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Enjoy Illinois 300

Date

Sep 7

Track

World Wide Technology Raceway

Distance

240 Laps

RACE RECAP

Denny Hamlin continued his remarkable 2025 campaign by winning the Enjoy Illinois 300 at World Wide Technology Raceway, picking up his fifth victory of the season in the second race of the Cup Series Playoffs. Hamlin led 75 of 240 laps on the 1.25-mile oval, making the decisive move on the lap 215 restart after staying out under the final caution to leapfrog Brad Keselowski and pull away to a 1.620-second victory over JGR teammate Chase Briscoe.

The race featured 15 lead changes among 9 drivers and 10 cautions for 52 laps, creating a strategic chess match on the tight Gateway oval. Chase Briscoe won Stage 1, Bubba Wallace captured Stage 2, and Hamlin closed it out with the final-stage victory. Chase Elliott ran a strong third, with Ryan Blaney and Joey Logano rounding out the top five. John Hunter Nemechek, Christopher Bell, Bubba Wallace, Chris Buescher, and Ty Gibbs completed the top ten in a dominant day for Joe Gibbs Racing, which placed four cars inside the top ten.

Hamlin's victory at Gateway secured his advancement to the Round of 12, and his 59th career Cup Series win moved him further up the all-time wins list. The result showcased JGR's organizational strength, as the Toyota camp continues to be the team to beat across multiple track configurations.

BY THE NUMBERS

Lead Changes

Leaders

10/52

Cautions / Laps

2,801

Green Flag Passes

1.620

Margin of Victory

98.262

Avg MPH

3:03:11

Race Time

21.7%

Under Caution

17.1

Avg Green Run (Laps)

Stage Winners

S1Chase Briscoe

S2Bubba Wallace

Lap Leaders

#11Hamlin75laps

#23Wallace73laps

#5Larson52laps

#19Briscoe15laps

#6Keselowski13laps

#12Blaney5laps

#9Elliott4laps

#22Logano2laps

#54Gibbs1laps

Caution Breakdown

1L28–325LNo. 8 Spin Backstretch

2L37–415LNos. 9, 21 Incident Turn 2LD #8

3L47–526LStage 1 Conclusion

4L62–654LNos. 19, 99 Incident Turn 2

5L77–826LNos. 3, 10 Incident Turn 2

6L136–1394LNos. 5, 12 Incident Turn 4LD #51

7L142–1476LStage 2 ConclusionLD #10

8L151–1555LDebris Turn 3

9L157–1615LNo. 88 Incident Turn 4

10L210–2156LNo. 10 Incident Turn 1LD #1

KEY TAKEAWAYS

01Denny Hamlin's fifth win of 2025 at Gateway made him the top fantasy scorer yet again -- his ability to capitalize on late-race restarts is a fantasy superpower that shows no signs of fading.

02Chase Briscoe's Stage 1 win and P2 finish delivered another premium fantasy performance, reinforcing his value as Hamlin's most consistent JGR teammate.

03JGR placed four cars in the top ten -- stacking Joe Gibbs Racing drivers at Gateway proved to be the optimal fantasy strategy for this event.

04Bubba Wallace's Stage 2 win and P8 finish provided solid mid-tier fantasy value, particularly for managers looking for stage-point upside at a discount salary.

05The 10 cautions for 52 laps created frequent restarts that reshuffled the running order -- Gateway's tight racing surface and Playoff intensity combined for a strategy-heavy fantasy environment.

VALUE PICKS

5.6

pts/$

Bubba Wallace$10

P8S1:P6S2:P1Led:73

5.43

pts/$

John H. Nemechek$7

P6S2:P9

4.61

pts/$

Denny Hamlin$14

P1S1:P3S2:P7Led:75FL

4.50

pts/$

Michael McDowell$6

P14

4.20

pts/$

Ricky Stenhouse Jr$5

P20

BUSTS

0.5

pts/$

Josh Berry$11

P36

1.73

pts/$

Kyle Busch$11

P22

1.83

pts/$

Austin Cindric$12

P19

2.08

pts/$

Tyler Reddick$12

P16

2.10

pts/$

Ross Chastain$10

P24S1:P8S2:P10

PERFECT LINEUP

Optimal 5-driver roster for this race

Salary

$50/50

Avg Finish

P6.2

Total Points

377.26

Group	Driver	Salary	Finish	Led	Bonus	Pts
A	Denny Hamlin	$14	1	75★	+13 S1:8 S2:4 +FL	131.00 2 × 65.50
B	Chase Briscoe	$13	2	15	+10 S1:10	91.88 1.75 × 52.50
C	John H. Nemechek	$7	6	0	+2 S2:2	57.00 1.5 × 38.00
D	Bubba Wallace	$10	8	73	+15 S1:5 S2:10	70.38 1.25 × 56.30
E	Michael McDowell	$6	14	0	0	27.00 1 × 27.00

★ Fastest Lap of the Race (+1 pt)