By David Morgan, Associate Editor
CHICAGO — Back to Chicago.
After the NASCAR Cup Series stepped off into the unknown last year with the first ever street course race in series history, the drivers and teams are back for Round No. 2 with their eyes open wide to all of the pitfalls of racing on city streets.
The 2.2-mile, 12-turn course that comprises the layout for the race will once again wind its way around Grant Park on the shores of Lake Michigan as the series hopes to continue capture the imagination of a whole new sector of the fan base as the Next Gen car thunders down the Windy City streets.
First imagined during the COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020, the course was designed and raced virtually on iRacing before it was transformed into the reality being built before our very eyes.
With the series having persevered through Biblical rains to still be able to hold the race on the originally scheduled day, all involved are hoping Mother Nature plays nice this time around to allow everyone to get the full NASCAR experience.
By the Numbers
What: Grant Park 165, NASCAR Cup Series race No. 20 of 36
Where: Streets of Chicago – Grant Park – Chicago, Illinois
TV/Radio: NBC/Peacock, 5:30 pm ET / MRN and Sirius XM NASCAR Channel 90
Track Size: 12-turn, 2.2-mile street course
Race Length: 75 laps (165 miles)
Stage Lengths: 20 laps (Stage 1), 25 laps (Stage 2), 30 laps (Final stage)
2023 Race Winner: Shane van Gisbergen – No. 91 Chevrolet (Started third, nine laps led)
Track Qualifying Record: Denny Hamlin – One minute, 28.435 seconds (89.557 mph) – July 2023
Top-10 Highest Driver Ratings at Chicago:
- Shane van Gisbergen – No. 91 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet – 138.1
- Christopher Bell – No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota – 113.5
- Kyle Larson – No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet – 112.5
- Michael McDowell – No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford – 105.3
- Tyler Reddick – No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota – 101.5
- Ty Gibbs – No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota – 99.9
- Justin Haley – No. 51 Rick Ware Racing Ford – 93.7
- Joey Logano – No. 22 Team Penske Ford – 88.5
- Chris Buescher – No. 17 RFK Racing Ford – 88.0
- Chase Elliott – No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet – 85.4
From the Driver’s Seat
“Chicago is definitely interesting,” Austin Cindric said. “Due to all of the bumps, it makes it different than most of the road courses we go to. A lot of tight…
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