NASCAR
Stratta’s Six: Who Will See a Gateway to the Cup from World Wide Technology Raceway?
Fresh off a tough, grueling, and costly Chase-opening Southern 500, week two could be as chaotic. World Wide Technology Raceway is on deck. Gateway is the next step down the title path for all contenders. The 1.25-mile oval in the shadow of the Gateway Arch has many tough quirks and characteristics that make it unique. Through four years on the NASCAR Cup Series calendar, Gateway has seen four different winner represent all three manufacturers. This many unknowns in St. Louis means the a list of potential winners is lengthy. Here are a few drivers who hope to have a positive points day in the Enjoy Illinois 300.
Denny Hamlin
Last year’s Gateway winner, 2025’s Playoff victory for Denny Hamlin continued a lights-out streak here. Driver 11 has second, second, and the win as his last three STL results, beating anyone in consistency. 12 months ago saw Hamlin lead 75 laps en route to win number five on the season. Chasing his fifth win in 2026 as well, Hamlin eyes a Chase turnaround result in Gateway. Despite being mired in 18th-place at Darlington, Hamlin did hang his hat on gathering a few precious stage points. He believed these in-race bonuses helped salvage a mid-pack finish.
“I have no idea,” Hamlin said when asked about Gateway. “I mean, we we were good last year. But I’m sure Penske cars will be pretty tough, and we’ll be racing, you know, the other Toyotas.”
If not for his antics with Ross Chastain in 2022, Hamlin may have four elite races from STL. Hamlin was the best of six Toyotas in the top-10 the last tine out at Gateway. This is a result the points leader desperately hopes to repeat in 2026. Still top dog in the championship entering Gateway, Hamlin is poised for another banner Sunday ahead. Being the last man to tame this track, chances are high that Hamlin has a strong Sunday again.
Denny Hamlin’s No. 11 Sport Clips Toyota Camry on the grid at Darlington Raceway before the Cook Out Southern 500 on Sunday, September 6, 2026. Photo Credit: Peter Stratta/TSJ Sports
Joey Logano
Gateway’s inaugural Cup winner from 2022, nobody’s had more sustained excellence at this track than Joey Logano. The 22’s worst St. Louis result was fifth in the last two years. Combined with laps led in three of four trips to STL, Logano should be a strong threat once again.
The Penske 22 has wins this season at North Wilkesboro and Richmond, both similar flat-yet-fast short ovals to Gateway. These wins helped trim Logano’s relevant track average finish down to 8.6. Despite having an engine issue in the closing laps last week too, Logano still finished ninth in Darlington. Now eighth in points, this weekend could see Logano make championship inroads at one of his best tracks.
Joey Logano’s No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Ultra Platinum Ford Mustang on the grid at Darlington Raceway before the Cook Out Southern 500 on Sunday, September 6, 2026. Photo Credit: Peter Stratta/TSJ Sports
Kyle Larson
Hendrick Motorsports remains winless across four years of racing at Gateway, but Kyle Larson has been close. The No. 5 Chevrolet owns two top-10s here, and led over 50 laps last year. Riding into St. Louis after a strong outing in Darlington, Larson hopes to keep the good times rolling in the Chevrolet camp.
“[Fifth in the Southern 500] was a good start to our Chase,” Larson said. “I think it went better than I anticipated based on the last two Darlington races for us. So I was happy with it. It was the first really legitimate shot at a race win we’ve had in a while based on car speed and execution. So I was extremely encouraged, I thought our team did a really good job.”
“Gateway would be a track that doesn’t really tend to suit like our style of setup and stuff. But we were really good there last year. I actually thought that we were maybe the best car there last year. Just the strategy got away from us.”
The early summer lights-out consistency may have returned for Larson and team 5. Three of their last four races have been sixth or better. This successful stretch has Larson currently ranked seventh on The Chase grid. Gateway is still one of very few tracks that hasn’t been tamed before by Hendrick. Perhaps Larson could change that stat on Sunday by besting a fourth-place run.
Kyle Larson’s No. 5 HendrickCars.Com Chevrolet Camaro on the grid at Darlington Raceway before the Cook Out Southern 500 on Sunday, September 6, 2026. Photo Credit: Peter Stratta/TSJ Sports
Christopher Bell
Fresh off a season-defining Southern 500 triumph, Christopher Bell eyes going back-to-back. Driver 20 had seven second-place results before last Sunday’s breakthrough win. The Southern 500 was Bell’s first ever win at Darlington. Now second in The Chase, Bell eagerly awaits the chance to check another track off the winless list in Gateway.
“I was debating on coming in here and making a joke about my two off weeks that I get since I won,” Bell said after Darlington. “I advance to the next round, I get to take the next two weeks off, but it ain’t happening this year. And I love it. I absolutely love it. That’s the way it’s supposed to be.”
“Yeah, we’re off to a great start, but no off weeks. Right back to work next week at Gateway and we’re going to have to. I still believe that I will have to win more races in the Chase if I want to be champion. Yeah, so we’re off to a really good start, but there’s no more off weeks, and I love it.”
“Hit the reset button. One thing is for sure, we were going to have a great qualifying metric for next week at St. Louis, which is super important. We’re going to have to capitalize on that, have a good qualifying effort. It’s stage by stage. We need to be in position to score points in stage one. Same thing in stage two, and then get a good finish out of the race. You know, I love this format because every single point, every single stage matters. Ain’t no more off weeks.”
Just two years ago here Bell was a front running contender, until a motor issue set him back. An 8.5 average finish at Gateway despite that hiccup puts the 20 on the short list of prerace favorites. Bell only enters St. Louis 12 points off of Denny Hamlin for the championship lead. Bell could realistically leave Gateway number one both on-track and in The Chase standings.
Christopher Bell’s No. 20 Mobil1 Toyota Camry on the grid at Darlington Raceway before winning the Cook Out Southern 500 on Sunday, September 6, 2026. Photo Credit: Peter Stratta/TSJ Sports
Ryan Blaney
Shockingly still winless at Gateway is Ryan Blaney, but he’s been up front in all four races here. Team Penske’s No. 12 Ford owns three top-10s and 120 laps here, with only one misstep from 2024. Blaney led coming to the white flag here two years ago, only for his fuel tank to run dry. This 11th hour fumble did hand the win to teammate Austin Cindric. Blaney coasted across the line in 24th, meanwhile, erasing what would have been a dominant day.
2022 saw Joey Logano win at Gateway, followed by Cindric in 2024. Can Ryan Blaney make the Penske ever-year Gateway win streak a perfect trio? The 12 has been on a heater this year, with a series-leading 6.6 average finish on similar short tracks. Victorious a few weeks ago at New Hampshire, Blaney now aims for one trophy that escaped his grasp in Gateway.
Ryan Blaney’s No. 12 Menards/Richmond Water Heaters Ford Mustang on the grid at Darlington Raceway before the Cook Out Southern 500 on Sunday, September 6, 2026. Photo Credit: Peter Stratta/TSJ Sports
Carson Hocevar
No driver has had a more unique Gateway history than Carson Hocevar. The Michigander made his Cup debut here filling in the No. 7 left vacated by Chase Elliott’s 2023 suspension. That day, the young rookie had the Spire Motorsports Chevrolet as high as 16th before blowing a brake rotor. Hocevar would return to Gateway as a full-time Cup driver in 2024, finishing eighth. That still marks his high water mark at this track. Earlier this week, Hocevar reflected on his first Sunday drive just three years ago.
“Yeah, I remember just feeling like I didn’t have any expectations or pressure or anything,” Hocevar said about his Cup debut. “I was really just going to enjoy it. I remember being super nervous, for my Busch races and everything because I felt like I was going to have to win, to run really really well and to try and sell myself. But now I was in a Cup car and everything, I felt like the expectations were I was either going to run really slow or crash.”
“There was a Cup driver that I got into it with in a Truck race like three weeks ago. He was coming to apologize, but also give advice. And his advice was how to get out of the way as a lapped car. And you know, by the end of the race, or for me, before the brake rotors broke, I was getting ready to pass them.”
“Yeah, it was a fun day. It was enjoyable for me. And my late model crew chief Zach Dunson got to be there, which was really cool. So it was just a pretty special day for me, obviously. I knew I just really wanted to enjoy it and I think achieved that. And thankfully for me, I got to be in a Cup car a lot more often afterwards. But going into that day, I wasn’t sure if I was ever going to touch a Cup car after that.”
“[The new package] is probably going to be harder to stop and change directions. Which means it’s probably going to be tighter and will be difficult to get up and go. It is going to be really valuable who can get on the brakes while keeping the car turning so you can stay pointed. Whoever points the earliest and can get back to the throttle straight is going to have a lot of straightaway and will have the power to take advantage of it.”
The center of NASCAR controversy after Darlington, it would be a very fitting end to the week for Carson Hocevar to win Gateway. Having drawn the ire of Brad Keselowski and many others, the 77 will try to outrun all critics and return to winning form. Spire Motorsports’ 77 hasn’t been in the top-10 for five-straight races, looking to remain an outside title threat. While far from a prerace favorite, motivation and hunger to prove doubters wrong could lead Hocevar to find an extra tenth or two on Sunday.
Carson Hocevar’s No. 77 Spectrum Chevrolet Camaro on the grid at Darlington Raceway before the Cook Out Southern 500 on Sunday, September 6, 2026. Photo Credit: Peter Stratta/TSJ Sports
The Enjoy Illinois 300 serves as a pivotal championship keystone for a second-straight season. Much anticipation is present going into Gateway for all 16 contending teams, who hope to stay within reach after Sunday. On paper shaping up to be a Gibbs vs. Penske dogfight, many others can still find their way into victory lane. Gateway’s green flag will fly Sunday at 3 p.m. ET on USA Network, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. The Bill France Cup ultimately cannot be won in Gateway. A ticket to this prized possession can certainly be lost in STL though, if any contenders run into championship roadblocks.
Written by Peter Stratta
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