The ever-controversial Carson Hocevar has taken to social media to own up to his mistake at the Grant Park 165, after his trip into the barrier on just the third lap of the day on the streets of Chicago wrecked six other cars and red-flagged the NASCAR Cup Series race, which wound up being won by Shane van Gisbergen.

Coming out of turn 10, Hocevar slammed his No. 77 Chevrolet ZL1 for Spire Motorsports into the barrier, leaving him a mere passenger as he lost control of his car, which spun out into the track just moments later.

Unable to avoid the spinning 22-year-old, Austin Dillon crashed straight into the side of him before Brad Keselowski, Daniel Suarez, Todd Gilliland, Will Brown, and Riley Herbst all found themselves joining the mass wreck.

Having had time to reflect on his abysmal afternoon in Illinois, Hocevar shared a photo of himself walking out during a driver parade holding up his hand, with just three fingers on show. “The fingers I am holding up are the amount of laps I completed,” he captioned the post.

“I am reminded, I wasn’t hired because of my road course racing, but still want to improve and p3 in qual showed that. Just taking it easy at the start and turned in too early and caught the barrier on apex.”

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Hocevar’s disappointment with his weekend in Chicago was evident through not only this post, but also an earlier comment he made regarding his performance in qualifying. “Made a mistake in the last corner and aborted the second lap. Didn’t get another shot to improve, but solid considering it was a little sloppy,” he replied on X to a summary of Spire’s qualifiers.

The youngster’s decision to own up to his latest mistake will likely come as little comfort to Richard Childress Racing’s Dillon, who was heard chastizing Hocevar on his radio after the crash. “Carson Hocevar is the biggest dumb— in the entire sport,” he claimed.

“Everybody knows it, buddy,” his team replied. “He wiped out into 10 and just wiped out half the field.”

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Meanwhile, Keselowski was a little less emotional when reflecting on the incident with reporters, simply saying, “Wrong spot, wrong time.”

“The 77 spun out, blocked the track, and I was gonna get stopped, not to hit him, or if I were gonna hit him, it would be very light. Then three cars came in from behind and blasted us.” The crash broke the front left suspension on his No. 6 Ford Mustang Dark Horse for RFK Racing, ending his afternoon. “It’s a shame because I never really got a chance to show what we had. I thought we were pretty good, but that’s just how it goes,” he added.

As for Brown, the reigning Supercars Championship winner, he was making just his second-ever Cup Series appearance on Sunday, driving the No. 13 Chevrolet ZL1 for Kaulig Racing. Last season he finished 31st at the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway.

It may have been a race to forget for one Supercars star, but for three-time champion van Gisbergen, it marked his third Cup Series win in just 33 races, and his second in Chicago. Driving the No. 88 Chevrolet ZL1 for Trackhouse Racing, the New Zealander won from pole just a day after doing the same in the Xfinity Series in The Loop 110.

Shane van Gisbergen completed a sweep on the Chicago Street Course on Sunday, winning the NASCAR Cup Series race on the tricky downtown circuit.

It was van Gisbergen’s second victory of the season and his third career Cup win. The Trackhouse Racing driver also won in Chicago in 2023, becoming the first driver to take his Cup Series debut since Johnny Rutherford in the second qualifying race at Daytona in 1963.

Ty Gibbs was second, and Tyler Reddick finished third. Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch rounded out the top five.

It was a dominant weekend for van Gisbergen, a three-time champion in Australia’s Supercars. The 36-year-old New Zealand native won the Xfinity Series race from the pole Saturday. He also was the top qualifier for the Cup race.

Michael McDowell joined van Gisbergen on the front row and quickly moved in front. He won Stage 1 and led for 31 laps before he was derailed by a throttle cable issue.

Van Gisbergen regained the lead when he passed Chase Briscoe with 16 laps left. As fog moved into downtown Chicago with thunderstorms in the forecast, van Gisbergen controlled the action the rest of the way.

AJ Allmendinger was sixth, and Ryan Preece finished seventh. Ryan Blaney, who won the second stage, was 12th.

William Byron’s day was cut short by a clutch problem. The Hendrick Motorsports driver began the day on top of the series standings.

After McDowell seized the lead early in the race, Carson Hocevar caused a multicar crash when he hit the wall and spun out between Turns 10 and 11. Brad Keselowski, Austin Dillon, Daniel Suárez and Will Brown were among the drivers collected in the wreck.

“I didn’t see it until the last second,” Keselowski said. “I slowed down and I actually felt I was gonna get stopped and then I just kind of got ran over from behind. It’s just a narrow street course and sometimes there’s nowhere to go.”

Ty Dillon and Reddick moved into the third round of NASCAR’s inaugural in-season tournament when Keselowski and Hocevar were unable to finish the race. Dillon, the No. 32 seed, eliminated Keselowski after he upset top-seeded Denny Hamlin last weekend at Atlanta.

Gibbs, Preece, Alex Bowman, John H. Nemechek, Zane Smith and Erik Jones also advanced. The winner of the five-race, bracket-style tournament takes home a $1 million prize.

Bowman, the 2024 champion on the downtown street course, won his head-to-head matchup with Bubba Wallace. Bowman and Wallace made contact as they battled for position late in the race after they also tangled in Chicago last year.

Long before NASCAR raced through downtown, Chicago was already home to the nation’s first auto race and decades of motorsports history, as told by Chicago racing historian Stan Kalwasinski.

NASCAR Fans In Agreement On Bubba Wallace’s Wreck Sunday originally appeared on The Spun.

NASCAR fans are in agreement on Bubba Wallace’s major wreck on Sunday.

The NASCAR Cup Series arrived in Chicago, Illinois this weekend. The Grant Park 165 took place in Chicago on Sunday afternoon. Shane van Gisbergen took home the checkered flag, while Ty Gibbs, Tyler Reddick, Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch rounded out the top five.

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Bubba Wallace, who’s had an up-and-down season, was involved in a major wreck late in the race. Wallace and Alex Bowman were getting pretty physical late in the race.

Video of the major crash has been going viral on social media on Sunday evening.

Wallace ended up getting spun out by Bowman late in the Cup Series race.

NASCAR fans immediately took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to take sides.

“48 did nothing wrong,” one fan wrote.

“Bubba is a horrible driver! I called the second wreck too! So predictable!!” one fan added.

“Whose @BubbaWallace going to blame the second time? Get this clown off the track before he hurts someone!” one fan added.

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“Bowman was way faster. Instead of letting him go once Bowman passed him, Bubba roughed him up. Then tried to clear himself lol. Bowman was nice to him,” one fan added.

“This is the 3rd time Bowman has cleaned Bubba out at a road course. 2nd straight year at this place,” one fan added.

“Bowman did the right thing by dumping him. Bubba knew Alex had the faster car and wants to drive like an idiot and not just let him by,” one fan added.

“Bubba brought that on himself,” one fan added.

“Bubba deserved every bit of that,” another fan added.

Wallace was clearly not happy following Sunday’s race, as he had some brief words with Bowman, before immediately leaving pit road.

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Who did you find at fault on Sunday?

NASCAR Fans In Agreement On Bubba Wallace’s Wreck Sunday first appeared on The Spun on Jul 6, 2025

This story was originally reported by The Spun on Jul 6, 2025, where it first appeared.

Off of the windy streets of Chicago and to the picturesque landscapes of wine country and Sonoma Raceway for the Cup Series. The NASCAR Power Rankings are going to look a bit different this week, with road course racing being the thing right now. Watkins Glen still looms before the playoffs as well.

These NASCAR Power Rankings are based on not just overall season performance, but especially recent performances and potential future performances. Street course to road course to another road course in a few more weeks. That’s the reality of this part of the season.

No rain for the first time ever at the Chicago Street Race. That was enough to celebrate, to be honest. Let’s get into these rankings and then turn our attention to Sonoma.

1. Denny Hamlin – Joe Gibbs Racing (+2)

After changing out his busted engine, Denny Hamlin had a great race to move up from P40 to finish P4 overall. These races are not considered his strength, but he made the most of his day.

Denny Hamlin has four top-five finishes in the last five races. Don’t forget he won the pole award at Sonoma just two years ago.

2. Chase Elliott – Hendrick Motorsports (-1)

All four Hendrick Motorsports cars started in the rear on Sunday. That was because of various issues in practice and qualifying that required repairs.

Chase Elliott did his best to bounce back from the bad starting position. He falls in the NASCAR Power Rankings simply because he got beat by Hamlin, who was in a similar position.

3. Kyle Larson – Hendrick Motorsports (-1)

Again, Kyle Larson stated in the back like his teammates. He managed a P13 finish, and this is his fourth race in a row without a top-five finish. Larson just hasn’t been in the mix lately.

Larson has not been as good as Elliott lately. So, he stays below him for this week. Larson could easily win this weekend just as he did a year ago.

4. Ryan Blaney – Team Penske (-)

Ryan Blaney stays put this week in the NASCAR Power Rankings. He won the second stage by staying out and had a decent day to pick up points in P12.

The Team Penske driver continues to be the best of his organization this season. Could Blaney sneak in a second Cup Series championship this season?

5. Ryan Preece – RFK Racing (+3)

Look, I’m not putting anymore expectations or limits on Ryan Preece. The guy is going to be competitive whenever he wants to be. As long as RFK Racing gives him a decent car, he’s going to race it to a decent finish.

Preece has five top-10 finishes in the last eight races. He should have had another at Mexico City if it wasn’t for his pit road penalty. Preece is making a push for the playoffs. Can he make it?

6. Chris Buescher – RFK Racing (-1)

What could have been. Chris Buescher and SVG gave us an instant classic finish at Watkins Glen last year. If it hadn’t been for a mechanical issue, maybe we could have seen it again at Chicago.

Alas, it was not meant to be. Buescher wrestled his car to P18. His focus will be fully on Sonoma and finding a way to win.

7. Christopher Bell – Joe Gibbs Racing (-)

I’m not sure what to do with Christopher Bell in the NASCAR Power Rankings. His three wins have really been holding him up in this position. But it was another disappointing day for the 20 team.

Bell is searching for another win. There is something that this crew hasn’t had since the first month of the season. Let’s see if they can find it in California.

8. William Byron – Hendrick Motorsports (-2)

While he is the NASCAR points leader, William Byron has not raced like it lately. Four finishes of P27 or worse in the last five races. Yeah. It’s bad.

Byron could win at any track, any week of the season. But for right now, he continues to struggle and continues to fall in the NASCAR Power Rankings.

9. Ross Chastain – Trackhouse Racing (+1)

A top-10 finish for Ross Chastain and Trackhouse Racing. This gets him back on track with where he should be on a weekly basis.

Chastain can hold his own on the road courses. I expect him to do well at Sonoma as well.

10. Shane van Gisbergen – Trackhouse Racing (NR)

The big winner this weekend! Shane van Gisbergen won both poles and both races in Chicago. A clean sweep. With two wins this season and a road course this weekend, I have to include SVG on my list.

I do not expect him to stay here, but for now, SVG is in the NASCAR Power Rankings. Imagine if he wins Sonoma AND Watkins Glen. He could go into the playoffs with as many as 21 playoff points and potentially the most wins in the series.

CHICAGO – Cleanup is still full speed ahead after a high-octane weekend of NASCAR racing in Chicago. 

Crews were already tearing down the stands and fencing on Monday.

Streets set to reopen

What we know:

While some of the streets near Grant Park remained closed to begin the work week, some began to reopen, including DuSable Lake Shore Drive.

Normal operations at Grant Park are expected to resume until Lollapalooza arrives on July 31.

Crews were breaking down risers, stages, and tents this week on priority streets, including DuSable Lake Shore Drive and Michigan Avenue to reopen. Some streets, including Columbus Drive, were still closed on Monday. 

The breakdown is expected to be complete by July 14.

Below is a list of when each street will reopen:

July 7

• DuSable Lake Shore Drive Northbound at 6:00 a.m.
• Michigan Avenue Northbound and Southbound at 10:00 a.m.

July 8

• Roosevelt Road Westbound and Eastbound at 6:00 a.m.
• Indiana Avenue Northbound at 6:00 a.m.
• Monroe Street at 6:00 a.m.
• Columbus Drive Northbound and Southbound at 6:00 a.m.
• Jackson Drive Eastbound and Westbound at 10 p.m.
• Roosevelt Road Westbound and Eastbound at 11:59 p.m.
• DuSable Lake Shore Drive Southbound at 11:59 p.m.

July 9

• Congress Plaza Drive Northbound and Southbound at 8:00 p.m.

July 10

• Jackson Drive Eastbound and Westbound at 10:00 p.m.

July 11

• Balbo Drive Eastbound and Westbound at 6:00 a.m.
• Ida B. Wells Drive Eastbound and Westbound at 11:59 p.m.
• Columbus Drive Northbound and Southbound at 11:59 p.m.

July 14

• Balbo Drive Eastbound and Westbound at 11:59 p.m.

For more information about this year’s race, check out our guide.

Will NASCAR return to Chicago?

What’s next:

The two-day event attracted tens of thousands into downtown Chicago. 

Last year, NASCAR welcomed more than 50,000 attendees to the city.

Organizers believe the turnout for this year’s event is near the same number this time around.

Shane van Gisbergen finished the Grand Park 165 in first place. Basketball legend and Chicago native Derrick Rose was the grand marshal, despite the scorching heat. 

Now the number one question is, will the high-speed street race return to Chicago next year?

The city signed a three-year deal under Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s administration. Fox 32 reached out to NASCAR to see what the future holds. 

In a statement, NASCAR said that they’ve “had good conversations with the city and following another tremendously successful event that helped support Chicago’s economy by driving tourism from 35 countries.”

The statement added those conversations will continue.

Five members of the Chicago City Council, Alds. Brian Hopkins (2nd Ward), Pat Dowell (3rd Ward), Lamond Robinson (4th Ward), Bill Conway (34th Ward), and Brendan Reilly (42nd Ward), sent a letter to NASCAR representatives requesting a meeting about future plans for the race.

Hopkins said there was an option for a two-year extension for the contract.

“My hope for the future is that we can come to an arrangement with NASCAR in a transparent manner, creating a deal that sufficiently benefits Chicago without putting undue burden on downtown residents and businesses,” he said in a message to constituents on Monday.

Hopkins added that while the event brought significant business and tourism to the city’s downtown, it also brought noise, disruption, and road closures.

Featured Image Credit: Microsoft

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