In a dream matchup between the veteran road course king and the 18-year-old pretender to the throne on the streets of the Windy City, Shane van Gisbergen schooled his young JR Motorsports teammate in winning Saturday’s The Loop 110.

With his cool suit malfunctioning on a hot day on the 2.2-mile, 12-turn Chicago Street Course, Van Gisbergen out-braked runner-up Conor Zilisch and ran him wide into Turn 1 with two laps left in the marquee event.

With Zilisch in determined but futile pursuit, Van Gisbergen crossed the finish line 0.823 seconds ahead of his fellow Red Bull athlete to post his first NASCAR Xfinity Series victory in his only start this season, his second straight win in Chicago and the fourth of his career.

Van Gisbergen, the pole winner, had to overcome not only the heat but also a balky carburetor and questionable strategy that kept him on the track before the end of Stage 1, while the vast majority of cars behind him came to pit road for tires and fuel.

“The strategy went wrong, but it worked out well,” said Van Gisbergen, who also will start on the pole in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race. “The car was a rocket. (Zilisch) is a great young driver, and that was the first time I’ve really raced him. I knew that was my opportunity, and I took it. Awesome 1-2 for the team.”

The 36-year-old New Zealander, a three-time Australian Supercars champion, is the sixth different driver to win for JR Motorsports this year, the most in series history for an organization in a single season.

Zilisch acknowledged he was surprised at the aggressiveness of Van Gisbergen’s attack in Turn 1, though he insisted it wasn’t a dirty move.

“I was clear there, just barely, on the front straight, and I just let him get to my inside, and he took advantage of it,” said Zilisch, who started 35th after hitting a tire barrier during practice earlier in the day. “I should have been a little more aggressive there. I just thought he was going to race me a little cleaner.

“I’ve just got to be better and not let that stuff happen. I’ll learn from it and move on.”

Third-place Sheldon Creed was the best of the rest, finishing 3.141 seconds behind the race winner. Creed led the field to green for a restart with 13 laps left but lost the top spot to Zilisch before he got back to the start/finish line.

“I’ve got to get better at road course racing,” Creed said. “Those guys are really good, and when SVG got to me, I just let him go because he had way more pace. Maybe I could get them racing and give me a shot.”

Clearly, that didn’t happen.

By staying on the track late in the 15-lap first stage, Van Gisbergen was mired mid-pack when he eventually pitted on Lap 26. He restarted 19th on Lap 29 after an inopportune debris caution and quickly worked his way forward.

By Lap 36 he was seventh and began a determined pursuit of Zilisch, who led Laps 38 to 48. On Lap 44, with Zilisch saving fuel, Van Gisbergen ran the fastest lap of the race (90.947 seconds) and cut Zilisch’s lead from 3.5 seconds to 2.3 seconds before Andre Castro planted his car in the Turn 6 tire barrier to cause the sixth and final caution and set up the two-lap shootout.

On fresher tires, the one benefit of the later pit stop, Van Gisbergen prevailed. Van Gisbergen led 27 laps to Zilisch’s 11 and Creed’s nine.

Austin Hill ran fourth and Atlanta winner Nick Sanchez fifth. Jesse Love, Sammy Smith, Sam Mayer, Austin Green and Brennan Poole completed the top 10.

Justin Allgaier, who finished 23rd after suffering brake issues late in the race, leads second-place Hill by 49 points in the series standings.

When it comes to NASCAR’s street course in downtown Chicago, there is Shane van Gisbergen, and then there is everyone else.

Van Gisbergen has won the pole for Sunday’s Grant Park 165. The 36-year-old New Zealander turned a lap at 88.338 mph on a tricky 2.2-mile course that was made more treacherous by temperatures in the 90s on Saturday.

“Practice wasn’t that great for us, but when we went out for qualifying, the car felt really good,” van Gisbergen said. “We turned in two pretty good laps.”

The Trackhouse Racing driver will be joined on the front row by Michael McDowell, who grabbed the second slot at 87.879 mph. Carson Hocevar (87.824 mph), Tyler Reddick (87.779 mph) and Chase Briscoe (87.734 mph) rounded out the top five.

McDowell is one of three drivers who finished in the top 10 in the first two races in downtown Chicago.

“Our car’s in the game,” he said. “Tomorrow will be a mixed bag with potential weather in and out. So a lot of variables to go out there and navigate.”

Van Gisbergen, a three-time champion in Australia’s Supercars, also was on the pole for Saturday’s Xfinity Series race.

“I learned a lot in the Xfinity Series car this morning, and that just gives you a great leg up for the Cup car,” he said. “I think it’s great running both cars, it certainly helps.”

Just two years ago, van Gisbergen raced to a historic victory in a rainy first edition of NASCAR’s downtown Chicago experiment. Making the most of his extensive street racing experience, he became the first driver to win his Cup Series debut since Johnny Rutherford in the second qualifying race at Daytona in 1963.

He won Chicago’s Xfinity Series stop last year and the first stage in the Cup race before he was knocked out by a crash.

Katherine Legge became the first woman to qualify for the Cup race in downtown Chicago when she turned a lap of 85.744 mph, knocking Corey Heim out of the field.

“We would have been a lot faster, I think, had I not kept nicking the wall,” Legge said. “I’ve given my crew a lot of work to do from that, but we had to keep pushing to put it in the show. I’m really proud of this team, and I’m very much looking forward to tomorrow.”

The NASCAR Cup Series returns to the Windy City on Sunday afternoon, with the best drivers in the sport competing on the streets of Chicago in the Grant Park 165.

The race on the Chicago Street Course first joined the NASCAR circuit in 2023, with upstate Shane Van Gisbergen winning the first race, while series regular Alex Bowman took the checkered flag last year. The drivers and fans hope this year’s event is finally run under clear conditions, as rain has made the first two races a little dicey.

NASCAR STREAMING OPTIONS

This is also Round 2 of the NASCAR In-Season Challenge. Thanks to a series of wild events last Saturday night at Atlanta Motor Speedway, in which Chase Elliott won for the first time this season, many top seeds were eliminated, like top-seeded Denny Hamlin and the No. 4 seed Christopher Bell.

Portage native Carson Hocevar, who went into Atlanta ranked 26th, was able to advance to the second round thanks to Ryan Blaney crashing out early.

Coming into Chicago, William Byron still leads the series in points, with Hendrick Motorsports teammates Elliott and Kyle Larson right behind him.

NASCAR CUP SERIES

Grant Park 165

When: Sunday, July 6

Time: 2 p.m. ET

Where: Chicago, Ill.

Channel: TNT

Check out the NASCAR schedule and results here

Entering the Chicago race weekend, five open entries were entered for the final four spots on the grid. While Shane van Gisbergen earned an impressive pole position, it was a David vs. Goliath battle for the last spot in the field with the No. 78 Live Fast Motorsports Chevrolet up against the No. 67 23XI Racing Toyota of Corey Heim.

Reigning Supercars champ Will Brown put Kaulig Racing in the show by placing 19th, the Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet of Austin Hill was 30th, and Josh Bilicki made it in with a 31st-place run in the Garage 66 Ford.

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But no one expected Corey Heim, who is currently dominating the NASCAR Truck Series, to be in danger of missing the show. During his first run, the 23XI driver hit the wall and bent a toe-link, putting him in real danger. Even with a wounded car, he bettered his lap by four tenths, but it still wasn’t fast enough.

Corey Heim, Toyota

Legge, who made her Cup debut earlier this year at Phoenix, had her own trouble after crashing into the tire barriers during practice. She even touched the wall in qualifying as well, but unlike Heim, she escaped without any significant damage.

In the end, she bested Heim by just over a tenth, locking the single-car team into the show and ensuring 23XI’s fourth entry with Heim would be sent home.

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“I was thinking, way to go showing all my minor indiscretions there,” she told TNT Sports as they replayed her wild day on track. “I tried my best to mess that qualifying up, honestly (laughs). It was a lot of pressure to come in with only 20 minutes of practice on a street course where there is no room for error (and) try to put it in the show. I actually feel pretty good about it now.

“We would have been a lot faster had I not kept nicking the walls. I’ve given my crew a lot of work to do. Sorry guys! But I just had to keep pushing and put it in the show, which we did so I’m very proud of them. I’m very much looking forward to tomorrow and a little bit less stress.”

More stressful than Indy

Katherine Legge, Chevrolet

Legge has qualified for four Indy 500s in the past, but claimed qualifying for the biggest oval race in the world was less stressful than this.

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“There’s a level of comfort with Indy,” explained Legge. “I know where I’m going and what I’m doing and here, it’s very much drinking from a fire hose, trying to find my feet and get better. And the only way to get better is with laps and we don’t have any practice … it’s this vicious circle. But I really appreciate everybody’s support. it means the world to me. i can’t thank everybody enough. It’s been a hell of a year.”

Legge will start 33rd in the 40-car field for her third Cup start of the year. There are five different countries represented in the field, including Legge, who was born in Surrey, England.

Heim reacted to his DNQ on social media, saying he “made a mistake on my first lap and bent the toe link. Tried to get everything I could out of it after that but clearly wasn’t enough. That’s completely my fault and still trying to process all of it. Thank you 23XI Racing for a car plenty capable enough to make the race.”

Photos from Chicago – Practice & Qualifying

Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Chris Graythen – Getty Images

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Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

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William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

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Austin Cindric, Team Penske Ford

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Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Chris Graythen – Getty Images

Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing Toyota

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Ryan Blaney, Team Penske Ford

Chris Graythen – Getty Images

William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

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Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

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Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

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Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

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Corey Heim, Toyota

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General view

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Cole Custer, Haas Factory Team Ford

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William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

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Michael McDowell, Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

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Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

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John Hunter Nemechek, LEGACY MOTOR CLUB Toyota

Chris Graythen – Getty Images

Shane van Gisbergen, Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet, Ross Chastain, Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

Chris Graythen – Getty Images

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Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

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Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

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Ty Dillon, Kaulig Racing Chevrolet

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Austin Dillon, Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

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Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

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Alex Bowman, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

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Carson Hocevar, Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

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John Hunter Nemechek, LEGACY MOTOR CLUB Toyota

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Ryan Blaney, Team Penske Ford

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Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing Toyota, Riley Herbst, 23XI Racing Toyota

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Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing Toyota

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Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing Toyota, Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

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Katherine Legge, Chevrolet

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Brad Keselowski, Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford

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Kyle Busch, Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

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Ryan Blaney, Team Penske Ford

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Cole Custer, Haas Factory Team Ford

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Ryan Preece, Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford

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Chris Buescher, Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford

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Ty Gibbs, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

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AJ Allmendinger, Kaulig Racing Chevrolet

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Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

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Corey Heim, Toyota

Logan Riely / Getty Images

Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

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Shane van Gisbergen, Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

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Garrett Smithley, Power Source Ford

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Read Also:

Shane van Gisbergen earns NASCAR Cup pole in Chicago with blistering lap

William Byron: “I’m just an idiot” for wrecking out of Chicago Cup practice

Denny Hamlin “couldn’t even make a pace lap” before Chicago engine failure

To read more Motorsport.com articles visit our website.

CHICAGO — NASCAR stock cars will roar down Michigan Avenue, DuSable Lake Shore Drive and other streets around Chicago’s Grant Park for perhaps the final time on Sunday afternoon, marking the conclusion of an eventful and weather-marred three-year contract.

Meteorologists are calling for rain on race day for the third consecutive year, and the long-term forecast for the race’s future on the NASCAR schedule looks gloomier. While considered a remarkable feat in the NASCAR world, the race has also been an expensive proposition for the sanctioning body — more than $50 million spent for the inaugural race in 2023, with less attendance than originally hoped.

The grandstands, hospitality areas and concert venue have been pared down for this year’s edition of the race. Meanwhile, The Athletic has reported NASCAR is in talks for a San Diego street race next year — and it’s unclear whether there could be room for two such events on the calendar.

But if this is the last one in Chicago, drivers certainly aren’t cheering its demise. Despite widespread industry skepticism before the first edition of the race, Chicago has become a signature event that presents a different experience than most on the NASCAR schedule.

“It’s probably my favorite event in NASCAR each year,” said Kyle Larson, a three-time winner this season in the Cup Series.

Favorite? Of all 38 races?

“I mean, name a better one,” he said.

Larson rattled off a list of pluses for the Chicago race: Drivers enjoy staying in a hotel across the street and walking to the racetrack. There are endless nice restaurants. The city is beautiful. And the racing has been surprisingly good. From Larson’s view, what’s not to like?

It wasn’t always evident it would turn out this way. In the lead-up to the inaugural race, Chicago politicians and residents alike raised a fuss over road closures, traffic, and concerns about everything from dog-walking disruptions to asking track president Julie Giese if there was a chance of cars crashing into buildings.

Meanwhile, there was hand-wringing in the NASCAR garage over headlines about high crime and worries about whether the Cup Series cars would be able to have a good show on such a narrow course.

Then, in the middle of the first day of on-track activity in 2023, the first rain hit. The city evacuated the entire park due to lightning, and NASCAR was forced to cancel high-profile concerts that night to the dismay of many fans who were sold on the “music festival with a race” concept.

Suddenly, it seemed like the event might be doomed before it even got started.

“That first year on the Saturday, the amount of people coming in here for the concert was insanity,” Spire Motorsports driver Michael McDowell said. “It was going to be a giant success. And then, obviously, the weather and the thunderstorms.”

The next day, a large storm caused the track to flood. The rain swirled around on the radar like a small hurricane. Finally, the skies cleared enough for New Zealand native Shane van Gisbergen to win a thrilling race in his NASCAR debut, broadcaster NBC had its highest NASCAR viewership in six years, and the race was viewed as a hit despite the rain. It won “Event of the Year” at the Sports Business Awards.

Shane van Gisbergen won the inaugural Chicago Street Race in 2023. The event has earned praise despite two years of rain-marred competition. (Michael Reaves / Getty Images)

Mother Nature struck again last year, causing more delays and shortening the race. And Chicago might get drenched again on Sunday, if those forecasts are correct.

Still, an often-cynical NASCAR garage has refreshingly focused on the rays of sunshine poking through the clouds when it comes to Chicago.

“It’s had to go through a lot of adversity, but the race itself and the city and the track are awesome,” McDowell said. “It accomplished what we wanted to accomplish: Bringing the race to the fans and not the fans to the race.”

Giese said more than 80 percent of ticket-buyers in the first year had never previously been to a NASCAR race; that number dipped to a still-impressive 70 percent in Year 2 and was tracking similarly for Sunday.

Drivers don’t have that data at their fingertips, but their anecdotal evidence has put Chicago in a favorable light. Driver/team owner Denny Hamlin said there was “more excitement around the venue itself than what a normal race venue has” and was pleased to hear non-NASCAR fans at his hotel discussing the race.

His experiences led him to stump Saturday for a return to Chicago because it has stayed true to the original goal: Creating a massive, in-person promotion geared toward an audience who might not otherwise even consider watching a NASCAR race.

“I (went) shopping, and I go to all these different stores,” Hamlin said. “(The conversations were,) ‘What are you in town for? Oh, yeah, there’s a race. We were talking about going to that. We didn’t go last year because of the rain, but we’re thinking about going.’

“That’s what you want. These are younger people who are not going to travel to Chicagoland (Speedway, an oval in Joliet, about 40 miles away from Grant Park) to go to a race. You have to have it right here where they can walk to it.”

But that’s also the dilemma for NASCAR. This isn’t F1, which never races on an oval and conducts its championship circuit exclusively on street circuits and road courses. Nor is this IndyCar, which has a sprinkling of ovals on a calendar otherwise dominated by road racing.

NASCAR has six non-ovals per season, and Chicago is the only street course race. Street courses are tighter and less forgiving than natural road courses, which have plenty of runoff areas unrestrained by real-life city avenues and obstacles like sidewalks and bus stops.

While Chicago has allowed new fans to see the cars and drivers up close, it’s also not a true sampling of the core NASCAR product.

That’s one reason Hendrick Motorsports driver Chase Elliott has been such a strong advocate of seeing NASCAR race at the Nashville Fairgrounds short track near that city’s center and repeatedly praised NASCAR for building a small oval inside the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum for its preseason exhibition “Clash” race from 2022-2024.

“There’s nothing that’s going to top giving people a true short track (in Nashville),” Elliott said. “What is NASCAR? Here it is. Take an Uber from Broadway to the racetrack and go watch.

“That is the biggest home run waiting to happen. But this is a good second choice, as far as getting inside a big-city market. It’s been a lot of fun to come do it.”

Regardless of whether Chicago sticks, it’s a given that the NASCAR schedule will continue evolving. And that’s a recent development for a series which once had such a stale calendar that Joey Logano considered a “big change” was “moving a date a couple weeks.”

These days, NASCAR has taken some wild chances. It raced inside the L.A. Coliseum. It tried a dirt race. It took a gamble on the small-capacity Bowman Gray Stadium earlier this year. It took the Cup Series to Mexico City last month for the first international points race in the Modern Era.

But nothing compares to what it accomplished logistically in Chicago. A series without any street course setup experience convinced city leaders they could pull it off and then did, constructing a world-class track that challenged drivers in the heart of the third-biggest American city.

It’s telling that in spite of a trifecta of rainy race days, the Chicago Street Course legacy is likely to still be viewed favorably and as a proof of concept for future street racing events.

“It’s proven being bold can have its benefits if you take big risks,” 2023 Cup champion Ryan Blaney said. “It’s something they’d never done before. They took it head-on.”

“I wish we would have gotten more fortune with the weather, but it’s been a big success. No matter what happens next year, going forward, it’s been really good NASCAR decided to do this. It was a win.”

(Top photo of Shane van Gisbergen celebrating his win Saturday in the Xfinity Series race in Chicago: Chris Graythen / Getty Images)

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