With 41 entries, one driver will fail to qualify for the NASCAR Cup race in Chicago

In one thing that has change into more and more uncommon in trendy NASCAR, there will likely be a DNQ (didn’t qualify) on this weekend’s Cup race on the Chicago Avenue Course.

Together with the 36 full-time chartered groups, 5 open entries may even present up for the ultimate 4 spots on the grid. The slowest amongst them will miss the present and be the primary driver and workforce despatched residence in qualifying for the reason that season-opening Daytona 500. And in line with reporter Seth Eggert, this would be the first non-500 race with a DNQ since 2018 at Texas Motor Speedway!

This is a more in-depth take a look at the 5 open entries:

Will Brown — No. 13 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet

Kaulig Racing is getting into a 3rd automotive this weekend and whereas the title ‘Will Brown’ is probably going unfamiliar to those that solely watch NASCAR, he needs to be taken very significantly. Brown is the reigning champion of Australian Supercars and at present leads the 2025 championship as nicely. He was additionally the driving force employed to exchange Shane van Gisbergen on the Crimson Bull Triple Eight workforce after SVG left Supercars for NASCAR. Brown has one earlier Cup begin, working the 2024 race at Sonoma with Richard Childress Racing. He certified twenty fourth and completed thirty first.

Austin Hill — No. 33 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

Austin Hill, Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

Picture by: Krista Jasso / Getty Pictures

Hill is a daily within the NASCAR Xfinity Collection with loads of inventory automotive racing expertise. Driving a 3rd entry for RCR, Hill will likely be making an attempt to make his twelfth begin on the prime stage of the game. He additionally ran the Chicago Cup race with RCR final yr, beginning thirty fourth and ending thirty first. Within the Xfinity Collection, he has 13 profession wins and whereas most of these are on drafting tracks, he has proven velocity on highway/avenue programs earlier than. He infamously traded paint with SVG final yr at each Sonoma and COTA within the battle for the win.

Josh Bilicki — No. 66 Storage 66 (previously MBM Motorsports) Ford

Josh Bilicki, DGM Racing Chevrolet

Picture by: Sean Gardner / Getty Pictures

A much smaller workforce than a lot of the others on this listing, the No. 66 is a part-time effort owned by Carl Lengthy. What they do have going for them is the truth that Bilicki is essentially the most skilled Cup driver of those 5 with 103 begins within the Cup Collection. He is additionally a  respectable highway racer with two earlier Cup begins on the Chicago Avenue Course. He began twenty seventh and completed twenty third there in 2023, later qualifying thirty ninth and ending twenty eighth within the 2024 version of the race.

Corey Heim — No. 67 23XI Racing Toyota 

Corey Heim, TRICON Storage Toyota

Picture by: Jonathan Bachman – Getty Pictures

23XI is the largest workforce on this listing and Heim is extremely succesful racer, as he has confirmed time and again. As a fourth entry for the workforce co-owned by Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan, Heim will likely be hoping to make his sixth begin on the Cup stage this weekend. Because the championship chief within the NASCAR Truck Collection, he’s completely dominating the 2025 season with 5 wins, not too long ago main 99 of 100 laps on his solution to capturing the checkered flag at Lime Rock Park. Nevertheless, this will likely be his first expertise on the Chicago Avenue Course.

Katherine Legge, Stay Quick Motorsports Chevrolet

Picture by: Jonathan Bachman – Getty Pictures

Legge is one other driver like Bilicki who’s attempting to get a smaller, single-car workforce into the race. She can be a really succesful highway racer with loads of expertise as an IMSA driver, successful 4 races and inserting as excessive as second within the championship whereas competing in GTD. The British racer has additionally began 4 Indy 500s, competed in DTM, WEC, and even Components E. Whereas her NASCAR journey has been a rocky one, if she will make the race, will probably be her third look within the Cup Collection this yr.

Full NASCAR Cup entry listing — Chicago Avenue Course