Season-high nine drivers to run Cup and Xfinity races at Chicago

Nine drivers are scheduled to compete in both the Xfinity and Cup race this weekend, the most drivers to do so this season.

Those scheduled to do double duty this weekend are: Joey Logano, Kyle Larson, AJ Allmendinger, Ty Gibbs, John Hunter Nemechek, Daniel Suarez, Shane van Gisbergen, Austin Hill and Josh Bilicki.

Saturday’s Xfinity race is on NBC. Pre-race coverage begins at 3 p.m. ET.

Sunday’s Cup race is on NBC and Peacock. Pre-race coverage begins at 4 p.m. ET.

This is the first year Cup drivers have been allowed to compete in the Xfinity race on the streets of Chicago.

Logano has won three of his last four Xfinity road course starts, but his last series start on a road course was in 2018. Saturday’s race will be Logano’s first Xfinity event since 2019. He will drive the No. 15 for AM Racing, filling in this weekend for Hailie Deegan as the team seeks to find better results this season. Logano enters this weekend after his Cup victory last weekend at Nashville.

Joey Logano to drive Chicago Xfinity race for Hailie Deegan

AM Racing makes the move after struggles this season with Hailie Deegan.

Larson, the Cup points leader, is back in the No. 17 for Hendrick Motorsports in the Xfinity Series. This will be his second Xfinity start of the year. He won the Xfinity race at Circuit of the Americas in March from the pole. Larson finished fourth in last year’s Cup race in Chicago.

Allmendinger enters the Xfinity race seventh in the series standings for Kaulig Racing. He has 11 career Xfinity road course wins. His most recent Xfinity win on a road course was in March 2023 at Circuit of the Americas. On the Cup side, Allmendinger is running a part-time schedule. He has finished sixth in both Cup races on road courses this year (COTA and Sonoma). All three of his Cup wins have come on road courses, including last year’s victory at the Charlotte Roval.

Gibbs is making his fifth Xfinity start this season. The 2022 Xfinity champion has four career series wins on road courses. His most recent Xfinity road course victory was August 2023 at Indianapolis. Gibbs seeks his first career Cup victory.

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Nemechek is making his 10th Xfinity start of the season. He has two wins, claiming victories at Las Vegas and Nashville in the No. 20 for Joe Gibbs Racing. He was third at COTA and eighth at Sonoma this season. Nemechek drives for Legacy Motor Club in the Cup Series and seeks his first career win.

Suarez is making his second Xfinity start of the season. The 2016 Xfinity champion seeks his first series win on a road course. His first Cup career victory came on the road course at Sonoma in 2022.

Van Gisbergen won last year’s inaugural Cup race on the streets of Chicago. He’s competing full-time this season in the Xfinity Series, driving for Kaulig Racing. Van Gisbergen won back-to-back road course races at Portland and Sonoma. He seeks to tie the Xfinity record of winning three consecutive road course races. Terry Labonte and Allmendinger share the mark.

Hill is fourth in the Xfinity season standings entering this weekend. He opened the season by winning at Daytona and Atlanta. Hill will make his ninth career Cup start this weekend, driving the No. 33 for Richard Childress Racing.

Bilicki will make his ninth Xfinity start of the season and 99th of his career. He finished a season-best 12th on the road course at Portland. He will make his first Cup start of the year and 98th of his career, driving the No. 66 for MBM Motorsports.