Logano Wins Gateway Pole for Enjoy Illinois 300
NXTbets Pro | Published On: September 13, 2026
Joey Logano wins Gateway pole
Joey Logano won the pole for the Enjoy Illinois 300 at World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison, Illinois, giving the No. 22 Team Penske Ford the top starting spot for the second race of the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs. Logano turned a 32.817-second lap at 137.124 mph and beat Kyle Larson by 0.276 seconds in qualifying. The margin was the largest in Cup qualifying since Chicagoland in 2017.
The pole was Logano’s 35th career NASCAR Cup Series pole and his second pole of the 2026 season. It also set him up with the first pit stall for Sunday’s race. That matters at Gateway, where track position has shaped the outcome of every previous event. All four prior races at the circuit were won from the front row, and Logano won there in 2022 after starting seventh. This time, he put himself in front before the green flag even fell.
Gateway qualifying order
Larson gave Logano a strong challenge, but the gap settled in Logano’s favor when the session ended. Ryan Blaney qualified third, Christopher Bell fourth and Chase Briscoe fifth. Denny Hamlin lined up 10th and Tyler Reddick 18th, two more names near the middle and back of the front-half of the field. The full qualifying order gave a clear picture of how tightly the playoff field stacked up around the top spots, but Logano stood alone at the top of the sheet when the final times were posted.
Logano said the setup worked in both short-run and long-run trim. That mattered at Gateway, where a strong starting position has been important. Logano’s qualifying run put him in the front position for Sunday. The result gave Team Penske a lead spot for a race inside the playoffs, where Logano and his team had targeted maximum points.
Playoff position improves for Logano
Logano said two wins in his last seven races have pushed him back into championship contention, and Gateway was one of the tracks he and his team targeted for maximum points. The pole backed up that plan. It also matched the kind of run he said he needed, with a car that was strong in both short-run and long-run trim. In a playoff race, that combination gives Logano a strong starting position as he pursues maximum points.
The pole gave Logano a chance to start the Enjoy Illinois 300 from the front and retain the track position that has mattered so much at this venue. Gateway has rewarded front-row starters in its previous four races. That puts added value on the first pit stall and the front-row position. Logano has already proven he can win here from deeper in the field, but the pole gives him a cleaner starting position this time. Larson will start alongside him, with Blaney, Bell and Briscoe right behind.
