Shane van Gisbergen has secured the coveted pole position for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race on the challenging streets of chicago. The Australian driver laid down an impressive lap on Saturday, earning the top starting spot for the highly anticipated event.
This pole is van Gisbergen’s third of his young Cup Series career and second of the 2025 season. Driving the No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet, he posted a qualifying speed of 88.338 mph (equivalent to a lap time of 1 minute, 29.656 seconds). Notably, he was the only competitor to complete a qualifying lap under the 1 minute, 30 second mark on the tricky 2.14-mile street circuit. Van Gisbergen is no stranger to success on this course; he famously won the inaugural Chicago Street Race in 2023 during his Cup debut. He also won his most recent Cup race where he started from the pole, demonstrating a knack for converting top qualifying efforts into victories.
“That was epic,” van Gisbergen commented after his run, expressing satisfaction with his team’s preparation. “Our team did a great job. … I’m a lucky boy.”
Joining van Gisbergen on the front row will be Michael McDowell in the No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet. McDowell qualified second with a speed of 87.979 mph. Spire Motorsports showed strong performance, also placing Carson Hocevar third on the grid in the No. 77 car. Hocevar’s 87.824 mph lap marks his best career starting position on a road course in the Cup Series. The top five qualifiers are rounded out by Tyler Reddick, who starts fourth (87.779 mph), and Chase Briscoe in fifth (87.734 mph).
Richard Childress Racing also had a solid qualifying session. Both RCR drivers secured top-10 starting spots. Kyle Busch will begin the race from the sixth position (87.639 mph), while teammate Austin Dillon qualified 10th (87.303 mph). Reigning Supercars champion Will Brown, making his second career Cup Series start, will roll off 19th after posting a lap of 86.990 mph.
Practice Issues Force Top Drivers to Rear
Several prominent drivers encountered significant trouble during Saturday’s practice sessions, forcing them to forfeit their qualifying attempts and start Sunday’s race at the rear of the field. This includes three of the top four drivers in the current Cup Series points standings: points leader William Byron, second-place Chase Elliott, and fourth-place Denny Hamlin.
William Byron, who held the fastest time in his practice group before crashing, and Chase Elliott both hit the wall in separate incidents. Their Hendrick Motorsports teams made the strategic decision to skip qualifying entirely to focus precious time on repairing the damaged cars, ensuring they would be ready for race day. Denny Hamlin’s day was cut short when his engine failed just one lap into practice. Like Byron and Elliott, his team opted out of qualifying to address the mechanical issue.
Hendrick Motorsports teammates Alex Bowman and Kyle Larson will also join this group at the back of the pack. Bowman qualified 11th and Larson 14th, but their teams will make necessary repairs that require them to relinquish these hard-earned grid spots and start from the rear.
Bubba Wallace, who is currently sitting on the bubble for the final playoff spot with just eight regular-season races remaining, also faced difficulties. An incident during his qualifying run resulted in a significantly slower lap, relegating the driver of the No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota to a disappointing 37th starting position.
Close Calls and a Failed Bid
The Chicago Street Race saw a slightly larger entry list than most events, with 41 cars showing up to compete for a maximum 40-car field. This meant one driver would inevitably fail to qualify and miss the race.
The battle for the final starting spot came down to open entries. Katherine Legge, driving the No. 44 for Niece Motorsports, successfully secured a spot in the show. This came at the expense of Corey Heim in the No. 67 23XI Racing Toyota, who was the lone driver to not make the grid. Heim’s qualifying session was cut short when his car hit the wall, causing suspension damage that prevented him from posting a competitive time.
Legge described the pressure of qualifying on a challenging street course with limited practice time. “It’s a lot of pressure to come in with only 20 minutes of practice on a street course where there’s no room for error to put it in the show,” Legge commented. She admitted “nicking the wall” herself but was proud her team managed to make the field. Corey Heim later took responsibility on social media, stating he made a mistake on his first lap that bent the toe link. He felt his car was capable but his error prevented him from posting a sufficient speed.
Chicago Pole History: A Mixed Blessing?
While starting on pole is typically advantageous, history at the Chicago Street Course suggests it might not be the golden ticket to victory. In the two previous runnings of this race, the driver starting first did not go on to win. Shane van Gisbergen himself won the inaugural event in 2023 from the third starting position. Last year, Alex Bowman took the checkered flag after starting eighth. Furthermore, the pole winners from the previous two years failed to finish in the top 10 (Denny Hamlin finished 11th in 2023, Kyle Larson finished 39th after an early crash in 2024).
Shane van Gisbergen enters Sunday’s race as a clear favorite, especially given his prior success here and his pole run. Adding to his successful Saturday, van Gisbergen also captured the pole for the Xfinity Series race earlier in the day, sweeping the top starting spots for the weekend.
The NASCAR Cup Series Grant Park 165 is scheduled to begin around 1:25 PM CT on Sunday. The race will cover 75 laps and a total of 165 miles on the temporary downtown street course. It will be broken into three stages: 20 laps, 25 laps, and the final 30 laps. Fans can watch the action live on TNT or listen via MRN radio.
Frequently Asked Questions
What were the top starting positions for the Chicago NASCAR race?
Shane van Gisbergen won the pole position for the NASCAR Cup Series race in Chicago. He will start first in the No. 88 Chevrolet. Michael McDowell qualified second in the No. 71, putting two Chevrolets on the front row. Carson Hocevar will start third in the No. 77, followed by Tyler Reddick in fourth and Chase Briscoe in fifth.
Why are top drivers like Byron, Elliott, and Hamlin starting at the back in Chicago?
Several prominent drivers, including points leaders William Byron and Chase Elliott, along with Denny Hamlin, will start at the rear of the field. Byron and Elliott both crashed during practice and skipped qualifying to repair their cars. Hamlin suffered an engine failure in practice and also did not make a qualifying attempt. Other drivers like Alex Bowman and Kyle Larson are also moving to the rear for repairs despite qualifying attempts.
Who failed to qualify for the NASCAR Chicago Street Race?
A total of 41 cars entered the Chicago Cup Series race, but the field is limited to 40 starters. Corey Heim in the No. 67 23XI Racing Toyota was the one driver who failed to qualify. His qualifying attempt was cut short when he hit the wall, causing damage that prevented him from posting a time fast enough to make the grid. Katherine Legge secured the final spot in the field.
