Quami Scott had all but written himself out of the 2026 eNASCAR Qualifying Series. Three races before Chicagoland, he sat 108th in the standings. Then things started moving.
A podium at Bristol moved him to 69th. Then came Tuesday night at Chicagoland Speedway, where a fuel-save strategy earned Scott his first Top Split victory of the 2026 season. He is now 45th with two races remaining, still 183 points short of the cut, but back in the conversation.
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🎮 Official Chicagoland recap on iRacing.com
Round 9 was also a milestone in the 2026 QS schedule. The first eight races split evenly between NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series cars and the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series machines. Chicagoland was the first of two Cup Series Gen 7 car races, the same car used for the entire Championship Series season. That makes Michigan and Texas especially relevant, because drivers who make the cut will race this hardware all year.
The race came down to fuel management in the closing laps. Scott nursed his tank, backing off where others stayed flat, and coasted home with just enough left. “I was clutching from the start of that run just to make sure we made it,” Scott explained after the race. “Even when I was good, I was still clutching. I finally just went. We kept the tires on it, too. It just played right into our favor.”
eNASCAR Qualifying Series Chicagoland: Points and Playoff Implications
Dylan Basen won Second Split. In Third Split, Rajah Caruth claimed his second victory of the 2026 QS season, running part-time alongside his O’Reilly Auto Parts Series schedule. Real-world crossover talent was in the mix throughout the event. Craftsman Truck Series regular Kaden Honeycutt finished 18th in Top Split, and Cup Series driver Carson Hocevar came home 17th in Split 2.
The win does not solve Scott’s math problem, it just buys more time to solve it. He is still 183 points outside the top 30 with only two races left. He has been here before, though, and he knows how to handle the pressure. “I’m not trying to do this on purpose,” Scott said. “Every year, I’m in a tight points battle, and it’s stressful. It’s not my plan at all, but here we are again. Just going to have to do it again.”
Round 10 heads to Michigan International Speedway on Tuesday, April 21. Coverage starts at 7:45 p.m. ET at eNASCAR.com/live. At two miles with high-speed drafting and wide racing lanes, Michigan will shake up the standings again. For Scott and everyone still chasing the cut, there is no room left for a quiet result.
