Grant Park 165
Chicago, Illinois | |
Corporate sponsor | McDonald's and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois (BCBSI)[1] |
---|---|
First race | 2023 |
Distance | 165 miles (265.542 km) |
Laps | 75 All 3 stages: 25 each |
Previous names | Grant Park 220 (2023) |
Circuit information | |
Surface | Asphalt |
Length | 2.2[2] mi (3.5 km) |
Turns | 12[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]
History
Background
On March 24, 2021, NASCAR announced that an imaginary street course in the
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]
The Inaugural running of the event was held during a rain storm. 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.[8] in his first-ever NASCAR race running for Trackhouse Racing's PROJECT91 program after qualifying in third.[9] 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.[10] 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
Year | Date | No. | Driver | Team | Manufacturer | Race Distance | Race Time | Average Speed (mph) |
Report | Ref | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Laps | Miles (km) | ||||||||||
2023 | July 2 | 91 | Shane van Gisbergen | Trackhouse Racing | Chevrolet | 78* | 171.6 (276.163) | 2:50:48 | 60.281 | Report | [11] |
2024 | July 7 | 75 | 165 (265.542) | Report |
Notes
- 2023: Race shortened to 75 laps due to darkness following a rain delay, but extended due to NASCAR overtime.
See also
- 1956 NASCAR Grand National Series race at Soldier Field –a previous NASCAR Cup Series race held in the city of Chicago
References
- ^ a b "NASCAR makes major announcement on Chicago Street Race Tuesday". WGN-TV. Nexstar Media Group. March 28, 2023. Retrieved March 29, 2023.
- ^ a b c d "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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "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.
- ^ Taranto, Steven (July 11, 2022). "Chicago authorizes NASCAR street course race beginning in 2023, per report". CBS Sports. CBS. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
- Sports Business Journal. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
- ^ "(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.
- ^ Clarke, Andrew. "Van Gisbergen Wins on NASCAR Debut". Auto Action.
- ^ Clarke, Andrew (2023-07-02) [2023-07-02]. "Van Gisbergen qualifies third for NASCAR Debut". Auto Action.
- ^ "2024 Chicago Street Races distances shortened". Jayski's Silly Season Site. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. October 20, 2023.
- ^ "2023 Grant Park 220". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 29, 2023.
External links