Chase Elliott, who has been making steady progress since returning from a leg injury but still needs a win to secure a spot in this year’s playoff field, was the early favorite for Sunday’s race. He was slow in practice, though, and then crashed in qualifying, forcing the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports team to bring out the backup car.
Elliott wasn’t the only driver who ran into problems on Saturday, and Racing Insights’ updated projections for Sunday reflect the shakeup.
Tyler Reddick is now projected to win the inaugural race on Chicago’s streets, with Elliott projected to come in second. Kyle Larson moves up to third and road-course ace AJ Allmendinger is fourth.
Since coming back in April at Martinsville Speedway, Elliott has finished in the top 12 in seven of eight races and has moved from 32nd in the points standings to 25th. More recently, he has finished in the top five in three of the last four races.
Reddick will roll off second, and he’s part of a Toyota fleet that has flashed tremendous speed on the Cup Series’ first visit to a street course.
Tune in at 5 p.m. ET on Sunday on NBC to see what happens.
OTHERS TO WATCH
TYLER REDDICK: The driver of the No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota has won three of the last six road-course races in the Cup Series.
AJ ALLMENDINGER: Kaulig Racing’s road-course ace has finished top 10 in five of his last six road-course starts.
KYLE BUSCH: The Richard Childress Racing driver has finished top three in the last three road-course races. His season is on the upswing, too, thanks to five straight top-10 finishes.
MARTIN TRUEX JR.: Truex Jr. just won at Sonoma Raceway in the Cup Series’ most recent road-course race — and the Joe Gibbs Racing driver has five career road wins overall. He was among the leaders on the practice board all day Saturday.
Projections as of Sunday, July 2.
RACING INSIGHTS’ PROJECTIONS FOR THE GRANT PARK 220
Racing Insights’ advanced statistical formula includes current track, current track type, recent performance, team data and pit-crew data to arrive at a projected winner and full race results.
Forgive my ignorance, but Shane van Gisbergen is a beast on street courses. The three-time Supercars champion was quickest in his first practice session in the Cup Series and backed it up by running the third-fastest time in qualifying – notably, as the quickest Chevrolet. Keep van Gisbergen in mind when making your lineup for Sunday’s Chicago Street Race (5 p.m. ET, NBC, Peacock, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App).
Dustin Albino’s race-day lineup:
Starter 1: AJ Allmendinger
Starter 2: Michael McDowell
Starter 3: Shane van Gisbergen
Starter 4: Daniel Suárez
Starter 5: Tyler Reddick
Garage pick: Denny Hamlin
NEXT IN LINE: Jenson Button, Martin Truex Jr., Christopher Bell, Kyle Busch
RISING: It might have been three weeks ago, but practice and qualifying for the Chicago Street Race feels eerily familiar to Sonoma’s sessions. There, Denny Hamlin won the pole, had a bad pit stop and made a late mistake in the race and wrecked out. Tyler Reddick also started second, which is where he will take the green flag on Sunday. After winning the pole, Hamlin stated it was the best single day he’s had during a race weekend throughout his career. That says a lot, given this is his 18th full-time season.
While van Gisbergen might be getting a lot of the attention from Trackhouse Racing entries due to his first-weekend success, Suárez had a solid Saturday as well. The No. 99 Chevrolet was 11th-quickest in practice on single-lap speed and 10-lap averages. Entering Chicago on the playoff elimination line, a good run here would likely distance himself from 17th position.
FALLING: After practice, Chase Elliott told the Motor Racing Network (MRN) that his car wasn’t “even close enough to start complaining” about it. In qualifying, he moved over to follow van Gisbergen, hoping to get a quick lap. By the end of the lap, he clipped the outside wall and ricocheted into the inside wall. The No. 9 team has been known to be top-in-class on road courses, but thus far, street courses have been a struggle.
With the lack of speed Austin Cindric – and Team Penske – showed at Sonoma, the 2020 Xfinity Series champion tabbed it as a one-week rarity on a road course. Welp, unfortunately for Cindric, the No. 2 team had an absence of speed again in Chicago. To make things worse, he wrecked in practice. Going into the week he was labeled as one of the drivers to watch due to his street-racing background, but he was 31st in both practice and qualifying.
FEATURED MATCHUPS:
Ross Chastain vs. Austin Cindric
For as bad of a weekend Cindric has had so far, Chastain’s has been nearly just as difficult. The Nashville winner will take the green flag from 34th and looked uncomfortable with his car throughout practice and qualifying. It’s likely the No. 1 team will lean on its teammates to figure out the correct setup, but as of now, stick with Cindric here, even though he had significant right-front damage.
AJ Allmendinger vs. Daniel Suárez
This is an interesting one. Suárez outpaced Allmendinger in practice and qualifying, but it’s hard to bet against experience. Allmendinger, the two-time road course winner at the Cup level, has the most experience on street courses of full-time Cup drivers. Per usual when making left- and right-hand turns, the thought is he will be in the mix on Sunday.
Chase Elliott vs. Tyler Reddick
Reddick all the way. Seeing Elliott make a mistake and clip the wall in practice — resulting in a backup car — is a rarity, especially on tracks like the Chicago Street Course. But it happened, and Reddick will start on the opposite side of the field from the second position. Reddick said after qualifying that he has had to change his tendencies compared to road courses where he overdrives the corner. In Chicago, you can’t do that, or an accident will ensue. Go with the No. 45 car.
Kyle Larson vs. Martin Truex Jr.
Compared to one another, the Nos. 5 and 19 cars were similar. That makes this a deadlock entering Sunday. Particularly, Toyota looked to have the edge over Chevrolet, so that’s where I’m going here. Truex was also second-quickest on a 10-lap run.
(Editor’s note: Race-winner Carson Kvapil was disqualified following post-race inspection at South Boston. Original second-place finisher Bobby McCarty was declared the winner of the Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200. The following is the race report from Saturday, July 1.)
SOUTH BOSTON, Va. — Josh Berry and JR Motorsports were long synonymous with efficiency in Late Model Stock competition during the 2010s.
Although the duo accumulated numerous accomplishments together in the discipline until Berry moved up to the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2021, one that always eluded them was the Virginia Late Model Triple Crown.
Berry’s JRM successor in Carson Kvapil took a crucial first step toward securing the team its maiden Virginia Triple Crown championship Saturday evening when he dominated the Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 at South Boston Speedway to claim his first win across the prestigious three-race stretch.
A Virginia Triple Crown title was far from Kvapil’s mind when he pulled into Victory Lane. Instead, he was elated to break a recent slump and celebrate a victory with his team.
“I’m just happy,” Kvapil said. “I felt like we ran really good at the beginning of the season but struggled in the last few races. To bounce back in one of the biggest shows of the year really brings the confidence back up. Without all my guys, I wouldn’t be here.”
The first race of the Virginia Triple Crown belongs to @Carson_Kvapil!
There were numerous points preceding the Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 when Kvapil had doubts about contending for the win.
After only climbing as high as sixth in the three Saturday practice sessions, Kvapil and his team worked to ensure the No. 8 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet would be competitive come nightfall. The results were not immediately prevalent in time trials, as Kvapil only mustered a starting position of 10th in the 35-car field.
It was only when the green flag flew for the Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 that Kvapil’s car came to life. He methodically picked his way through the rest of the top-10 starters before overtaking Brenden “Butterbean” Queen for the lead shortly before the halfway break.
Kvapil’s biggest challenge over the second half of the race came from Landon Huffman. The defending Hickory Motor Speedway track champion was driving in his first Virginia Triple Crown event for Nelson Motorsports, which had previously won the Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 with Bobby McCarty in 2021.
Several late restarts provided Huffman plenty of chances to unseat Kvapil, with the last one nearly resulting in a collision between the two. Huffman’s save took him out of contention and enabled Kvapil to traverse the final laps with no resistance.
“[Huffman] had a bunch of speed,” Kvapil said. “I was actually really surprised he had that much speed, and it was hard to clear him. Once we got going after a few laps, my car came around, and we were able to clear him.”
With his win, Kvapil continues to build upon an impressive resume with JR Motorsports that already includes a CARS Tour championship.
With his win in Saturday’s Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 at South Boston Speedway, Carson Kvapil now has his focus set on the final two legs of the Virginia Late Model Triple Crown. (Photo: Sanjay Suchak/NASCAR)
Along with defending that title, a goal Kvapil established with his team for 2023 was to excel in the Virginia Triple Crown. He competed in all three races last year, but his hopes of a strong performance were derailed by a mechanical failure in the Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200.
Kvapil said his performance in that race would have hindered his Virginia Triple Crown prospects even if the mechanical failure did not occur. He and JR Motorsports used their notebook from last year’s Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 and the CARS Tour race later in the season to put together an efficient plan for Saturday evening.
“Even though we didn’t finish [last year], we weren’t going to finish that well,” Kvapil said. “That was one of our poorer performances we had [in 2022] and was pretty nervous coming back to this race. We changed a bunch on the setup and our strategy for this race. It all ended up working out.”
Winning the first leg of the Virginia Triple Crown has Kvapil confident about the upcoming two races on the schedule. They consist of the Hampton Heat at Langley Speedway and the ValleyStar Credit Union 300 at Martinsville Speedway.
For Kvapil, the Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 was the missing piece in an otherwise efficient Virginia Triple Crown debut in 2022. He placed third in the Hampton Heat before following that showing up with a runner-up finish to Peyton Sellers in the ValleyStar Credit Union 300.
Only five drivers have won the Virginia Triple Crown since it was first created in 2012. Kvapil would love to join that elite list not only to bolster his own reputation as a driver, but to reward everyone at JR Motorsports that has shaped him into the driver he is today.
“It would be pretty big,” Kvapil said. “The Virginia Triple Crown is one of the biggest events throughout the Late Model scene. That’s on my bucket list for sure and hopefully we can mark it off this season.”
Kvapil knows matching Josh Berry’s success in a JR Motorsports Late Model is close to impossible. Despite this, Kvapil is determined to leave behind his own legacy with the organizations, which he hopes will include giving them their first Virginia Triple Crown title.
See where your favorite driver will pit during Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series Grant Park 220 on the streets of Chicago (5 p.m. ET, NBC, Peacock, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App).
CHICAGO — Stock cars have made laps in this Chicago neighborhood before. Decades ago, nearby Soldier Field was a regular host of racing events, including a Cup Series event back in 1956 won by Hall of Famer Fireball Roberts.
But there was something far different about Saturday’s groundbreaking debut of NASCAR competition through the streets and avenues of Grant Park, cutting through the greenscapes and gardens that divide the city’s skyscrapers from Lake Michigan. Cup Series newbies and veterans were both learning the track’s nuances on the fly for a race that’ll be anybody’s guess on the outcome, and the curious ticket-holders and onlookers jammed the sidewalk and stands, craning their necks for a closer look.
A Saturday full of anticipation has built to the long-awaited main event of the inaugural Chicago Street Race weekend, Sunday’s Grant Park 220 (5 p.m. ET, NBC, Peacock, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App). The novelty factor and the festival feel are strong with this one, but at the heart of it is a race that will take the Cup Series to the season’s midpoint.
How history will judge the event is still an incomplete answer, but the early reviews and engagement have netted a series of positives.
“The jury’s still out, right? We haven’t raced yet. But so far, I’d say it’s a success from a lot of different things,” said Joey Logano, defending Cup Series champ. “I told some of the people from NASCAR, even if the race is just OK, it’s a success because of where we are and the marketing that’s come along with it. You know, so many people in Chicago are talking about NASCAR racing right now. They may not have talked about it or heard about it or are interested in it, and they’re going to come to see it, and hopefully, you’ll hook them into loving the sport, like we have so many others. So from that standpoint, it’s already a win for a sport, and we’ll see how the race goes.”
As for the race? There’s 100 laps around a 2.2-mile course with some snug sections and few runoff areas.
“I mean, there’s definitely some really tricky spots on the race track. I mean, it’s …,” Logano said with a long, pregnant pause. “… it’s hard to do. It’s like, you push a little bit too much, you wreck your car. It’s definitely gonna be tough.”
The degree of difficulty has already proven to be fairly steep, with standouts William Byron, Chase Elliott, Kevin Harvick and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. all involved in crashes during Saturday’s practice and qualifying. The 12-turn layout has demanded precision, and so far, driver miscues have equaled brushes with the barriers.
“The track, though, I thought was really well built, and it was fun making laps,” Stenhouse said. “The ride quality, at least in our cars, was somewhat OK, I felt like, and I was having fun until I wasn’t.”
Said Cup Series points leader Martin Truex Jr., “It’s just a … progress of learning and pushing it a little bit and a little bit at a time without making a big mistake, because you know, you overdo it in one turn, you’re done. I mean, you’re just, you’re wrecked. There’s nowhere to hide, so risk versus reward.”
Cup drivers said they planned to watch Saturday’s Xfinity Series event with particular interest, studying how the track behaved in race conditions. The restart zone adds some character, with the field starting to accelerate before the 90-degree right of Turn 12 that leads onto the home straightaway.
The desired effect is to give the field some room to space itself out instead of creating a funnel for 37 cars to barrel into the tight 90-degree left of Turn 1. According to pole-winner Denny Hamlin, that design may also mitigate some of the late-race chaos from aggression on restarts.
“I mean, we definitely made a big shift into the restart zone for the road courses because we have looked kind of bad on some of these late-race restarts,” said Hamlin, who netted his third pole of the season and the 39th of his Cup Series career. “Moving it back to create a corner to then spread out the field slightly. Trust me, it’s still going to be crazy into Turn 1, but it’s just going to hopefully take us from not being bozos. That’s the goal. It still may happen, but I certainly think that you don’t really want to play a whole lot of games when it comes to that because it’s not good for anyone. It really isn’t.”
Michael Reaves | Getty Images
Hamlin will start first after what he called “probably my single-best day at the race track in all of my career, for sure” — a statement prompted by not just his No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing team’s performance but by the big-time setting and the buzz surrounding the inaugural Chicago event. His top qualifying lap came at the end of the session, pipping Cup regular and road-race ace Tyler Reddick for the pole.
The course has added intrigue, but so have two international stars making part-timer appearances with impressive results thus far. Three-time Australian Supercars champion Shane van Gisbergen led practice and qualified third for his Cup Series debut in the Trackhouse Racing No. 91 Chevrolet. Former Formula 1 champ Jenson Button, readying for his second Cup start in the No. 15 Rick Ware Racing Ford, was third on the practice sheet and is set to start eighth in Sunday’s 220-miler.
Asked if folks should treat his appearance in the top reaches of the speed charts as a surprise, van Gisbergen had a chuckle. “Well, that’s up to them,” he said. “I don’t really know. I’m surprised.”
The course has provided striking visuals so far, with the city hulking over the temporary course. Xfinity Series driver John Hunter Nemechek said that during a caution period in Saturday’s race, he noticed fans perched in trees and other makeshift vantage points to get a better view.
Under green-flag conditions, however, there’s no time for drivers to do any sightseeing.
“Oh, man. We have so much going on, between bumps and braking zones and stuff like that,” said Trackhouse’s Daniel Suárez, who starts fifth. “Everything that I’m looking at is my dash, one wall, one wall and a couple braking marks, and that’s it. You can’t see anything.”
Due to inclement weather, the remainder of the NASCAR Xfinity Series race on the Chicago Street Course has been postponed to Sunday at 11 a.m. ET on USA Network, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio and the NBC Sports App. (UPDATE: Due to lightning on Sunday morning, the restart of the race was delayed.)
Lightning in the area necessitated a caution and subsequent 30-minute hold at Lap 25, just short of the race’s halfway mark of Lap 28.
“Due to the potential for continued lightning strikes and in the interest of public safety and caution, the facility needed to be evacuated,” NASCAR said in a statement. “NASCAR had hoped to resume activities, but not until city officials allowed fans to return to the grandstands. The forecast for lightning extends into the next several hours, forcing NASCAR to postpone the NASCAR Xfinity Series race until tomorrow morning.”
Polesitter Cole Custer led each of the opening 25 laps, executing flawless restarts from the entrance of Turn 12 all afternoon in the No. 00 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford. John Hunter Nemechek runs second ahead of Justin Allgaier, Brett Moffitt and Austin Hill.
Justin Marks, co-owner of Trackhouse Racing in the Cup Series, started 12th in the No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet. But an engine failure at Lap 5 eliminated the vehicle from contention, leading to a plume of smoke through Congress Plaza before the car spun in Turn 11 at the corner of Michigan Avenue and Jackson Drive.
Making his NASCAR national series debut, Andre Castro crashed hard into the Turn 1 tire barriers at the end of the frontstretch after an apparent mechanical failure sent his No. 34 Jesse Iwuji Motorsports Chevrolet out of control. A native of Chicago, Castro climbed from the car unharmed and was credited with a 37th-place finish after qualifying 28th.
CHICAGO — On his final attempt late in Saturday’s final round of time trials, Denny Hamlin knocked three-time Australian Supercars champion Shane van Gisbergen off the provisional pole for the first street course race in NASCAR Cup Series history.
Speeding around the 2.2-mile, 12-turn Chicago Street Course in 88.435 seconds (89.557 mph) in his No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, Hamlin earned the right to lead the field to the green flag in Sunday’s Grant Park 220 (5 p.m. ET on NBC, Peacock, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App).
“It’s a lot of fun when you can have days like today,” said Hamlin, who claimed his third Busch Light Pole Award of the season and the 39th of his career. “Obviously, our Yahoo Camry is just super strong. I like where we’re at.”
Running behind Hamlin on his final attempt, Tyler Reddick, who drives for Hamlin and former NBA superstar Michael Jordan at 23XI Racing, earned the second starting spot at 89.513 mph (88.479 seconds).
Van Gisbergen qualified third at 89.305 mph, followed by Christopher Bell (88.765 mph) and Daniel Suárez (88.668 mph).
For a race where track position is certain to be a major issue, Michael McDowell will start sixth, followed by Kyle Larson, 2009 Formula 1 World Champion Jenson Button, Joey Logano and AJ Allmendinger.
Van Gisbergen survived a pressure situation just to make the final round. Like a pole vaulter who passes until the height reaches 18 feet, he didn’t start his first-round lap until fewer than six minutes remained in the session.
As van Gisbergen started his first attempt, Chase Elliott stayed close behind the New Zealander, maintaining a strong pace of his own until the entry to the Carousel (Turns 8 and 9). Elliott missed the corner and slammed nose-first into one of the 10,000-pound concrete barriers where the course transitions from the southbound lane of Michigan Avenue.
“I just made a mistake,” Elliott said. “Turned in too soon, clipped the wall on the right and then hit the wall on the left.”
NASCAR red-flagged the session with 3 minutes, 33 seconds left, nullifying van Gisbergen’s lap. But the Kiwi had time to run another lap and was second to Hamlin in the Group B session of Round 1.
Elliott will have to start from the rear of the field, where he’ll be joined by Kevin Harvick, who crashed in Turn 1, knocking two barriers out of position, as time expired in the round.
“We were going to be back there anyway,” said Harvick, who was slow in both practice and qualifying.
Points leader Martin Truex Jr. will start 11th on Sunday, while the series’ most recent winner, Ross Chastain, will start 34th.
PRACTICE
Three-time Australian Supercars champion Shane van Gisbergen turned the fastest lap in NASCAR Cup Series practice for the inaugural Chicago Street Race on Saturday afternoon.
The debut circuits for the series on a street course were also van Gisbergen’s first in Cup competition, pacing the field at 88.572 mph in the No. 91 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet, part of the team’s Project 91 initiative, which aims to seat motorsports’ most accomplished racers from other disciplines in a top-tier Cup entry.
Denny Hamlin was second in the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota at 88.263 mph ahead of Jenson Button’s No. 15 Rick Ware Racing Ford (88.261 mph), Martin Truex Jr.’s No. 19 JGR Toyota (88.152 mph) and Christopher Bell’s No. 20 JGR Toyota (87.934 mph).
Completing the top 10 in single-lap speeds were Kyle Larson, Corey LaJoie, Tyler Reddick, Ty Gibbs and Brad Keselowski.
Eighteen cars ran enough laps to register a 10-lap average, paced by Hamlin at 87.581 mph. He was followed by teammates Truex and Bell ahead of Todd Gilliland’s No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford and Kyle Busch’s No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet.
The session saw trouble for four drivers Saturday. William Byron was the first to find issues exiting Turn 4, contacting the outside wall and breaking a left-rear toe link that the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports team was able to fix. Austin Cindric found trouble in the same location, sliding into the wall before spinning his No. 2 Team Penske Ford sideways across the roadway. Justin Haley’s No. 31 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet slid into the tire barriers exiting Turn 4 with minimal left-rear damage.
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. made hard contact with the temporary barriers entering Turn 8 at the Congress Plaza loop. The No. 47 JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet hit the inside wall upon entry and darted left into the outside wall.
It’s actually happening. It’s here. Saturday afternoon, Cup Series cars drove through the streets of downtown Chicago for the first time and it was immaculate. Plenty of passing zones, hard dives into tight corners and much more action were on display throughout the one-hour practice session. At the end of the qualifying clock, it was Denny Hamlin who earned the event’s first Busch Light Pole Award. Hamlin outpaced a strong run from Tyler Reddick and Australian Supercars star Shane van Gisbergen, setting the quickest mark around the 2.2-mile circuit in the final round of qualifying — Hamlin and van Gisbergen nearly flip-flopped on the leaderboard from practice, with van Gisbergen topping the early charts. After another strong run on Saturday, budding road-course ace Reddick will start on the front row with Hamlin. | Read the full practice and qualifying recap, see highlights
Big story lines
Bringing the NASCAR party to the fans. Imagine waking up in Downtown Chicago and being able to watch race cars speed through the turns from your balcony or living-room window. That once far-fetched dream is now a reality, with NASCAR taking on one of its biggest and boldest challenges yet: a street race. Strap in for a weekend filled with family-friendly events for fans, plenty of on-track action, two races (Xfinity Series race on Saturday), live music and much more in one of the country’s most iconic sports hubs. It’s not just a weekend filled with hype, but one with incredible story lines that could play out during the race on Sunday. Can Chase Elliott win his way into the playoffs sooner, rather than later? Will one of the road-course aces take control of the race? Or will another winless driver come from below the cutline to shake up the standings? There is plenty to wonder about and pay attention to this weekend, for everyone.
History tells us…
Even with a field of talented road racers, Joey Logano may be the biggest wild card, again. Realistically speaking, the trend has to end at some point. But Logano has been an incredible force in first-time events for the Cup Series. He won the debut race at the Clash at the LA Coliseum, the inaugural Bristol Dirt Race and the first Cup Series competition at World Wide Technology Raceway. It’s simply unprecedented. Even other drivers have taken notice. But Logano will be far from the favorite this weekend, entering with a trend of hit-or-misses at left-and-right-turn courses — a track type he’s never won on. In his last nine road-course events, he does have four finishes of seventh or better but also five finishes of 17th or worse. Expect the reigning champion to fly well under the radar on Sunday, but if he somehow manages to win this, too, it shouldn’t really be that big of a surprise.
He may not be the betting favorite to win, but watch out for…
Australian Supercars champion Shane van Gisbergen. If you’re unfamiliar with the name, you will get to know this talented street-course ace throughout the weekend while he drives Trackhouse Racing’s latest Project 91 entry. Coming to the United States for the chance of a lifetime, van Gisbergen will be the most experienced street racer in the field by a large margin — and that could pay off well, given his 100-1 opening odds to reach Victory Lane. Either way it shakes out, it will be fun to watch him navigate not only the Chicago circuit but an extremely competitive field. | 🎙️ van Gisbergen on Chicago: ‘Ain’t going to be easy’
Chicago is a city of firsts, and this weekend NASCAR adds its name to that list with the first street-course race in the sport’s history.
Countdown to green 🔴 🟡 🟢
Stay updated on all the unique pre-race content surrounding this week’s historic event.
• Live blog: Key updates, exclusive content from on the ground | Follow along here • ‘Risk vs. reward’: Balance will be key as buzz builds for inaugural Chicago race | Read more • It’s on NBC: NBC Sports broadcast crew ready to bring race to fans | Read more
• Race logistics: Ben Kennedy explains differences between LA Clash, Chicago | Watch the video
• Chicago beginnings: Looking back on the first U.S. auto race in 1895 | Read more
• Drivers to watch: These eight drivers could shake up the race on Sunday | Read more
• Back to No. 50: The Kennedy family looks back on NASCAR’s 50th anniversary | Watch the video
Familiar favorites ⭐️
Our biggest pieces of the week — get covered for race day from all angles.
• Paint Scheme Preview: See which schemes will race through the Chicago streets | Pick a favorite • Fantasy Fastlane: Leaning on drivers with street-course experience | Top plays, sleepers • Power Rankings: Will AJ Allmendinger punch playoff ticket in Windy City? | Latest driver rankings • Betting odds: See which driver is favored to win on Sunday | Top bets, underdog picks • At-track photos: Best photos from throughout the weekend in Chicago | See them all here
• Stacking Pennies: Shane van Gisbergen joins to talk Supercars, NASCAR and Chicago | Listen to the podcast
💎 NASCAR 75: Learn more about the history of the sport, from pioneers to current stars | Visit NASCAR 75 hub
Hot off the press 📰
Key stories and breaking news from the week leading up to the race.
• Olliv by CoinFlip: Partners with CSR, launches $1 million crypto giveaway | Read more
• Roblox: NASCAR debuts new Chicago Speed Hub this weekend | Learn about it
• Inside the Race: Does Chase Elliott win his way into the playoffs? | Watch the video
• Caraway to Chicago: Larson ready to tackle street course after Roots top 10 | Read more
• Pit-road stats: Crews getting hot as summer temps rise before Chicago | Read more
• Streak shakers: Where Cup Series winners could snap year-plus skids | Read more
• Penalty ruling: National Motorsports Appeals Panel upholds No. 43 penalty | Read more
• Blaney wreck: NASCAR to evaluate unprotected wall at Nashville | Watch video
• Two Kyles: Petty kicks off Season 3 of ‘Dinner Drive’ with Kyle Busch | Read more
Get in on the action 💰
Think you know NASCAR? Put your mettle to the test with gaming, fantasy and Fan Rewards.
• Fantasy Live: Participate in interactive gameplay from week to week | Choose your lineup • Fan Rewards: New in 2023, get rewarded for your participation | Learn more • NASCAR BetCenter: Don’t miss your chance to make picks each week | Visit the BetCenter
• Going the distance: 2023 Cup Series championship odds | See them here • The Action Network: A 10-1 prop pick for Sunday’s Grant Park 220 | Expert analysis • Gaming: Racing in the streets of Chicago spurs heavy movement on sportsbooks | Read more
Take some notes 📝
Five hard-hitting, race-relevant statistics, brought to you by the experts at Racing Insights.
• The driver who led the most laps won eight times this season, including the last four races.
• Each of the last six winners finished inside the top three in Stage 1.
• Seven laps or less is the margin for the final green-flag stretch in nine races this season.
• In the last road-course event at Sonoma Raceway, the race only had two cautions.
• Three races this season were won with a last-lap pass and three with two laps remaining.
CHICAGO – It’s a bit surreal to see, after the creative renderings and computer simulations that imagined the Chicago Street Race circuit before it became a real-life thing. The haulers parked on Lake Shore Drive, the choose-rule marking painted on Congress Plaza Drive, inspection taking place on the corners of Columbus and Jackson – all real, and not a dreamscape.
Friday’s eve of on-track action in downtown Chicago had all the bustle of a quote-unquote normal race weekend, with teams from the Cup and Xfinity Series unloading equipment and setting up for tech day. The unusual metropolitan backdrop, though, came with the imposing city skyline surrounding the garage area footprint in Grant Park.
NASCAR racing will leave its long-awaited mark on the Windy City this Saturday and Sunday, culminating in the Cup Series’ first street-circuit event, the Grant Park 220 (5 p.m. ET, NBC, NBC Sports App, Peacock, MRN, SiriusXM). The Xfinity Series kicks off the doubleheader with a Saturday lid-lifter, The Loop 121 (5 p.m. ET, USA, NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM).
“It’s a little different than Nashville, that’s for sure,” said Ross Chastain, the Cup Series’ most recent winner last weekend in the Tennessee capital. “Being out on the race track, it’s wild. I mean, I think we’re all experiencing it, right? Whether you grew up in a city like this or not, it’s different when we’re coming here and the thought of racing a NASCAR race. So for me, it’s a bit different than (hometown) Alva, Florida, and I am embracing it. It’s just been an incredible feeling, just knowing that this is where we’re going to work this weekend when I strap in on Sunday. It’s right here, it’s in the buildings, and it’s going to be different. And I’m proud to be one of the drivers getting to be a part of this history-making moment.”
The parts and pieces involved in the course’s assembly were falling into their final place Friday afternoon. The late hour was due to organizers working to keep as many of the city’s thoroughfares open as long as possible heading into the holiday weekend.
The barriers and catch-fencing – 12 feet tall together, and the same barriers used in street circuits at Nashville and Detroit – were largely in position, with a few remaining tire-pack barriers awaiting placement. But the stage was essentially set for not just the event, but the festival atmosphere surrounding it, with grandstands, suites and grounds for concert-goers awaiting their first guests.
“I can only think of positives. I don’t see why anyone would be negative,” said former Formula 1 champ Jenson Button, prepping for his second Cup Series start. “It’s one race out of many. We’re trying something new. I think it’s exciting. We’re going to see Cup cars and Xfinity cars racing on the streets of Chicago. I mean, it’s pretty crazy, right? I think it’s a great challenge for everyone. For the organizers that put this on, I’m impressed. But also for everyone involved. The logistics are difficult; I know from previous experience in street races. For the team and drivers, it’s all a big learning curve. I think to have got to this point already, we should congratulate everyone for what they’ve done.”
As for the course itself, the full day of allotted track-walk time had heavier participation than other weeks for the teams and drivers, who were there to make sure their visuals aligned with what they’ve experienced in computer simulation. Noah Gragson buzzed by the main straightaway on a bicycle, Justin Allgaier pushed along on a skateboard and other drivers walked in groups with their crew. What they found were some areas where sections seemed tighter, others where bumps and manhole covers might upset their cars’ balance, and stretches where the course transitions from asphalt to concrete and back.
They’ll fire the engines and try it for real in Saturday’s preliminaries, but the 12-turn track has already presented challenges in computer-generated form. Button said he spun out leaving the pit lane in a sim session, losing it before he ever reached Turn 1. RFK Racing teammates Brad Keselowski and Chris Buescher said they left iRacing scars on every virtual patch of the 2,200 concrete barriers that outline the 2.2-mile course. Asked about trouble spots, Chastain said he counted. “Twelve of them. I wrecked every corner, OK?”
“You can very easily lose a race car around this place,” Buescher said. “I don’t have to see the track in person yet to say that. I’ve lost many of them on the simulator, so it is going to be a tough one just in the fact that there’s no room, there’s no room for error. I watched a lot of other motorsports in their street races over the past couple of weeks, whether it’s been IndyCar or F1 or some sports-car series. It’s tight, and one person’s mistake can cause three, four, eight people to have a really bad day. So we need to make sure to run as clean a race as possible to put us in the best spot to be able to set up for a win at the end.”
Julie Giese, Chicago Street Course track president, offered a guided track tour Friday afternoon atop one of Chicago’s double-decker busses – another line she can add to her already impressive resume. She was appointed to head up the Chicago effort nearly 11 months ago, transitioning from the same role at Phoenix Raceway, where she helped to shore up NASCAR Championship Weekend there in recent years.
Her expertise in pointing out all of the circuit’s amenities – from the different suites, hospitality and entertainment areas, including the President’s Club above a line of trees — came naturally, especially since Giese’s move to Chicago for an immersion in the project. Now those efforts – surreally – are coming to life.
“I mean, it’s really hard to describe, honestly,” Giese said. “I think it’s been months and months of a lot of hard work by a lot of people — not just within the NASCAR industry, the city of Chicago and the departments that we’ve been working with, meeting weekly on the planning for this event. So it’s really fun to see it come together. I mean, the first time that we started putting barriers in, it was like, ‘OK, here we go.’ And then every day, more work is being done. We’re now less than 24 hours before we put race cars on course for the first time, so it’s pretty special.”
If there’s one thing NASCAR crew members know best, it’s how to get a car running again after a wreck.
Those skills from the Legacy Motor Club and Kaulig Racing teams came in handy Friday, but in a totally different arena — on the streets of downtown Chicago.
The NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series are in the Windy City for the first street-course race in the history of either series. As haulers drove in and teams unloaded their cars on one half of Lake Shore Drive, members of both teams noticed a fender bender across the street in road traffic.
So crew members did what they do best and sprang into action to fix the car, which was cut off and had its bumper heavily damaged.
According to No. 31 hauler driver Damon Lopez, the right side of the bumper was hanging off the car and the left side was completely torn up. Crew members (pictured in the above tweet are David Cropps, Carl Garcia and Mike Usray) unhooked the wiring harness and used a screwdriver to get the entire bumper off, then put it in the back of the car — allowing the driver to continue on his way.
So among the benefits of having the NASCAR circuit in downtown Chicago, add personal roadside service to the list.
