Kyle Kirkwood will become the second IndyCar driver to carry Honda branding this season with a new livery for his No. 27 Andretti Global Honda at the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio.

“The collaboration comes at a home race for Honda, as the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course is just over 60 miles from the Honda Marysville and East Liberty Auto Plants as well as Honda Research & Development, and celebrates all of Honda’s products – from the streets to the sky,” Honda’s announcement stated. “More than 400,000 Honda and Acura automobiles are made in Ohio each year, as well as research and design on components for Honda products from lawnmowers to the HondaJet.”

The Mid-Ohio race marks the one-year anniversary of IndyCar’s shift to hybrid powertrains, and Kirkwood’s auto manufacturer livery follows the one-off Honda Racing Corporation US colors and branding carried to victory lane by Chip Ganassi Racing’s Alex Palou in April at Barber Motorsports Park.

“We are thrilled to have Honda represented on the No. 27 Andretti Global machine of Kyle Kirkwood this weekend,” said Honda and Acura motorsports manager Chuck Schifsky. “We’ve had a long partnership with the Andretti organization, and when the chance came up to have Kyle run a Honda-branded car here at the Honda race at Mid-Ohio, we jumped at it. It’s a great opportunity to bring awareness to all parts of the Honda brand – from planes, motorcycles and power products, to road cars and our hybrid-powered Indy cars – especially on this one year anniversary of IndyCar going hybrid.

“We have thousands of Honda associates from our five Ohio manufacturing plants and the North American R&D center coming to watch the race, and seeing that Kyle is one of only two drivers to win so far this year, and all nine races have been won by Honda, we’re hoping we can continue that streak and put on a great show for them.”

Drivers to watch, favorites to win and predictions for NASCAR Chicago originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The city is buzzing, the track is almost ready and cars are arriving soon.

Now, it’s time to meet the drivers.

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The 2025 Chicago Street Race will see the world’s greatest stock car drivers hitting the track. A combination of big name stars, past Chicago winners and young prospects will make up the field in Sunday’s race.

Here’s everything to know about the drivers competing in the Grant Park 165:

Who are the drivers in the NASCAR Chicago Street Race?

There are 41 drivers attempting to qualifying for the 2025 Chicago Street Race.

Thirty-six of the 41 entries are locked into the race by virtue of the NASCAR charter system. That leaves five drivers battling for four spots, with the slowest one going home after Saturday’s qualifying session.

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The five drivers who are not guaranteed a starting spot are Kaulig Racing’s Will Brown, Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Hill, Garage 66’s Josh Bilicki, 23XI Racing’s Corey Heim and Live Fast Motorsports’ Katherine Legge.

One of the standout drivers in Sunday’s race will be Tyler Reddick, who competes for Michael Jordan’s 23XI Racing. He’ll be sporting a Jordan Brand-sponsored Toyota that will be tough to miss out on track.

Here’s the full entry list for the Grant Park 165, with car numbers, driver names, team names and sponsors:

Favorites, picks, predictions for the NASCAR Chicago Street Race

Shane van Gisbergen, No. 88, Trackhouse Racing

The inaugural Chicago winner in 2023, SVG has only gotten stronger in the past two years. The former Australian Supercars driver has transitioned to full-time NASCAR, making him even more familiar with the American stock cars. He won the Xfinity Series race at Chicago last year and was in position to take the Cup victory again before an accident took him out. With one win already in 2025 at the road course in Mexico City, the 36-year-old Kiwi is again the heavy favorite in Chicago.

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Christopher Bell, No. 20, Joe Gibbs Racing

In the first two years, no one has led more laps in Chicago than Bell (51) — he just doesn’t have the finishes to show for it. The Joe Gibbs Racing star was 18th in 2023 after winning both stages and 37th in 2024 after hitting the wall late. Bell has already won a road course race this year (Circuit of the Americas) and finished second to SVG in Mexico City. He could be the top challenger for van Gisbergen this weekend.

Chase Elliott, No. 9, Hendrick Motorsports

Fresh off a hometown win in Atlanta, Elliott has more momentum than any driver. He’s scored three straight top-fives, including a third-place finish in Mexico City behind SVG and Bell. Elliott’s road course prowess matches anyone in the field, leading all drivers with seven career wins. Even though he hasn’t visited victory lane at the track type since 2021, he’s been more consistent than anyone (25 top-10s in 37 career starts).

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Ty Gibbs, No. 54, Joe Gibbs Racing

Gibbs didn’t get the finish in Mexico City (11th), but he was the only driver to match SVG out front. He led 27 laps in the race, often battling side-by-side with the eventual winner. In Chicago, Gibbs has finished ninth and third with laps led each year. Still searching for his first career win, the 22-year-old Gibbs could finally get it done on Sunday in his 106th career start.

Michael McDowell, No. 71, Spire Motorsports

He’s not necessarily a household name, but McDowell is constantly in the mix at road courses. The 2023 Indianapolis winner started fifth and finished fifth in Mexico city — the same finish he had in Chicago last summer. That came after a seventh-place run in 2023. McDowell, like SVG, is one of the series’ best drivers at racing in the rain.

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Longshots and sleepers to watch

There are plenty of skilled street course racers in the field on Sunday that haven’t been mentioned — Kyle Larson, A.J. Allmendinger, William Byron and Tyler Reddick, to name a few. Another name to monitor is Will Brown, who is coming over from the same Australian series that gave us SVG. Brown, driving for Kaulig Racing in a one-off entry, made his Cup debut in Sonoma last year but has never driven the Chicago Street Race.

5 KYLE LARSON
 

Age: 32 (July 31, 1992)
 

Hometown: Elk Grove, California
 

Last Week: 17th (Atlanta)
 

Crew Chief: Cliff Daniels
 

Standings: 3rd
 
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No. 5 Valvoline Chevrolet
 

2025

Cup Career

Chicago Street

Races

18

384

2

Wins

3

32

0

Poles

1

22

1

Top 5

9

128

1

Top 10

12

194

1

Laps Led

851

10,107

0

Stage Wins

8

70

0

Average Finish

12.7

14.0

21.5

Kyle Larson leads all NASCAR Cup Series drivers with nine top-five finishes and 12 top 10s in 2025. That marks his second-highest total of top 10s in a season's first 18 races (2021). 
The 32-year-old is tied for the most road course wins in the Next Gen era with Tyler Reddick (three).
Larson has the third-best average finish this season at 12.67. 
On 36 laps on road courses this season, Larson turned in the fastest time. That's the highest total in the series, 13 more than the next-closest driver, Shane van Gisbergen (23).
Larson has won two of his last six starts on road courses. His most recent road-course victory came at the 2024 Charlote ROVAL.

 
9 CHASE ELLIOTT
 

Age: 29 (Nov. 28, 1995)
 

Hometown: Dawsonville, Georgia
 

Last week: 1st (Atlanta)
 

Crew Chief: Alan Gustafson
 

Standings: 2nd
 
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No. 9 NAPA Gold Filters Chevrolet
 

2025

Cup Career

Chicago Street

Races

18

340

2

Wins

1

19

0

Poles

0

12

0

Top 5

6

110

1

Top 10

10

181

1

Laps Led

136

5,662

0

Stage Wins

0

38

0

Average Finish

10.3

12.8

12.0

With his victory at Atlanta Motor Speedway last weekend, Chase Elliott is now second in the NASCAR Cup Series regular season points standings, 37 markers behind teammate William Byron. 
The triumph was his second at Atlanta and his 20th career Cup Series win, making him the fourth driver to reach 20 victories with Hendrick Motorsports.
The 29-year-old advanced to the second round of the NASCAR In-Season Challenge. Elliott will be up against John Hunter Nemechek in the Chicago Street Race. Elliott has finished better than Nemechek in 14 of 18 events this season, including both road course races.
Elliott’s average finish of 10.23 in 2025 leads the series and is also his second best ever in the first 18 races of a season. He is the only driver to finish in the top 20 in every event so far. 
His three consecutive top-five finishes account for the longest active streak in the series and his longest of the season.
Heading into Chicago this weekend, Elliott is tied for the longest active streak of top fives on road courses with three.
The 2020 Cup Series champion has the most road course wins among active drivers and the third all-time behind NASCAR Hall of Famers Jeff Gordon (nine) and Tony Stewart (eight). His average finish of 8.84 leads active drivers (minimum four starts).
In the Next Gen era on road courses, Elliott has led 147 laps – the most by a driver without a win so far. His average finish of 9.83 in that span ranks second and his 585 points earned rank third.
Elliott’s autographed race-winning Desi9n to Drive uniform is up for grabs as part of a sweepstakes fundraiser that runs through July 9. 

 
24 WILLIAM BYRON
 

Age: 27 (Nov. 29, 1997)
 

Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina
 

Last Week: 37th (Atlanta)
 

Crew Chief: Rudy Fugle
 

Standings: 1st
 
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No. 24 All-Pro Chevrolet
 

2025

Cup Career

Chicago Street

Races

18

270

2

Wins

1

14

0

Poles

2

15

0

Top 5

7

61

0

Top 10

10

114

1

Laps Led

769

3,747

0

Stage Wins

7

30

0

Average Finish

12.8

15.0

10.5

William Byron is in the midst of a remarkable 2025 season, leading the driver points standings for 15 out of 18 weeks including presently by 37 markers. He has also collected the most stage points (188).
The Charlotte, North Carolina, native has paced the field in a NASCAR Cup Series-leading 13 of 18 events for a total of 769 laps (second most).
The driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet has an average starting position of 11th (second best) this season and an average finish of 12.78 (fourth best).
In the Next Gen era on road courses, Byron has a 12.74 average finish and has collected 541 points.
In the last nine road course races, Byron has two wins, two second-place finishes, five top-five finishes and seven top 10s, all tied for the most. He also has led 110 laps which ranks second.
Currently, the 27-year-old driver has three consecutive top-10 finishes on road courses which is tied for the second longest active streak. Byron is one of six drivers who finished in the top 10 at both Circuit of The Americas as well as in Mexico City this year.

 
48 ALEX BOWMAN
 

Age: 32 (April 25, 1993)
 

Hometown: Tucson, Arizona
 

Last Week: 3rd (Atlanta)
 

Crew Chief: Blake Harris
 

Standings: 12th
 
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No. 48 Ally Chevrolet
 

2025

Cup Career

Chicago Street

Races

18

343

2

Wins

0

8

1

Poles

2

7

0

Top 5

4

44

1

Top 10

9

105

1

Laps Led

157

1,525

8

Stage Wins

0

7

0

Average Finish

17.9

19.3

19.0

After a third-place finish in Atlanta last weekend, Alex Bowman enters this weekend 15th in the playoff standings, 39 points above the elimination line.
The driver of the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet returns to the Chicago Street Course as the defending race winner, having captured his eighth career NASCAR Cup Series victory there in 2024 after leading the final eight laps. Bowman remains the only driver to win on both the Chicago Street Course and the Chicagoland Speedway oval. 
The Tuscon, Arizona, native will return to the Windy City on Thursday, July 3, for a full day of community events and media appearances. Bowman’s schedule includes visits to the South Side YMCA for The NASCAR Foundation’s Speediatrics Fun Day Festival and to Chicago Animal Care and Control for a pet adoption event. He will also appear at NASCAR’s Speed and Sound Fest at the DuSable Black History Museum where he’ll take part in a fan panel alongside historian Sherman “Dilla” Thomas.
Chicago marks the second race of the five-race NASCAR In-Season Challenge. After defeating Joey Logano in Atlanta, Bowman advanced into the second round and will face Bubba Wallace.
For this weekend's Chicago race the Best Friends Animal shelter partner is One Tail At A Time in Chicago.
Ally and HendrickCars.com are teaming up again to give fans the chance to win prizes with this year’s “Open Road Sweepstakes.” Fans can win VIP experiences at various races throughout the season and one lucky winner will hit the open road in a Chevy Silverado LT Trail Boss with an Airstream camper. Fans can stop by the Ally Fan Zone to enter the sweepstakes in-person and check out the camper. Fans can also enter at ally.com/sweepstakes/nascar.

 
HENDRICK
MOTORSPORTS /
Hendrick Motorsports
 

2025

All-Time

Chicago Street

Races

18

1,399

2

Wins

5

317*

1**

Poles

5

258*

1**

Top 5

26*

1,305*

3*

Top 10

41*

2,228*

4*

Laps Led

1,913*

84,225*

8

Stage Wins

15*

130

0

 
*Most all time
**Tied for most all time

With Chase Elliott winning and Alex Bowman coming home third at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Sunday, Hendrick Motorsports pushed its organizational record for consecutive races with a car in the top five to 26 events dating back to last season. It remains the only team to have a top-five finisher in each of this season's races.
The Hendrick Motorsports engine shop has won 15 combined poles (seven in the NASCAR Cup Series and eight in the Xfinity Series) and 16 combined races (five in the Cup Series, 10 in the Xfinity Series and the preseason Clash) this year. 
Hendrick Motorsports has led 40% of all laps raced through 18 events this season. Its 1,913 circuits paced are the third most through a season's first 18 races in company history. The team has led at least one lap in each of the last 33 races, the longest active streak by any organization and Hendrick Motorsports' third-longest streak all time
The organization's 15 combined stage wins are tied for the most ever through 18 races in a season. 
Hendrick Motorsports enters this weekend's race at the Chicago Street Course with Bowman as the event's defending winner. Kyle Larson sat on the pole for last year's race. The organization's three top fives and four top 10s are the most in the NASCAR Cup Series.
Five of the last nine road course races have gone to Hendrick Motorsports. The company leads all teams in poles, wins, top fives, top 10s, laps led and average finish on serpentine tracks in the Next Gen era.

 
QUOTABLE /
 

Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet, on the Chicago Street Race: “It’s a really fun event. I love it. I hope the weather is good, rain has kind of come out of no where the last couple of years. I hope it goes good. The fans deserve to see a good race there. I love being in the city and walking to the race track and good food, it’s fun.”

Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet, on the performance of the team: “We’ve just been doing this long enough to know it all kind of starts and ends with us. We have to make sure we’re doing our part and I’m doing my part. Just bringing everything I can possibly bring every single week. It’s the honest conversations that we have on Monday mornings that are either going to make us better or make us fail. All of the pieces of the puzzle are there. We’re working on the right things. I think I’m asking for the right things out of the car. I’m really proud of our team for just sticking together. I think there’s been so many times that we could have thrown in the towel and really kind of fractured from the inside. It’s a really important thing for me to have climbed that mountain and stood on top of it with AG (Alan Gustafson) and we’ve kind of fallen off that hill. Getting back to the top with him and with our group and doing it together, I think is a really important thing to do. We have so much respect for one another as a team that we’re going to continue to make each other better as we push forward.”

William Byron, driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet, on the Chicago Street Race: “Honestly, I’m just hoping we have good weather this weekend in Chicago. The last two years it has rained, and it really changed the dynamic of how the race goes and who is a factor. It would just be cool to see how the race plays out when that element isn’t involved. But even if it is, we have two years of experience with it. I just love the vibe the race brings, racing downtown through the city. It’s unlike the other venues we go to, and I think it brings an element that we need.”

Alex Bowman, driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet, on returning to the Chicago Street Race after winning last year: “Going back to Chicago is pretty special. That win last year was huge for me and this 48 team it was one of those races where everything came together at the right time. The street course is such a unique challenge, and the atmosphere is unlike anything else we see all year. I’m excited to get back there, defend that win, and hopefully keep building momentum for the playoff push.”

Hendrick Motorsports PR

On Tuesday, Trackhouse Racing announced that the team’s original driver — Daniel Suarez — will not return in 2026 as the driver of the No. 99 Chevrolet.

Speaking to SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, Suarez said of the news: “I want to make sure that you guys and the people listening know that I’m not sad. This is not sad. This is just a new chapter. That’s all it is … This is not a sad moment. It’s just a change and it happens.”

Suarez also revealed that this decision did not happen suddenly, adding: “This is not something new for me. I have known about this for a while and it just happens to be official today (Tuesday). I’m actually a little bit relieved that this is out and people know about it and we can talk about it and we can move forward with future plans and continue to work. I’m excited for whatever comes next.”

Suarez went on to talk about how thankful he is for his time with the organization, making it clear that there is no ill will between the two parties. “It’s just a change. I love Trackhouse. I love everyone there. There’s a lot of great people there, a lot of people I consider my family.”

Daniel Suarez, Trackhouse Chevrolet

Photo by: Krista Jasso / Getty Images

When Trackhouse originally formed as a single-car team in 2021, they signed Suarez, who had previously raced for large organizations such as Joe Gibbs Racing and Stewart-Haas Racing. In both situations, he was let go to make room for another driver.

At Trackhouse, Suarez became a winner in the NASCAR Cup Series for the first time, but the past five years have not been without their struggles. Trackhouse also has a rising star in Connor Zilisch waiting in the wings, and he’s a driver many rival teams would be happy to snatch up. While no announcement has been made, it’s expected that Zilisch will be called upon to replace Suarez at Trackhouse.

IMSA has published the provisional entry list for next week’s Chevrolet Grand Prix at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, featuring 35 cars.

As one of two IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship rounds that will not feature the GTP class, 12 LMP2 cars will battle for the overall victory at the historic Canadian circuit.

JDC-Miller MotorSports will enter the No. 79 ORECA 07-Gibson for American Bronze driver Gerry Kraut and Australian teammate Scott Andrews. Together, Kraut and Andrews finished second at Road America last season.

The No. 79 car takes AF Corse’s place in the entry list, while other LMP2 teams have made driver changes, due in large part to the clash with the WEC 6 Hours of Saõ Paulo. As announced yesterday, United Autosports USA will have Tom Blomqvist in the No. 22 car alongside Daniel Goldburg, replacing Paul di Resta.

Blomqvist’s Acura Meyer Shank Racing stablemate, Renger van der Zande, will fill in for Sebastien Bourdais at Tower Motorsports. Hunter McElrea is set to return to TDS Racing in place of Mikkel Jensen, and Australian Alex Quinn will replace Malthe Jakobsen at Crowdstrike Racing by APR.

Two Canadian Bronze drivers will also make their IMSA LMP2 race debuts, at their home race. United Autosports’ No. 2 car will welcome Phil Fayer to race alongside Ben Hanley. Reigning HSR Prototype Challenge Am champion Travis Hill will make his series debut at Era Motorsport, driving the No. 18 car with the returning Ryan Dalziel.

The 10 regular GTD PRO entries feature two returning drivers. Marco Mapelli is back in the No. 9 Lamborghini for local favorite Pfaff Motorsports, and Giacomo Altoe returns to the No. 81 DragonSpeed Ferrari after a two-race leave of absence.

In GTD, Korthoff Competition Motors has dropped off the entry list after finishing third at Watkins Glen, leaving 13 cars to run next week.

Fan-favorite Robert Wickens will be back in his specially prepared No. 36 DXDT Racing Corvette, alongside Alec Udell. The Heart of Racing Team has also made a driver change, plugging Roman de Angelis into the No. 27 Aston Martin in place of WEC-bound Tom Gamble.

Other changes include the return of Gradient Racing’s sprint line-up of Jenson Altzman and Robert Megennis, and Triarsi Competizione’s No. 021 Ferrari, which has yet to announce its drivers for CTMP.