UPDATE 4: Saturday, July 4, 2026, at 9:30 PM ET
Track drying is nearly complete. Crews are working on some really damp, puddly spots on pit road. The command to fire engines has been set at 10:00 PM ET, and drivers have been told to report to their cars by 9:40 PM ET. We are really, really close to getting this race started tonight.
UPDATE 3: Saturday, July 4, 2026, at 9:18 PM ET
Cars have been pushed to the starting grid on pit road as track drying efforts have really progressed at Chicagoland Speedway.
The rain is gone, so we're rolling to pit road! pic.twitter.com/08gGpP5oyU
— Hendrick Motorsports (@TeamHendrick) July 5, 2026
We are likely nearing the green flag of the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Cuervo 300.
UPDATE 2: Saturday, July 4, 2026, at 8:08 PM ET
The rain has finally halted at Chicagoland Speedway, and track drying efforts are continuing around the 1.5-mile speedway.
The radar looks good, and if all goes well, the track could be in shape for racing within the next hour and a half to two hours.
As official updates on expected start times come in, they’ll be updated in this story.
UPDATE 1: Saturday, July 4, 2026, at 6:40 PM ET
While rain continues to fall at Chicagoland Speedway, it appears that the radar is starting to look favorable for getting the start of the Cuervo 300 underway on Saturday evening. NASCAR has dispatched track drying equipment to work on sections of the track as precipitation has started to slow in sections of the 1.5-mile speedway.
No official timetable for the delayed start time of Saturday’s NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race has been given yet, but we’re trending in a positive direction.
ORIGINAL STORY: Saturday, July 4, 2026, at 5:47 PM ET
Threatening weather in the area of Chicagoland Speedway has put Saturday’s Cuervo 300 under a weather delay. The race was set to go green at 5:30 PM ET, but due to lightning and rain, which is pelting the track, the race will not start at the originally scheduled time.
At this time, there is no official timeline of when the race will go green, but as the situation develops and updates are given, this story will be updated with the official updates from the sanctioning body.
Coverage of the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Cuervo 300 at Chicagoland Speedway will remain on The CW, and the channel is currently providing weather delay coverage.
When the race does go green, Connor Zilisch will lead the field to the green flag. Zilisch, driving the No. 1 JR Motorsports Chevrolet, was awarded the top starting spot after NASCAR axed qualifying when weather delayed NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series practice on Friday afternoon.
Jesse Love, who is set to start from the sixth position on Saturday evening, was the fastest driver in Saturday’s NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series practice session at the 1.5-mile speedway. Love paced the field by nearly three-tenths of a second in the practice.
