The 2023 Enjoy Illinois 300 presented by TicketSmarter was a NASCAR Cup Series race held on June 4, 2023, at World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison, Illinois. Contested over 243 laps – extended from 240 laps due to an overtime finish, on the 1.25-mile (2.01 km) paved oval motor racing track, it was the 15th race of the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season. This would be the final Cup Series victory for two-time series champion Kyle Busch, before his sudden death on May 21, 2026, due to illness.
Report Background
World Wide Technology Raceway (formerly Gateway International Raceway and Gateway Motorsports Park) is a motorsport racing facility in Madison, Illinois, just east of St. Louis, Missouri, United States, close to the Gateway Arch. It features a 1.25-mile (2 kilometer) oval that hosts the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, and the NTT IndyCar Series, a infield road course used by the SCCA, Porsche Club of America, and various car clubs, and a quarter-mile drag strip that hosts the annual NHRA Midwest Nationals event.
Corey LaJoie replaced Chase Elliott for the race, who was parked by NASCAR for a deliberate collision against Denny Hamlin the race prior; Carson Hocevar took over LaJoie's No. 7 car as a result.
Entry list (R) denotes rookie driver. (i) denotes the driver ineligible for series driver points.
Driver Team Manufacturer 1 Ross Chastain Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet 2 Austin Cindric Team Penske Ford 3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 4 Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 5 Kyle Larson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 6 Brad Keselowski RFK Racing Ford 7 Carson Hocevar (i) Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 8 Kyle Busch Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 9 Corey LaJoie Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 10 Aric Almirola Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford 14 Chase Briscoe Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 15 Gray Gaulding (i) Rick Ware Racing Ford 16 A. J. Allmendinger Kaulig Racing Chevrolet 17 Chris Buescher RFK Racing Ford 19 Martin Truex Jr. Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 20 Christopher Bell Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 21 Harrison Burton Wood Brothers Racing Ford 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 23 Bubba Wallace 23XI Racing Toyota 24 William Byron Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 31 Justin Haley Kaulig Racing Chevrolet 34 Michael McDowell Front Row Motorsports Ford 38 Todd Gilliland Front Row Motorsports Ford 41 Ryan Preece Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 42 Noah Gragson (R) Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet 43 Erik Jones Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet 45 Tyler Reddick 23XI Racing Toyota 47 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 48 Alex Bowman Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 51 J. J. Yeley (i) Rick Ware Racing Ford 54 Ty Gibbs (R) Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 77 Ty Dillon Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 78 B. J. McLeod Live Fast Motorsports Chevrolet 99 Daniel Suárez Trackhouse Racing ChevroletOfficial entry list
Practice Joey Logano was the fastest in the practice session with a time of 32.881 seconds and a speed of .
Practice results Pos Driver Team Manufacturer Time 1 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 32.881 136.857 2 5 Kyle Larson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 32.892 136.811 3 24 William Byron Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 32.953 136.558 Official practice results
Qualifying Kyle Busch scored the pole for the race with a time of 32.802 and a speed of .
Qualifying results Pos Driver Team Manufacturer 1 8 Kyle Busch Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 33.025 32.802 2 12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford 32.797 32.810 3 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 32.877 32.870 4 4 Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 32.872 32.903 5 19 Martin Truex Jr. Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 32.979 33.001 6 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 33.074 33.006 7 24 William Byron Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 32.998 33.030 8 1 Ross Chastain Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet 32.847 33.090 9 45 Tyler Reddick 23XI Racing Toyota 32.880 33.140 10 2 Austin Cindric Team Penske Ford 32.919 33.203 11 16 A. J. Allmendinger Kaulig Racing Chevrolet 33.008 — 12 47 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 33.063 — 13 99 Daniel Suárez Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet 33.086 — 14 21 Harrison Burton Wood Brothers Racing Ford 33.106 — 15 54 Ty Gibbs (R) Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 33.110 — 16 3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 33.119 — 17 20 Christopher Bell Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 33.148 — 18 48 Alex Bowman Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 33.149 — 19 6 Brad Keselowski RFK Racing Ford 33.151 — 20 23 Bubba Wallace 23XI Racing Toyota 33.191 — 21 34 Michael McDowell Front Row Motorsports Ford 33.194 — 22 5 Kyle Larson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 33.209 — 23 31 Justin Haley Kaulig Racing Chevrolet 33.218 — 24 10 Aric Almirola Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 33.224 — 25 14 Chase Briscoe Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 33.277 — 26 7 Carson Hocevar (i) Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 33.279 — 27 17 Chris Buescher RFK Racing Ford 33.285 — 28 38 Todd Gilliland Front Row Motorsports Ford 33.321 — 29 41 Ryan Preece Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 33.435 — 30 9 Corey LaJoie Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 33.442 — 31 43 Erik Jones Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet 33.445 — 32 42 Noah Gragson (R) Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet 33.639 — 33 77 Ty Dillon Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 33.778 — 34 78 B. J. McLeod Live Fast Motorsports Chevrolet 33.797 — 35 15 Gray Gaulding (i) Rick Ware Racing Ford 33.867 — 36 51 J. J. Yeley (i) Rick Ware Racing Ford 34.061 —Official qualifying results
Race
Race results
Stage results
Stage One Laps: 45
Pos Driver Team Manufacturer Points1 8 Kyle Busch Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 102 12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford 93 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 84 19 Martin Truex Jr. Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 75 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 66 4 Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 57 24 William Byron Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 48 1 Ross Chastain Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet 39 2 Austin Cindric Team Penske Ford 210 99 Daniel Suárez Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet 1Official stage one results
Stage Two Laps: 95
Pos Driver Team Manufacturer Points1 12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford 102 8 Kyle Busch Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 93 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 84 24 William Byron Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 75 99 Daniel Suárez Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet 66 47 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 57 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 48 4 Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 39 1 Ross Chastain Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet 210 5 Kyle Larson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 1Official stage two results
Final Stage results
Stage Three Laps: 100
Pos Grid Driver Team Manufacturer Laps Points1 1 8 Kyle Busch Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 243 592 3 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 243 513 6 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 243 444 22 5 Kyle Larson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 243 345 5 19 Martin Truex Jr. Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 243 396 2 12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford 243 507 13 99 Daniel Suárez Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet 243 378 7 24 William Byron Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 243 409 21 34 Michael McDowell Front Row Motorsports Ford 243 2810 4 4 Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 243 3511 17 20 Christopher Bell Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 243 2612 27 17 Chris Buescher RFK Racing Ford 243 2513 10 2 Austin Cindric Team Penske Ford 243 2614 11 16 A. J. Allmendinger Kaulig Racing Chevrolet 243 2315 28 38 Todd Gilliland Front Row Motorsports Ford 243 2216 23 31 Justin Haley Kaulig Racing Chevrolet 243 2117 29 41 Ryan Preece Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 243 2018 31 43 Erik Jones Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet 243 -4119 24 10 Aric Almirola Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 243 1820 15 54 Ty Gibbs (R) Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 243 1721 30 9 Corey LaJoie Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 243 1622 8 1 Ross Chastain Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet 243 2023 14 21 Harrison Burton Wood Brothers Racing Ford 243 1424 36 51 J. J. Yeley (i) Rick Ware Racing Ford 243 025 33 77 Ty Dillon Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 243 1226 18 48 Alex Bowman Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 243 1127 34 78 B. J. McLeod Live Fast Motorsports Chevrolet 243 1028 19 6 Brad Keselowski RFK Racing Ford 243 929 35 15 Gray Gaulding (i) Rick Ware Racing Ford 242 030 20 23 Bubba Wallace 23XI Racing Toyota 236 731 16 3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 223 632 12 47 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 219 1033 32 42 Noah Gragson (R) Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet 197 434 25 14 Chase Briscoe Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 193 335 9 45 Tyler Reddick 23XI Racing Toyota 174 236 26 7 Carson Hocevar (i) Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 91 0Official race results
Race statistics Lead changes: 10 among 5 different drivers Cautions/Laps: 11 for 67 laps Red flags: 3 for 1 hour, 59 minutes, and 5 seconds (1 for a lightning delay, 1 for wreck clean-up, and 1 for repairs to the Turn 1 SAFER Barrier) Time of race: 3 hours, 28 minutes, and 16 seconds Average speed:
Media
Television Fox Sports covered the race on the television side. Mike Joy, Clint Bowyer and Michael Waltrip called the race from the broadcast booth, with Kenny Wallace joining for Stage 2. Jamie Little and Regan Smith handled the pit road for the television side. Larry McReynolds provided insight from the Fox Sports studio in Charlotte.
FS1Booth announcersPit reportersIn-race analystLap-by-lap: Mike JoyColor-commentator: Clint BowyerColor-commentator: Michael WaltripColor-commentator: Kenny Wallace (Stage 2) Jamie LittleRegan Smith Larry McReynolds
Radio MRN had the radio call for the race and was also simulcasted on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio. Alex Hayden, Jeff Striegle, and Rusty Wallace called the race for MRN from the booth when the field raced down the front straightaway. Dave Moody called the race from turns 1 & 2 while Kurt Becker called the race from turns 3 & 4. Pit Road for MRN was manned by Steve Post, Brienne Pedigo and Kim Coon.
MRN RadioBooth announcersTurn announcersPit reporters Lead announcer: Alex HaydenAnnouncer: Jeff StriegleAnnouncer: Rusty Wallace Turns 1 & 2: Dave MoodyTurns 3 & 4: Kurt Becker Steve PostBrienne PedigoKim Coon
Standings after the race
Drivers' Championship standings Pos Driver Points 1 1 Ryan Blaney 495 1 2 William Byron 482 (–13) 1 3 Kevin Harvick 473 (–22) 1 4 Martin Truex Jr. 472 (–23) 4 5 Ross Chastain 466 (–29) 6 Christopher Bell 455 (–40) 3 7 Kyle Busch 451 (–44) 8 Denny Hamlin 451 (–44) 2 9 Kyle Larson 411 (–84) 3 10 Tyler Reddick 411 (–84) 2 11 Brad Keselowski 403 (–92) 2 12 Joey Logano 401 (–94) 1 13 Chris Buescher 393 (–102) 1 14 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 368 (–127) 15 Bubba Wallace 334 (–161) 2 16 Daniel Suárez 313 (–182)Official driver's standings
Manufacturers' Championship standings Pos Manufacturer Points 1 Chevrolet 567 2 Toyota 523 (–44) 3 Ford 512 (–55)
Note: Only the first 16 positions are included for the driver standings. . – Driver has clinched a position in the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs.
References