We are on Round 2 of TNT’s second annual In-Season Tournament. This year, that round takes place at the Chicagoland Speedway, a track we haven’t run at in the Gen 7 car and haven’t run at at all since 2019. 17 of our entered drivers have never run a lap there.

We are down to just eight matchups before we drop to the semi-final and four at Atlanta next weekend. With Chicagoland being sort of an unknown this weekend, let’s take a look at some of the matchups to keep an eye on.

Buescher vs. Bell

No, I did not pick this matchup because it’s the battle of the Christophers… Chris Buescher was driving the No. 37 Chevrolet for JTG Daugherty Racing the last time we raced at Chicagoland. Bell technically raced the track in Xfinity, but never Cup. Both drivers are competitive this season, Bell being more consistent, but Buescher has been one of the stronger Fords. My money goes to Bell on this one, but RFK has shown a lot of promise with Chris.

Gibbs vs. Briscoe

Now this is going to be a hell of a matchup. Ty Gibbs has been the second-best JGR car all season long without question. Briscoe has been the fourth best, but that doesn’t mean he’s been bad. Both cars had race-winning speed at Sonoma, and both drivers have been spot on on mile-and-a-half tracks. Best of all, neither driver has set foot on this track in a Cup car. This could very easily be THE matchup to watch this weekend, right up there with the next one!

Larson vs. Byron

Now this one should be fun. Two of Hendrick Motorsports’ heavyweights are going head-to-head. Larson has been top-5 all season long, while Byron has struggled to stay top-10 in points. Larson raced for Ganassi the last time we ran here, and Byron was just a sophomore, but both have amassed double-digit wins in the series since then. Larson has been very consistent all season, while Byron has been hit or miss. In fact, if you look at Byron’s finishes, they have gone from good to bad every other race since Martinsville in March. Sadly, if trends mean anything, this isn’t the week for young Willy B. My money will be on Larson here, but do not be surprised if Byron can snap his streak of bad luck.