This year the downpour waited until after the NASCAR Grant Park 165 was finished. After previous years were interrupted by storms, fans came ready for the weather Sunday.

Aaron Moy, 52, from Morton Grove, crafted an “Anti-Rain Vortex” hat to wear to today’s race: a strip of laminated printer paper spiraled around a plastic shaft on top of a red Valvoline hat. The shaft is connected to a small motor in the hat, so Moy can turn it on during the race.

“The last two years, the rain’s messed up the race here. So I’m thinking, well, maybe I could do something to get the rain away,” Moy said, joking. He based it on the NASCAR “vortex theory,” an inside joke among fans that the cars racing around the circular track can create a “vortex” that pushes storms away.

Many fans brought disposable ponchos or had a game plan if the skies opened up.

Taylor Little from South Bend and Alex Rupprecht from Glendale watched the race from atop a 6-foot electrical service box near the turn at Balbo and DuSable Lake Shore drives. It was the two 20-year-olds’ first time attending NASCAR in Chicago.

“We’re kind of excited for the rain,” Little said. “It’s maybe not as safe, but a fun race to see.”

On Sunday, racers zoomed around the streets of the Loop under cloudy skies. A brief shower passed through the area shortly after the race concluded. The weather may have been different for this race but not the outcome.

Shane van Gisbergen of New Zealand swept the Chicago Street Race weekend, winning his fourth of six eligible races.

“I’m a lucky guy, I got to drive for two great teams in JR Motorsports and Trackhouse,” Van Gisbergen said. “Cool to win here again, I’ve had a great run with this place and I’ve really enjoyed it.

“(Chicago) has changed my life. I hope it stays next year,” he said.

This is the third and final year of NASCAR’s contract with the city for the Fourth of July weekend event. Racing officials have not released a full schedule for 2026, and Mayor Brandon Johnson has so far not committed to bringing NASCAR back.

Adelaide Van Pelt, 30, sported a purse decorated with tiny toy cars that she bought for the occasion. She attended the race Saturday for her job with Jack Link’s, NASCAR’s official snack, but returned for the second day just for fun.

“It’s been really interesting to see races like this, because when I was a kid, I only ever went to Michigan track. So the street race is very different and a lot more exciting in many cases,” she said. “It’s a nice way for people to access NASCAR that aren’t able to experience it because it is such a rural niche.”

Van Pelt also thinks that street races are more fun for those unfamiliar with racing. “A lot of stock cars aren’t made to slow down as quickly as they have to on this track, so there’s more crashes, which people tend to think is more interesting when it comes to NASCAR,” she said.

Despite previous bad weather, racers like Chase Eliot said they have enjoyed their time in Chicago over the past three years. Elliot started in the rear end of the field after a qualifying spinout.

“Coming up here has been really cool for us, it’s such a different vibe for us,” Elliot said in a prerace interview in front of a crowd of fans. “I have friends at home that want to come to this one because we can go and eat dinner and walk to the racetrack. The first year was so weird … it’s become a little more normal (in) year three.”

Chicago Street Race President Julie Giese presented the event’s grand marshal Derrick Rose with a tracksuit before the race. The 2011 NBA MVP spoke about taking part in his first NASCAR event.

“When they put it on the table, it was a no-brainer that I wanted to be a part of it,” Rose said. “We’ve been (planning) this for a long time, so to actually be here to see everything unfold, it’s (everything that) we thought it would be.”

Illinois fans also spoke about the experience of having the race in their backyard.

“It is very different to have a road pole in a city where I’ve grown up,” said Danielle Colomer, 34, a Crystal Lake native wearing Elliot gear. “I’m familiar with these roads, and I went to school on Michigan Ave.”

Wherever the 2026 street race lands, the racers will go. Chicago has been special for some, though.

“I don’t know what the plan is moving forward whether we come back here or not, (but) I’m happy to go to wherever they send us,” Elliot said. “My experience has been really good here, so thanks for having us.”

Originally Published: July 6, 2025 at 4:43 PM CDT

Six double-digit seeds in the NASCAR In-Season Challenge advanced to the quarterfinal round after Sunday’s Grant Park 165.

Ty Gibbs and Alex Bowman, both of whom had top-10 finishes at the Chicago street race, are the only single-digit seeds left in the event. The seeds were determined by finishes in the three races prior to the start of the in-season challenge two weeks ago.

Ty Dillon, the lowest-seeded driver in the 32-driver field, pulled off another notable upset over Brad Keselowski. Dillon took down top seed Denny Hamlin last week at Atlanta.

The most heated second-round battle resulted in a late spin-out, as Alex Bowman knocked Bubba Wallace out of the way to finish ahead of the No. 23 car.

The eight remaining drivers will be matched up for the quarterfinal round at Sonoma, another road course. The best individual finish in each of the four matchups will move on to the semifinal round at Dover.

NASCAR In-Season Challenge Bracket

No. 32 Ty Dillon vs. No. 8 Alex Bowman

No. 12 John Hunter Nemechek vs. No. 20 Erik Jones

No. 15 Ryan Preece vs. No. 23 Tyler Reddick

No. 6 Ty Gibbs vs. No. 14 Zane Smith

The full NASCAR points standings can be found here.

Alex Bowman produced the most action in an In-Season Challenge matchup with his spin of Bubba Wallace.

Bowman and Wallace were the only top 10 seeds matched up against each other in the second round. They went at it for a few laps before the No. 48 car won out.

Bowman ended up in eighth place, while Wallace was relegated to 28th place after the incident.

The No. 48 car driver is one of two single-digit seeds left in the bracket. Ty Gibbs is the other.

Gibbs finished second behind Shane Van Gisbergen in the Chicago street race. Gibbs, the No. 6 seed, is the highest-remaining seed remaining in the bracket.

Bowman will go head-to-head with Ty Dillon, the No. 32 seed. The winner of that matchup faces the winner of the John Hunter Nemechek-Erik Jones matchup.

Gibbs is matched up with Zane Smith. Tyler Reddick and Ryan Preece make up the other matchup on the right side of the bracket.

The four quarterfinal matchups will be determined at Sonoma, the second road course in a row on the schedule, next Sunday.

Bowman and Preece have the best recent average finishes at the northern California track among the eight quarterfinalists.

Gibbs is viewed as one of the better road-course drivers on the NASCAR Cup Series circuit, but he has two finishes outside the top 15 in his two Cup Series starts at Sonoma.

NASCAR has updated its playoff standings and Cup points after the Grant Park 165 at the Chicago Street Race on Sunday. Shane van Gisbergen won the race, and there are now seven races remaining before the playoffs begin.

The Chicago Street Race also featured the second round of NASCAR’s In-Season Tournament. Here’s a look at the updated NASCAR playoff standings and Cup points.

NASCAR playoff standings after Chicago

Shane van Gisbergen now has 11 playoff points after earning a win at Chicago. He is one of five drivers who have over 10 playoff points this year.

Bubba Wallace suffered a setback after finishing 28th at Chicago. He would make the playoffs if it began today, but the 31-year-old is only two points above the cut line.

Updated Cup points after Chicago Street Race

William Byron finished last at Chicago but still has the most Cup points in 632. He has only won the Daytona 500 this season, but Byron has been a consistent driver with 10 top-10 finishes, seven top-five finishes and seven stage wins.

Byron is not too comfortable, as Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson are right behind him. Elliott is 13 points behind the leader, while Larson is only 19 points behind Byron.

This past weekend, NASCAR held the Chicago Street Race in Grant Park for a third consecutive year. DePaul landed a partnership with Spire Motorsports and was featured on Michael McDowell’s No. 71 Chevrolet ZL1. 

“Partnering with Spire Motorsports for the NASCAR Chicago Street Race allows us to spotlight DePaul on a national stage while embracing a global event in our own backyard,” said DePaul Vice President and Director of Athletics DeWayne Peevy. “It’s the perfect example of how we’re using sports to elevate our visibility and create real-world learning experiences for our students.”

DePaul went full throttle with a partnership, but McDowell wasn’t able to go full throttle in the race. 

He started in second place and led each of the opening 31 laps; he passed Shane van Gisbergen — the winner of the Cup Series — in the opening corner. 

There was an issue with McDowell’s throttle cable that sent him to the service lane, and ultimately took him out of the running for the win. 

“The throttle cable just broke,” McDowell said to NASCAR post-race. “I don’t know what caused it or how it got to that spot, but that’s what happened. I feel like we had control of the race the whole race.

“I was behind the pace car, and the throttle stuck wide-open. Luckily, I got to the switches fast enough before I ran into something, and then a cable broke after that. It’s just a shame. We had a great car,” McDowell said. 

McDowell ended up finishing in 32nd place, 22 laps behind van Gisbergen.

“Epic weekend for us. I’m a lucky guy,” van Gisbergen said to the Associated Press.

Shane Van Gisbergen is rapidly establishing himself in NASCAR, winning twice in his rookie season and possibly positioning himself for the Cup Series playoffs. After securing victories at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez and the Grant Park Street Circuit, he heads to Sonoma with a chance to match top drivers like Denny Hamlin. His crew chief praises Van Gisbergen’s ability to navigate through challenging situations on the track. As he becomes more comfortable with the car’s setup, there’s significant potential for him to improve even further, particularly on oval tracks.

By the Numbers

• Two victories in 2025: Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez and Grant Park Street Circuit.
• Van Gisbergen’s average finish on ovals has improved from 30th to top-20.

State of Play

• Trackhouse Racing’s strategic investment in Van Gisbergen is paying off with multiple wins.
• Ongoing improvements are expected on oval tracks, enhancing his competitiveness.

What’s Next

Van Gisbergen will race at Sonoma Raceway next, where he aims to continue his winning trend and build on his playoff positioning. With two more road courses left in the regular season, opportunities for additional victories remain, which could strengthen his spot for the playoffs.

Bottom Line

Shane Van Gisbergen is proving to be a significant asset for Trackhouse Racing, combining natural talent with strategic racing IQ to enhance his potential as a star in NASCAR. His development as a driver is key to attracting sponsorship and could lead to a competitive playoff run.