NASCAR playoffs at Gateway: Four drivers facing most pressure in Enjoy Illinois 300

On Sunday, World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway will play host to the second race of the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs. 

The 1.25-mile egg-shaped track presents many challenges to drivers, and for the 16 drivers chasing a championship, WWTR is the second race in the Round of 16. 

With the Sept. 13 race at Bristol serving as the elimination race for the first round of the playoffs, a good showing at WWTR is critical for every playoff driver in the field — especially those close to the cut line. 

Here are the four playoff drivers under the most pressure going into Sunday's Enjoy Illinois 300 (USA Network, 3 p.m. ET). 

Shane van Gisbergen | No. 88 Chevrolet | Trackhouse Racing 

If you blinked, you may have missed van Gisbergen's 16-point advantage before the Southern 500 disappearing into thin air. After a disastrous evening at Darlington — the track van Gisbergen was most confident about in the Round of 16 — his first NASCAR race at WWTR in any division will begin with a three-point advantage to the cut line. 

Learning ovals on the fly is difficult enough, but having to learn a new track in a critical postseason race is really difficult. For van Gisbergen to have any chance of advancing to the Round of 12, however, he must summon some magic Sunday. 

Joey Logano | No. 22 Ford | Team Penske 

Logano enters Sunday's race in a situation opposite of van Gisbergen's. The defending series champion is three points below the playoff cut line going into the weekend, but there's no better track than Gateway for Logano to race. 

Logano is under pressure for a different reason than van Gisbergen: He's expected to perform well Sunday, and if he doesn't, he may miss his best chance to advance to the Round of 12.