Ready for the endless talk of playoffs? Then the races at WWT Raceway will be for you. The Cup Series will host their second race of the Round of 16. After Darlington gave multiple playoff drivers issue, the goal for those 15 drivers not locked in will be to have a clean race. Round of 16 is all about surviving. Meanwhile, the Xfinity Series returns to WWT Raceway for the first time since 2010. Gateway will serve as the regular season finale. With a cutline battle that seems locked up already, attention will be paid to any surprise driver that finds his way forward. In terms of storylines, there are plenty of nominees for who to watch this week. Below are the ones who were selected to be the Critical Path Security 6 Drivers to Watch for WWT Raceway.

Since being introduced to the Cup Series in 2022, WWT Raceway shown a flair for some late race dramatics. Obviously, not much can top last year’s battle of the failures, as the race’s two best cars went down with issues late in the race. The first year saw Kyle Busch and Joey Logano go at it for the win. Unlike previous years, the Truck Series is not joining the Cup Series. Instead, the Xfinity Series makes its long awaited return to Illinois. As the regular season finale, the hope is that the track can produce similar fireworks as seen with the Cup Series.

Enjoy Illinois 300

Christopher Bell

Drivers to Watch: WWT Raceway - Bell

Photo by Logan Riely/Getty Images

A miserable Southern 500 has Christopher Bell in uncomfortable territory as the Cup Series heads to WWT Raceway. After contact with Carson Hocevar, Bell’s last race took a plunge down the leaderboard. With a 29th place finish (and only scoring 12 points), Bell enters this weekend with only an 11 point advantage over the cutline. While being above the cutline is good, that is too close for comfort. Especially considering how well the 20 team started this season, starting the second race of the playoffs with little wiggle room is cause for slight concern. Luckily, this year’s second race of the Round of 16 is a strength for Bell.

Much like New Hampshire and Phoenix, WWT Raceway plays into the strengths of Christopher Bell and the 20 team. A flat oval, Bell has looked sharp in the track’s first 3 races. Last year, Bell looked to be the car to beat until an engine issue spoiled his day. Looking ahead to Sunday, it would be a surprise if the 20 car was not in contention for the win. For Bell this weekend should be an opportunity to get right for the remainder of the playoffs. It has been a sluggish streak lately for the Joe Gibbs Racing driver. St Louis’s flat track could be the thing that will get him going again.

Carson Hocevar

Drivers to Watch: WWT Raceway - Hocevar

Photo by Logan Riely/Getty Images

The track that put Carson Hocevar on the radar for a potential Cup ride was Gateway. Filling in for Corey LaJoie (who was filling in for Chase Elliott), Hocevar impressed during his brief run in the 2023 race. He outperformed the driver he was replacing while said driver was in the best equipment. Granted, Hendrick Motorsports have struggled at WWT Raceway but the point still remains. Last year in his own car, Hocevar locked up his second Top-10 of that season.

With the playoffs ongoing, one of the big stories to track is whether a non-playoff driver can win. This weekend, there might not be a better candidate to pull the upset than Hocevar. His Truck Series experience at Gateway clearly has been a boost to his 2 starts. Plus, this year has seen the 77 car have race winning speed at multiple tracks. Despite his poor reputation, the largest enemy to Hocevar’s quest for his first Cup win has been his equipment. Numerous engine failures have spoiled Top-5 runs. That would be the most concerning issue heading into this weekend. If the car can maintain under him, Carson Hocevar is the perfect dark horse pick to play playoff spoiler.

Austin Cindric

Austin Cindric

Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images

2025 has been the year of surprise 2024 winners reclaiming their wins. Austin Dillon went back-to-back at Richmond. Chase Briscoe dominated the Southern 500 to win that again. Is it Austin Cindric’s turn to do the same? Last year, Cindric drove one of the best races of his career (off of a superspeedway). Consistently running inside the Top-5, the 2 car looked more like a Penske car in one race than the rest of the 2024. While his eventual win was the result of Ryan Blaney running out of fuel, Cindric’s performance made him worthy of it. It was a strong day for that team, which secured his spot in the playoffs.

Although Austin Cindric will likely not be the favorite to win, he is one to watch. His Darlington performance left a bit to be desired, but the 2 team avoided any major incidents and left with a 12 point advantage on the cutline. Now, the goal will be to maximize the points on Sunday to build a comfortable cushion for Bristol. Looking past Gateway, there is a feasible pathway for Cindric to advance to the Championship Four. The ROVAL and New Hampshire should be strong tracks for the 2 team in the next round. Meanwhile, he is the reigning Talladega winner. Not only for this weekend, but Austin Cindric will be one to watch.

Nu Way 200

Sammy Smith

Sammy Smith

Photo by David Jensen/Getty Images

When considering who should be the ones to watch for the Xfinity Series, a strong look at last year’s New Hampshire race was required. The two tracks share similarities that (in theory) should help determine who might be solid this weekend. Outside of the usual suspects, a surprising name to find was Sammy Smith. While a 12th place finish is hardly impressive, Smith had a better day than the results indicate. He qualified 6th and finished Stage 1 in second. However, he got caught up in the big one near the end of the race that spoiled his result.

Although Sammy Smith falls into the background at JR Motorsports, he is putting together his best Xfinity season yet. He is on pace to set career bests in Top-5s/10s and average finish. Smith deserves recognition for his improvement. At Gateway this weekend, it would not be surprising to see Smith outrun his JRM teammates. Justin Allgaier’s experience at the track might give him an edge over Smith, but the 8 car would lead the 1 and 88. Flat tracks have been Smith’s greatest strength as well, especially looking at his runs at Phoenix.

Harrison Burton

Drivers to Watch: WWT Raceway - Burton

Photo by David Jensen/Getty Images

AM Racing made the right call in tabbing Harrison Burton to pilot their 25 car. A year after a disastrous campaign from Hailie Deegan, AM Racing is back in the mix and fighting for a playoff spot. Entering the weekend, Burton holds a 31 point advantage over his cousin Jeb. That cushion should be enough to safely keep Harrison in the playoffs, as long as there is no new winner.

Playoffs aside, Burton has been impressive this season. Through 25 races, his average finish is only 1.1 positions worse than his last year with Joe Gibbs Racing. Throughout the season, the 25 team have been contending for Top-10s across a variety of tracks. The race winning speed has been limited to the superspeedways, but that is to expected. However, both of Burton’s Top-5s have been on short tracks. While the playoffs will be the main reason why Burton will receive screentime, fans should not overlook how well this career reset is going for Jeff’s son.

Jeremy Clements

Drivers to Watch: WWT Raceway - Clements

Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images

Only two drivers on the entry this for this weekend competed in the last Xfinity Series race at WWT Raceway. Justin Allgaier started the Team Penske 12 car and drove it to a Top-5. The other driver was Jeremy Clements. Driving for JD Motorsports, that Gateway start was a notable one for Clements. It was his first Xfinity Series Top-10 as well as the first laps he led. Fast forward to this weekend, the 51 car will wear a throwback scheme to that start from 2010.

2025 has been a bit of a return to form for the 51 team. Through 25 races, Clements have picked up 3 Top-10s. After only picking up 1 Top-10 over the last 2 seasons, it is positive to see Clements finding success. His previous experience at Gateway could be a factor to help him pick up his fourth this weekend. The odds of a Cinderella moment to win though are low. Still, he should be one to watch this weekend to see if that old paint scheme can lead him to the front.

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