Grant Park 165

Last updated
Grant Park 165
NASCAR Chicago Street Race Weekend Logo.png
Chicago Street Course.svg
NASCAR Cup Series
Venue Chicago Street Course
Location Chicago, Illinois
Corporate sponsor McDonald's and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois (BCBSI) [1]
First race2023
Distance165 miles (265.542 km)
Laps75
All 3 stages: 25 each
Previous namesGrant Park 220 (2023)
Circuit information
SurfaceAsphalt
Length2.2 [2]  mi (3.5 km)
Turns12 [2]

The Grant Park 165 is an annual NASCAR Cup Series race held on the Chicago Street Course, a street circuit in Grant Park, Chicago, Illinois, United States. The race was first held in 2023 and was the first ever street race contested in the NASCAR Cup Series. The NASCAR Xfinity Series also holds a race on the street course on the day before the Cup Series race. [2]

Contents

History

Background

On March 24, 2021, NASCAR announced that an imaginary street course in the Chicago Loop in Downtown Chicago would be the track for the fifth (and what turned out to be the final) race of the 2021 eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series. The iRacing event was broadcast live on NASCAR on Fox on Wednesday, June 2. [3] Rick Ware Racing Cup Series driver James Davison would win the virtual Chicago street race. [4] Ever since the announcement of the track's virtual creation for this iRacing event, there had been rumors and speculation that NASCAR would like to make this track a reality and have a street race in Chicago on the Cup Series schedule in the future. On July 7, 2022, Jordan Bianchi from The Athletic reported that an official announcement of a Chicago street race being added to the Cup Series schedule would come on July 19. [5] On June 17, Adam Stern from Sports Business Journal suggested that the Chicago Street Course could replace Road America on the 2023 Cup Series schedule as any street course race would likely replace one of the road course races and Road America did not have a contract to have a Cup Series race in 2023. [6] On July 19, the official announcement of the addition of the Chicago street race to the Cup Series schedule took place. [2] After the announcement, NASCAR executive Ben Kennedy confirmed Stern's report of the Chicago street race replacing the race at Road America on the Cup Series schedule in a question and answer session with the media. [7]

On March 7, 2023, NASCAR announced that the race would not have a title sponsor and would instead be named after Grant Park, which the street course will pass by. Similarly, the Xfinity Series Chicago street race was named The Loop 121 after the Chicago Loop, the area of the city in which the street course is located. It was also announced on that day that the Cup Series race would be 220 miles and 100 laps in length. [1]

NASCAR Hall of Fame member and championship-winning crew chief Ray Evernham stated in an interview on June 25, 2023 that cars should reach between 150 and 160 mph on the fastest part of the circuit (between ② and ④ on the map). [8]

The 2023 running of the event was held in the middle of violent storms lashing Illinois. The start of the race was delayed, and eventually ran for only 78 of the scheduled laps. New Zealand racing driver Shane van Gisbergen and triple Australian Supercars champion won the event. [9] in his first-ever NASCAR race running for Trackhouse Racing's PROJECT91 program after qualifying in third. [10] He also became the first driver to win in his Cup Series debut since Johnny Rutherford in 1963. Following the race win, van Gisbergen left Supercars in 2024 and came to the United States to race full-time in NASCAR.

On October 20, 2023, NASCAR announced that the 2024 Cup Series Chicago Street Race would be shortened from 220 miles (354.056 km) and 100 laps to 165 miles (265.542) and 75 laps. [11] This is about the same length of the rain and darkness-shortened 2023 race, which was 171.6 miles and 78 laps long.

Past winners

YearDateNo.DriverTeamManufacturerRace DistanceRace TimeAverage Speed
(mph)		ReportRef
LapsMiles (km)
2023 July 291 Shane van Gisbergen Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet 78*171.6 (276.163)2:50:4860.281 Report [12]
2024 July 775165 (265.542)

Notes

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crayon 301</span> NASCAR Cup Series race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway

The Crayon 301 is a 301 lap (318.458-mile annual NASCAR Cup Series stock car race held at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, New Hampshire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pala Casino 400</span> NASCAR auto race at Auto Club Speedway

The Pala Casino 400 was a 400-mile (643.737 km) NASCAR Cup Series stock car race held at the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California. It was the second race of the Cup Series season and has been since 2022 as well as from 2005 to 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ambetter Health 400</span> NASCAR Cup Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway

The Ambetter Health 400 is a NASCAR Cup Series stock car race held at Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Georgia. Daniel Suárez is the defending race winner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cook Out 400 (Martinsville)</span> NASCAR Cup Series spring race Martinsville Speedway

The Cook Out 400 is an annual NASCAR Cup Series stock car race held at the 0.526-mile (0.847 km) Martinsville Speedway in Ridgeway, Virginia. It is the first of two Cup Series races at the track, the other one being the Xfinity 500 in the NASCAR playoffs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Road course ringer</span> NASCAR term describing drivers who mostly drive on road courses

In NASCAR, a road course ringer, also known as road course specialist, road course expert, or a road runner, is a non-NASCAR driver who is hired by a NASCAR Cup Series or NASCAR Xfinity Series team to race specifically on road courses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shane van Gisbergen</span> New Zealand racing driver (born 1989)

Shane Robert van Gisbergen, also known by his initials SVG, is a New Zealand racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving the No. 97 Chevrolet Camaro for Kaulig Racing in partnership with Trackhouse Racing, part-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 16 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Kaulig Racing, and part-time in the ARCA Menards Series, driving the No. 28 Chevrolet SS for Pinnacle Racing Group. He is known for his time racing in the Supercars Championship, last driving the No. 97 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 car for Triple Eight Race Engineering. He is a three-time Supercars Champion, winning driver's titles in 2016, 2021, and 2022. With a total of 80 wins and 46 pole positions, van Gisbergen is 4th on the all-time wins list in the Supercars Championship. He has won the Bathurst 1000 three times, in 2020, 2022, and 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cole Custer</span> American racing driver

Cole Matthew Custer is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving the No. 00 Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing. He is the son of Joe Custer, the team president of Stewart-Haas Racing. He is the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series champion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Explore the Pocono Mountains 225</span> NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Pocono Raceway

The Explore the Pocono Mountains 225 is a NASCAR Xfinity Series stock car race held at Pocono Raceway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kaulig Racing</span> NASCAR team

Kaulig Racing is an American professional stock car racing team that competes in the NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series. The team is owned by Matt Kaulig, an owner of team sponsor LeafFilter. Kaulig Racing fields two Cup Series Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 teams: the No. 16 full-time for multiple drivers, and the No. 31 full-time for Daniel Hemric. It also fields three full-time Xfinity Chevrolet Camaro teams: the No. 11 for Josh Williams, the No. 16 for A. J. Allmendinger, and the No. 97 for Shane van Gisbergen in a partnership with Trackhouse Racing. Kaulig also fields the No. 10 part-time for Daniel Dye. The team has a technical alliance with Richard Childress Racing, and formerly operated out of the NTS Motorsports facility.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spire Motorsports</span> NASCAR team

Spire Motorsports is an American auto racing organization competing in the NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. The team is a subsidiary of Spire Sports + Entertainment. In the Cup Series, the team currently fields three Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 teams: the No. 7 for Corey LaJoie, the No. 71 for Zane Smith, and the No. 77 for Carson Hocevar. In the Truck Series, the team fields three Chevrolet Silverados: the No. 7 for multiple drivers, the No. 71 for Rajah Caruth, and the No. 77 for Chase Purdy. They have also competed in the NASCAR Xfinity Series in the past.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021 NASCAR Cup Series</span> 73rd season of NASCAR Cup Series racing

The 2021 NASCAR Cup Series was the 73rd season for NASCAR professional stock car racing in the United States and the 50th season for the modern era Cup Series. The season started at Daytona International Speedway with the Busch Clash, where it was the first year that the non-points event was run on the track's road course layout instead of the oval. That race was followed by the Bluegreen Vacations Duel qualifying races, and the 63rd running of the Daytona 500, the first points race of the season. The regular season also ended at Daytona with the 2021 Coke Zero Sugar 400 on August 28, where Kyle Larson won the Regular Season Championship. Following the 2021 Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway on October 31, Chevrolet claimed its 40th Manufacturer's Championship and its first since 2015. The NASCAR playoffs ended with the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race at Phoenix Raceway on November 7 with Larson earning his first Cup Series championship after a 10-win season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trackhouse Racing</span> NASCAR team

Trackhouse Racing is an American motorsports organization that competes in the NASCAR Cup Series and MotoGP. The team is owned by Trackhouse Entertainment Group, a venture of Justin Marks and Grammy Award-winning rapper Armando Christian "Pitbull" Pérez.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kwik Trip 250</span> NASCAR Cup Series race at Road America

The Kwik Trip 250 presented by Jockey Made in America was a NASCAR Cup Series race at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. The series first raced on the 4.048 mi (6.515 km) road course in 1956, but it did not return to the schedule until 2021 as part of Independence Day weekend. The race returned for another year in 2022 before being removed again in favor of a street race in Chicago.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2023 NASCAR Cup Series</span> 75th season of NASCAR Cup Series racing

The 2023 NASCAR Cup Series was the 75th season for NASCAR professional stock car racing in the United States and the 52nd season for the modern-era Cup Series. The season started with the Busch Light Clash at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on February 5. That race was followed by the Daytona Duel qualifying races and the 65th running of the Daytona 500 on February 19, both at Daytona International Speedway. The season ended with the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race at Phoenix Raceway on November 5.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Enjoy Illinois 300</span> NASCAR Cup Series race at World Wide Technology Raceway (Gateway)

The Enjoy Illinois 300 is a NASCAR Cup Series race at World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison, Illinois in the Greater St. Louis metropolitan area, first held in 2022. This race replaced the Pocono Organics CBD 325, one of the two Cup Series races at Pocono Raceway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">O'Reilly Auto Parts 150 at Mid-Ohio</span> NASCAR Truck Series race at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course

The O'Reilly Auto Parts 150 at Mid-Ohio was a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race that is held at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course road course in Lexington, Ohio. Corey Heim is the defending winner of this race.

The Chicago Street Course is a 2.2 mi (3.5 km) street circuit in Grant Park in the city of Chicago, Illinois, United States. It currently hosts the NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series, with the first races run on July 1–2, 2023. The track was initially a conceptual track on iRacing made for the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series in 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Loop 110</span> NASCAR Xfinity Series race at the Chicago Street Course

The The Loop 110 is a NASCAR Xfinity Series race that is held on the Chicago Street Course, a street circuit in Chicago, Illinois. The race was first held in 2023 and was the first ever street race for the Xfinity Series. A NASCAR Cup Series race is also held on the street course on the same weekend the day after the Xfinity Series race.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2023 Grant Park 220</span> NASCAR Cup Series race

The 2023 Grant Park 220 was a NASCAR Cup Series race held on July 2, 2023, at the Chicago Street Course in Chicago, Illinois. Originally scheduled for 100 laps, the race was shortened to originally 75 laps due to darkness before being extended to 78 laps due to an overtime finish on the 2.2-mile (3.5 km) street course. It was the 18th race of the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season. It was the first street race contested for the series. The race was won by reigning Supercars champion Shane van Gisbergen, making his NASCAR debut.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2023 The Loop 121</span> 16th race of the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series

The 2023 The Loop 121 was the 16th stock car race of the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series, and the inaugural iteration of the event. The race was scheduled to be held on Saturday, July 1, 2023, but after 25 laps, the race was postponed until Sunday, July 2, due to inclement weather. The race was held in Chicago, Illinois at the Chicago Street Course, a 2.2 miles (3.5 km) street course. The race was originally scheduled to be contested over 55 laps, but was decreased to 25 laps due to downpouring rain and standing water. Cole Custer, driving for Stewart-Haas Racing, would lead all 25 laps of the race after starting from the pole, and earned his 12th career NASCAR Xfinity Series win, and his second of the season. To fill out the podium, John Hunter Nemechek, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, and Justin Allgaier, driving for JR Motorsports, would finish 2nd and 3rd, respectively. This was the first street race to be contested in the series.

References

  1. 1 2 "NASCAR makes major announcement on Chicago Street Race Tuesday". WGN-TV . Nexstar Media Group. March 28, 2023. Retrieved March 29, 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Chicago to host first-ever NASCAR Cup Series street race in 2023". NASCAR.com. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. July 19, 2022. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
  3. ↑ Albert, Zack (March 24, 2021). "Sweet home Chicago: Street circuit coming to iRacing, Pro Invitational Series". NASCAR.com. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved July 19, 2022.
  4. ↑ "James Davison wins eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series at Chicago". Jayski's Silly Season Site . NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. June 2, 2021. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
  5. ↑ Taranto, Steven (July 11, 2022). "Chicago authorizes NASCAR street course race beginning in 2023, per report". CBS Sports . CBS . Retrieved July 20, 2022.
  6. ↑ Stern, Adam (June 17, 2022). "Sources: NASCAR close to bringing street race to Chicago". Sports Business Journal . Retrieved July 20, 2022.
  7. ↑ "(Twitter post)". Twitter . Bob Pockrass. July 19, 2022. Retrieved July 20, 2022. NASCAR's Ben Kennedy says Road America won't be on the Cup schedule in 2023.
  8. ↑ Steeve Greenberg (June 26, 2023). "How fast will they go in Grant Park 220? NASCAR great has a mighty big number in mind". Chicago Sun Times. Retrieved June 28, 2023. I'm telling you, they're going to be hauling ass […] We're going to see 150, 160 miles an hour.
  9. ↑ Clarke, Andrew. "Van Gisbergen Wins on NASCAR Debut". Auto Action.
  10. ↑ Clarke, Andrew (2023-07-02) [2023-07-02]. "Van Gisbergen qualifies third for NASCAR Debut". Auto Action.
  11. ↑ "2024 Chicago Street Races distances shortened". Jayski's Silly Season Site . NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. October 20, 2023.
  12. ↑ "2023 Grant Park 220". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 29, 2023.
Previous race:
Ally 400 		NASCAR Cup Series
Grant Park 165		Next race:
HighPoint.com 400
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.