Kaulig Racing |
| 26 | Chris Buescher | 17 | RFK Racing |
| 27 | Noah Gragson | 10 | Stewart-Haas Racing |
| 28 | Daniel Hemric | 31 | Kaulig Racing |
| 29 | Josh Berry | 4 | Stewart-Haas Racing |
| 30 | Harrison Burton | 21 | Wood Brothers Racing |
| 31 | Daniel Suarez | 99 | Trackhouse Racing |
| 32 | Ryan Preece | 41 | Stewart-Haas Racing |
| 33 | John Hunter Nemechek | 42 | Legacy Motor Club |
| 34 | Cody Ware | 15 | Rick Ware Racing |
| 35 | Todd Gilliland | 38 | Front Row Motorsports |
| 36 | Zane Smith | 71 | Spire Motorsports |