NASCAR
Stratta’s Six: Who Can Claim First NASCAR Street Race Win in Chicago?
Roughly halfway through the 75th anniversary season, NASCAR history will be made. For the first time ever, Cup Series stock cars will compete on a temporary street course. Chicago’s Grant Park will host the 12-turn 2.14-mile layout for July 4th weekend. A race truly unlike anything ever seen in the NASCAR Cup Series still has a few favorites. The Grant Park 220 is the most difficult race to predict of 2023. Even with the many unknowns in mind, here are a few standout drivers for Sunday.
Ross Chastain
Fresh off his first victory of 2023 at Nashville, Ross Chastain could easily go back-to-back. The Melon Man earned his maiden Cup Series triumph on another road course last season, and enters Chicago with a hot hand. No longer worrying about trying to make the Playoffs, Chastain is care-free and can simply go for checkered flags.
Aside from the Austin, Texas win Chastain is a stout road racer. In the seven road courses since COTA 2022, Chastain boasts four top-10s. Even with his road course acumen, Chastain is well aware that Sunday in Chicago will be a completely new challenge.
“It’s going to be new. It’s new, it’s totally different,” Chastain said. “Not like the roads in Alva, for sure. It’s a way to move the needle with our sport. I think over three-quarters of the tickets already sold are new fans, and I’m sure a lot of people are just going to walk-up when they hear the engines fire up. I think there’s signs all over town so they’ll at least know about it. And then when we go roaring down through there, there are going to be so many new fans. I’m bought-in. It doesn’t matter, for me, how my personal race goes or my weekend goes. I could very easily drive it into the tire barriers about every corner if I’m not careful. I’ve done that on the simulator quite a bit. You miss the brake zone by just a few feet and there’s no run-off. Yes, I want points and I want to win, but I’m more looking at it from the big picture of us as a whole and if it elevates all of us, it’ll pay off for me in the long run.”
If the Trackhouse Racing 1 crew brings similar speed from Nashville, Chastain will be a thorn in everyone’s side again. The Melon Man is also riding a two race road course top-10 streak, with a worst 2023 result of 10th. Chicago may provide a bit of craziness and nontraditional on track flair, both of which aptly describe Chastain.
Chase Elliott
The active road course wins leader, Chase Elliott could leave the Windy City on a winning high. Elliott has seven career wins on five different road courses. This list includes inaugural events at the Daytona Road Course, COTA and Road America. If anyone in the field knows how to quickly adapt to new technical circuits, it’s driver No. 9. Elliott also enters Chicago riding a bit of a hot streak, with back-to-back top fives. Currently 25th in points, Chicago provides a great chance for Elliott to break into victory lane.
“I think (the greater event) depends on which hat you’re wearing,” Elliott said. “If you’re wearing a competitor’s hat – for me, it’s us going up there and trying to put ourselves in position to win. From a fan standpoint, you’re tapping into a part of the country that I think has a lot of race fans, a lot of NASCAR fans, but into city limits that a lot of those people might not have typically come out to Joliet or somewhere up there. For them, I think it’s about it being a good event and it being exciting for them. There’s a lot of stuff going on for them and they feel like they’re at the event. That needs to feel like the event that weekend over a (Chicago) Cubs game or whatever it may be. I think that will make it successful from a promoter’s standpoint. From the racing side, I don’t think I have to leave the racetrack and think – oh wow, that was a really great race for it to be successful to the viewership or the people that show up in attendance.”
Nearly a year-and-a-half into the Next Gen era, Chase Elliott is still winless on road courses. Everyone’s experience on the Chicago Street Course is equal at zero heading into this weekend. This alone could be an advantage for the 9 team. Elliott has shown up to brand new road courses and won multiple times before. As a result, NASCAR’s winningest active road course racer enters Sunday as a co-favorite. It will be interesting to see if Elliott can easily learn a course so vastly different from anything he’s ever seen.
AJ Allmendinger
Many eyes will rightfully be on AJ Allmendinger for the Chicago Street Course. One of very few drivers with a street racing past, Allmendinger and the Kaulig Racing No. 16 team must see Sunday as a prime winning chance. While the 2023 season to date has fallen short of expectations for Allmendinger, he had arguably his best weekend yet in Nashville. AJ won Saturday’s Xfinity race, and backed that up with a top-10 on Sunday. Between his open wheel racing past and NASCAR road course success, the 16 is a fitting favorite for Chicago.
“Chicago is going to be very interesting,” Allmendinger said. “A street course takes me back to my roots of racing open wheel and being at a lot of different street courses. I think it’s a venue that, if it’s put on right, we can have a great weekend there as an industry. It’s a racetrack that a small mistake can have a huge penalty when it’s that narrow and surrounded by concrete walls. Anything can happen and we’re not really sure what to expect. Street racing is some of the most fun I’ve had racing in my life so I’m looking forward to getting to Chicago and trying it out in a Cup car.”
Only 24 points out of the top 16, AJ Allmendinger is far from must-win territory for the Playoffs. If Chicago is not a win for the Kaulig No. 16, all hope is not lost of a possible postseason berth. Allmendinger is expected to have top-10 pace at least this weekend; he may very well sneak his way up the leaderboard by the checkers.
Chris Buescher
Perhaps the unlikeliest road course ace to emerge over the past year is Chris Buescher. Dating back to Sonoma last season, the RFK Racing No. 17 has been top-10 in seven straight road course races. Despite this much success on so many different tracks, Buescher thinks very little will transfer over to such a tight and technical Chicago layout.
“Nothing about (Chicago) is going to carry over to somewhere I’ve raced before,” Buescher said. “It’s 90-degree corners, point-and-shoot, it’s rough and narrow. I don’t even know where you can start to compare.”
“I do feel strong about Chicago. I know we’re going to have really good racecars and that our group is going to do a really good job. I don’t know what to expect yet, but I know we will be fast there and be a contender.”
Buescher has gone more than a full calendar year into his series-leading road course top-10 streak. There is little reason to think this impressive run ends in Chicago. Along with his current points position, Buescher should be seen as a sleeper pick heading into Sunday. The 17 will try and become winner number 12 of 2023.
Michael McDowell
Another driver with an open wheel background, Michael McDowell is in position to thrive at Chicago. Driver 34 is in the camp of those eagerly anticipating the challenge ahead rather than dreading it. McDowell said the Chicago layout reminds him of Long Beach, but with a lot more elevation changes and character. Keep an eye on the No. 34 Ford to potentially blow up the Playoff picture with a surprise win.
“It’s going to be a fun race, no doubt about it,” McDowell said. “But it is a challenging track. There are some really narrow sections, its got some wider sections too, high speed and low speed. It’s a street course and I’m looking forward to it. I think it’ll be a new challenge for a lot of us and an exciting week. It’s a great opportunity for us to go and have a really good run and a chance at a win.”
“I think in the Cup Series it’s hard to have any advantage, just because everybody’s so good with so many tools and resources and simulation, and just the quality of drivers there is. But certainly I think there’s a comfort level I’ll have and experience level of processing the information quickly with concrete barriers. That speeds everything up, so I think it’s a little bit of an advantage having some experience, but very few things give you a big advantage in this sport.”
“I think we can be as confident as possible going into the weekend. Then, everyone will be a sponge soaking in the information about the track. We can drive it on the simulator, do sight visits and track walks, but we need to get on it with other cars and see what’s possible and what’s not. This is a new challenge. We need to be smart and execute. But I think we can have a good weekend.”
In the same span as Chris Buescher’s aforementioned road course streak, Michael McDowell has almost equaled him with five top-10s. The 34 arguably had a race-winning car earlier this month in Sonoma, only to be set back with a slow pit stop. McDowell eyes vengeance in Chicago, hoping to let his talent do the talking.
Tyler Reddick
Called ‘Road Course Jesus’ by teammate Bubba Wallace this week, Tyler Reddick is the hottest road course talent over the past year. Between RCR last year and 23XI Racing this year, Reddick has three wins over six road races. Reddick’s first career victory also came on this weekend 12 months ago at Road America. On an entirely new circuit that will be unknown for all, Reddick embraces Chicago with open arms.
“I’m excited for the challenge honestly,” Reddick said. “It’s going to be something unique that we haven’t done before. I’m just excited to see how the racing plays out and who really figures the course out first. It’s very unique so I’m excited to see what the challenges are going to be. It’s going to have plenty of them, so I’m really looking forward to it.”
Three months ago in COTA, Reddick was lights out as the class of the field. A few weeks ago in Sonoma, the same was true for Toyota teammate Martin Truex Jr. Toyotas are undefeated so far on road courses in 2023, the sight of their biggest struggles from last year. Reddick is perhaps best positioned to keep this manufacturer streak alive in Chicago. The 23XI Racing driver is quickly establishing himself as one of the best road course talents.
Predicting the Chicago Street Race may be a lucky guess, or likewise miss the mark entirely. Either way, Sunday will be a spectacle unlike any other in NASCAR’s 75 years of existence. The Grant Park 220 will go green Sunday at 5:30 p.m. ET on NBC, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. More so than any race of 2023, Chicago provides the most question marks and unknowns ahead.
Written by Peter Stratta
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Photo Credit to Chris Graythen/Getty Images for NASCAR
