Motorsports
Where can NASCAR take the title race with new rotating finale?
Various tracks have hosted the NASCAR finale in the sport’s past, but only four currently on the schedule have ever held the honor before. But none held it longer than Homestead, hosting the championship-decider every year between 2002 and 2019. The season finale has become increasingly important in the past decade due to the introduction […]

Various tracks have hosted the NASCAR finale in the sport’s past, but only four currently on the schedule have ever held the honor before. But none held it longer than Homestead, hosting the championship-decider every year between 2002 and 2019.
The season finale has become increasingly important in the past decade due to the introduction of the knockout-style playoff format. Four drivers, equal on points, enter the finale each year in a one-race battle to win it all. The same organization has won the title at Phoenix all three years of the Next Gen era and several have been critical of the track’s ability to put on a show. The track did make several impressive upgrades, the city did plenty of promotion, but the racing product has been lacking.
This week, NASCAR’s Ben Kennedy talked about what it takes to be considered for the finale as the sport embarks on this plan to rotate the 36th points-paying race of the year. Some of the keys: Must be located in a attractive market, a decent climate for November, a strong on-track product, and a lack of a wildcard factor.
Based on Kennedy’s comments, superspeedways and road courses are out of the question for the immediate future. So that leaves us with intermediates and short tracks, but the short track package has been severely lacking in recent years. Excluding Homestead and Phoenix, let’s take a look at the other tracks that are possible frontrunners to join this rotating schedule and one day become the season finale.
1. Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Las Vegas is a huge market with a lot of eyeballs, which is a major plus, but LVMS is also a thrilling intermediate track with great racing. The current generation of car races best at these 1.5-mile ovals, and Vegas has shown interest in hosting the finale before. There’s also minimal danger of a rainout, so it’s hard to envision a reason not to give it a try.
2. Charlotte Motor Speedway
This city is the heartbeat of the NASCAR world and already hosts a crown jewel with the Coke 600 in May. And what better place to crown the champion of NASCAR than in NASCAR’s own backyard? While the fall race currently takes place on the Roval, a return to the oval layout needs to happen if CMS become the title-decider. And yes, as another intermediate oval, there should be no concern over the on-track product.
3. Kansas Speedway
Not the most flashy of places, but there’s no denying that Kansas is the action track of modern NASCAR. Nearly every race there in recent years has been filled to the brim with drama. It’s similar to Vegas in some ways, but also unique as the art of running right against the wall is key to be fast. It also holds the record for the closest finish in the entire history of the Cup Series, set when Kyle Larson beat Chris Buescher by 0.001s in 2024.
4. Nashville Superspeedway
Please ignore the official track name as it’s not a true superspeedway, but a unique intermediate track. This is a market that also loves its NASCAR. The summer race at Nashville has only graced the series’ schedule for a few years, but it has quickly become one of the more popular ones and has produced several great moments. And there’s that iconic guitar gifted to the race winner. Nashville is also different from most of the other larger ovals on the schedule as a concrete track measuring 1.330 miles in length. And it’s Nashville, which has hosted the end-of-year banquet before, so why not the finale?
5. Darlington Raceway
Like Charlotte, Darlington already hosts a crown jewel — the oldest in NASCAR with the Southern 500 dating back to 1950. Yes, Darlington is dripping with history, but it’s also one of the most difficult tracks on the entire schedule. The track never fails to put on a show and it is unforgiving when drivers make mistakes. As a true challenge for the best drivers in the sport, it’s the perfect place for putting the Championship 4 to the ultimate test. But there is a drawback: You would have to move the Southern 500 from its traditional Labor Day weekend slot, and it’s not exactly a thriving market either.
6. Texas Motor Speedway
People definitely have reasons to be hesitant about Texas, but we also can’t ignore the benefits either. It’s located in the heart of Texas near a city of one million people and despite the botched reconfiguration, the circuit has put on some dramatic shows in recent years — mostly due to how challenging the track is to navigate. It’s also in a great location when looking at November. The track is aging well and while passing is difficult, but the recent Cup races there don’t really classify as ‘boring.’ Certainly not a favorite, but one that NASCAR surely has to consider (after the five ahead of it of course).
7. Richmond Raceway
We have sort of run out of realistic intermediate tracks at this point. And as much as I’d love to throw Michigan on this list, the weather holds me back. If only there was another track similar to Michigan that has great November weather…perhaps one located in California. Unfortunately, that track is now lost to us, and when looking at short tracks, this one is leading the way. It’s easier to pass than at a Martinsville and if there were multiple tire compounds like we saw in 2024, then we could really be in for a show. It’s location is great and the weather should be fine in Virginia.
8. Bristol Motor Speedway
Bristol looks like a title-decider and it feels like a title-decider. It has everything you could want when talking about atmosphere, but the track has seen some dull races with this car. If NASCAR can fix the short track package, Bristol would vault forward on this list, but at this time, eighth is the best we can do for the ‘Last Great Colosseum.’
9. Martinsville Speedway
Already close to the end of the year, Martinsville was once a place — like Bristol — where action was guaranteed. It too has suffered with the current short track package and likely shouldn’t be considered unless a fix is found. Passing is almost impossible and excluding Ross Chastain heroic wall-ride, it has been lacking in drama. Bonuses are its deep roots in the sport and weather-friendly location.
10. A track yet to join the schedule
We’ll call this the mystery spot. NASCAR is always tweaking their schedule and who knows what tracks out there could end up as part of the 36-race season in the future. Gateway and Iowa recently joined and there are plenty of other circuits out there.
In this article
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Motorsports
Lando Norris wins British Grand Prix cut Oscar Piastri’s F1 lead
SILVERSTONE, England — It was an image that inspired Lando Norris to chase his Formula 1 dream. The sight of Lewis Hamilton, his tires kicking up a tail of spray as he sped through the rain toward victory at the British Grand Prix in 2008, stayed with the 8-year-old Norris, who was watching on TV. […]

SILVERSTONE, England — It was an image that inspired Lando Norris to chase his Formula 1 dream.
The sight of Lewis Hamilton, his tires kicking up a tail of spray as he sped through the rain toward victory at the British Grand Prix in 2008, stayed with the 8-year-old Norris, who was watching on TV.
On Sunday, Norris got his own win in a thrilling wet British GP — also involving Hamilton — in front of the British crowd.
“I got that picture of him going around and seeing all the fans standing up, that picture of what the atmosphere at Silverstone is like, and dreamed of that for many, many years,” Norris said. “Today I got to live that feeling myself.”
Amid spins, crashes and controversy, Norris held on to win and cut the gap to his teammate and title rival Oscar Piastri.
Norris had said it was the race he’d give up all other victories for.
He started third on the grid, overtook Max Verstappen for second, lost the place again due to a slow pit stop, then saw Verstappen spin out ahead of him. He took the lead after Piastri had to serve a 10-second penalty for sharp braking behind the safety car earlier.
It was McLaren’s first win at Silverstone since that Hamilton victory in 2008. Hamilton went on to win his first title that year. On Sunday, Hamilton finished fourth.
“This is a dream, winning at home. It’s beautiful,” Norris told the team over the radio. “Thanks for the memory. I’ll remember this more than anything.”
He climbed out of the car and celebrated with both arms raised to take in the moment, before hugs with his team and his mother. On the podium, Norris closed his eyes with a smile as the British anthem played.
McLaren ignores Piastri’s request to swap
Piastri finished second behind Norris after the penalty. He asked for the lead back.
The Australian thought the penalty was unfair, arguing it was for a legal move that he and others had done before to slow down the cars behind before speeding off at the restart.
Adding an element of controversy to what’s been an unusually friendly title rivalry, Piastri even suggested that if McLaren thought the call was unfair, the team could ask him and Norris to swap places to cancel the effect of the penalty. The team declined to do so.
Piastri had been leading the pack before a restart from safety car conditions and slowed to back up the cars behind, but did it sharply enough that Max Verstappen behind had to swerve to avoid him.
Once it became clear Piastri would have to serve the penalty at his next pit stop, Norris made sure the Australian couldn’t build a lead to cancel it out. Norris just needed to stay with his teammate and hovered two seconds behind, waiting to inherit the lead.
Piastri now leads Norris by eight points overall, cut from 15. It’s the halfway point of the season, with 12 of 24 races remaining.
History for Hülkenberg
In a race with plenty of crashes and spins, Sauber’s Nico Hülkenberg was third from 19th on the grid for his first podium finish in his 239th race of an F1 career that began in 2010. His team hadn’t finished in the top three since 2012.
Verstappen started on pole but ended up fifth after spinning from second behind Piastri at a safety-car restart, briefly dropping to 10th. The Dutch driver stayed third in the standings but it was another heavy blow to his title defense, leaving him 69 points off Piastri.
Smart strategy could win big, like it did for Hulkenberg, or risk everything. George Russell asked the team for slick tires on a slippery track and span off through the gravel a lap later, finishing 10th.
Rookies off the road
It was a rough day for the rookies. Racing Bulls’ Isack Hadjar crashed into the wall after hitting the back of fellow rookie Kimi Antonelli, saying he couldn’t see the Mercedes driver in the rain.
Antonelli later retired and fellow rookies Gabriel Bortoleto, Liam Lawson and Franco Colapinto all failed to finish too. Oliver Bearman made it to the end for Haas in 11th but crashed into teammate Esteban Ocon along the way.
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Motorsports
Live NASCAR Cup Series race updates: Chicago 2025
CHICAGO — The NASCAR Cup Series is blowing into the Windy City for the third time with the Grant Park 165 in Chicago. Follow here for live updates. FINAL STAGE Photo: Sophia LaRiche/TRE LAP 59: Shane van Gisbergen is looking for the lead on Chase Briscoe. He takes it going in turn three. LAP 55: […]

CHICAGO — The NASCAR Cup Series is blowing into the Windy City for the third time with the Grant Park 165 in Chicago. Follow here for live updates.
FINAL STAGE

LAP 59: Shane van Gisbergen is looking for the lead on Chase Briscoe. He takes it going in turn three.
LAP 55: Alex Bowman pits for the final time. His previous stop came 38 laps before on lap 17. Christopher Bell pitted a lap later. Shane van Gisbergen is on the bumper of Tyler Reddick, who runs second to Chase Briscoe.
LAP 52: Ryan Blaney pits with flat tire.


LAP 51: Chase Briscoe and Tyler Reddick run nose-to-tail and have to save fuel to make it to the end. Reddick is reportedly three laps short.
Denny Hamlin, Bubba Wallace and John Hunter Nemechek, in third, sixth and seventh respectively, are also saving on fuel.
The final stage is not starting well for Chase Elliott who pitted with damage to the front end of his car. The stage goes green with Chase Briscoe, Tyler Reddick, Alex Bowman, Bubba Wallace, Denny Hamlin, John Hunter Nemechek, Christopher Bell, Shane van Gisbergen, Ty Gibbs and A.J. Allmendinger in the top 10. Ryan Blaney pitted under the stage caution.
STAGE TWO WINNER: Ryan Blaney

STAGE TWO TOP-10 (LAP 45): Ryan Blaney, Chase Briscoe, Tyler Reddick, Alex Bowman, Bubba Wallace, Denny Hamlin, Chase Elliott, John Hunter Nemechek, Erik Jones, Christopher Bell.
LAP 43: A.J. Allmendinger pits. This will likely hand the stage win to Ryan Blaney. He is one of 11 drivers staying out for the stage points. Shane van Gisbergen sits 12th.
LAP 42: Shane van Gisbergen, Joey Logano and Ty Gibbs pit.
LAP 41: Kyle Busch drove through too many pit boxes, pass through penalty coming. Just makes a bad day worse for him. Kyle Larson pits a lap later, likely for the final time of the race.
LAP 40: Katherine Legge spins exiting turn one and gets back going… No caution.
LAP 37: Ross Chastain pits for the first stop of the day… Only Ryan Preece is left among the contenders on the 1-stop strategy. Preece pits a lap later.

LAP 36: Michael McDowell, who led the first 31 laps, is being told to go to the DVP area to fix a throttle pedal cable. That will take him out of contention for what looked like a big win for him.
LAP 34: Shane van Gisbergen leads A.J. Allmendinger… Kyle Busch spins from sixth and drops to 31st.
LAP 32: Leader Michael McDowell pits after leading every lap. McDowell reported a stuck throttle so the team is going to work under the hood. They are going to go “max save” once he gets back on track.
LAP 31: Anticipating a caution for Josh Berry’s crash, Tyler Reddick, Chase Briscoe pit. Caution now flies.
LAP 30: SVG is up to third after restarting 8th on lap 24… Josh Berry has crashed and destroyed the front end of his car.
LAP 27: Tyler Reddick takes second from Kyle Busch. Shane van Gisbergen cracks the top five. Top 10 is now Michael McDowell, Tyler Reddick, Kyle Busch, Ryan Preece, Shane van Gisbergen, Chase Briscoe, A.J. Allmendinger, Ross Chastain, Ty Gibbs, Austin Hill.
LAP 26: Bubba Wallace spun in turn 11 and lost several positions.
The second stage is 25 laps, putting the stage end at lap 45 — 30 to go in the race. Tyler Reddick and Ty Dillon have officially moved on to the third round of the NASCAR In-Season Challenge Tournament after a big wreck early on — pending post-race tech inspection.
STAGE ONE WINNER: Michael McDowell

STAGE ONE TOP 10 (LAP 20): Michael McDowell, Kyle Busch, Tyler Reddick, Chase Briscoe, Ryan Preece, Ross Chastain, John Hunter Nemechek, Zane Smith, Austin Hill, Noah Gragson. According to NASCAR, “only once in the last 23 Cup road course races has the Stage 1 winner gone to win: Michael McDowell, Indy Road Course 2023.” It is also the first-ever Cup stage win for Spire Motorsports.
McDowell now has fourth career stage wins. Two of them came at the Indianapolis Road Course in 2023.
LAP 18: Ty Gibbs, Christopher Bell pit from the top 10. Bell gets a speeding penalty. Shane van Gisbergen pits a lap later.
LAP 17: Ryan Blaney pits from just outside of the top 10 with four laps to go in the stage. Josh Berry and Kyle Larson also pit. They were among the biggest movers early on:
- Denny Hamlin +7 to 23rd
- Kyle Larson +6 to 16th
- Bubba Wallace +6 to 17th
- Josh Berry +5 to 14th
- Ricky Stenhouse Jr. +5 to 21st
LAP 13: Alex Bowman spins exiting the final corner after getting loose behind Austin Cindric.
LAP 11: Chris Buescher is told he’s going to have to ride out the issue as they suspect is something internal. He is one lap down and about 1-2 seconds off the leader’s pace after the crew looked the car over.
TOP-10: Michael McDowell, Shane van Gisbergen, Kyle Busch, Tyler Reddick, Chase Briscoe, Ty Gibbs, Ryan Preece, Christopher Bell, A.J. Allmendinger, Joey Logano.
LAP 7: Green flag! Michael McDowell quickly takes control of the lead over Shane van Gisbergen. Brad Keselowski, Austin Dillon, Will Brown and Carson Hocevar are all out after the big wreck.
LAP 6: Chris Buescher is going to pit with engine issues. “We had an exhaust leak a couple of weeks back, but we didn’t lose this much power. That’s all I’m able to compare it to,” he said, adding the engine is backfiring.
TOP-10 AT LAP 5: Michael McDowell, Shane van Gisbergen, Kyle Busch, Tyler Reddick, Chris Buescher, Chase Briscoe, Ryan Preece, Ty Gibbs, Christopher Bell, Joey Logano.
LAP 4: Carson Hocevar hit the inside wall in turn 10 and bounced into Brad Keselowski, Austin Dillon, Daniel Suarez, Will Brown, Riley Herbst, Todd Gilliland and A.J. Allmendinger. Allmendinger drove away. The big crash triggered a red flag.



LAP 2: William Byron is going to the DVP area with clutch issues after starting in the rear.


Green flag is in the air! Michael McDowell has taken the lead from Shane van Gisbergen right away on the first lap. Kyle Busch moved from sixth to third, Chris Buescher jumped from eighth to fifth, Carson Hocevar dropped from third to seventh.
RACE START
The engines are fired under cloudy skies in Chicago. For the third year in a row, rain is likely to play a factor in the race.
:20 PM CT #Weather – @NASCARChicago update – Showers are 30 Miles west of circuit – 2:30- 3:30 PM CDT arrival, heavy line 45 miles – moving 20-25mph. While they have rain tires
, heavy rainfall is possible & may cause delays.
Currently, there is no lightning within 75 miles.… pic.twitter.com/FEVEuux7xB
— RaceWeather (@RaceWeather) July 6, 2025
All four Hendrick Motorsports cars will go to the rear of the field for Sunday’s race after issues Saturday in practice and qualifying. In the back of the pack, they will join Bubba Wallace who also showed speed in practice but couldn’t put together a good lap in qualifying and even crashed.

Wallace will also be in the rear of the field with team owner Denny Hamlin who blew an engine right at the start of practice. Noah Gragson, Ty Dillon, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Katherine Legge will also start in the rear of the field.
Not in the field is Corey Heim. Katherine Legge bumped Heim and the third 23XI Racing entry from the field in qualifying.
Alex Bowman and Shane van Gisbergen are the former Cup Series winners in the field. Cole Custer also earned a NASCAR Xfinity Series win here in 2023.
The NASCAR Cup Series’ Grant Park 165 in Chicago is 75 laps with the stages ending on laps 20, 45 and 75 for the checkered flag. The fuel window is 40 laps. Here is when everything is set to get started:
- Invocation: 2 p.m. (All times Eastern)
- Command: 2:10 p.m.
- Green Flag: 2:25 p.m.
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Motorsports
NASCAR DraftKings Picks Cheat Sheet: Chicago Street Race DFS
The Chicago Street Race (Grant Park 165) is ready to roll, and Stokastic’s FREE DraftKings NASCAR Cheat Sheet is your go-to guide for top DFS picks! Powered by expert projections and advanced NASCAR DFS Sims, this cheat sheet gives you the data-driven edge you need to build winning lineups and dominate the track. NASCAR DFS […]

The Chicago Street Race (Grant Park 165) is ready to roll, and Stokastic’s FREE DraftKings NASCAR Cheat Sheet is your go-to guide for top DFS picks! Powered by expert projections and advanced NASCAR DFS Sims, this cheat sheet gives you the data-driven edge you need to build winning lineups and dominate the track.
NASCAR DFS DraftKings Picks: Chicago Street Race
Tier | Driver |
---|---|
Superstar | William Byron $10,000; 47.81 Kyle Larson $10,500; 26.74 Christopher Bell $10,200; 25.34 |
High | Chase Elliott $9,500; 47.52 |
Medium | Austin Cindric $7,800; 32.36 Ross Chastain $8,100; 27.91 |
Low | Denny Hamlin $7,100; 44.73 Bubba Wallace $6,400; 35.70 Erik Jones $5,800; 33.38 |
Looking to boost your sports betting game too? Portfolio EV makes it easy to spot +EV bets and grow your bankroll with smart, data-backed plays. Start with FREE expert picks, or level up with a Tails package for exclusive bets and deeper analysis!
Stokastic’s NASCAR DFS Tools & Data
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Get ahead of the competition before lock by simulating opponent lineups and projected outcomes. Find the highest ROI plays, upload your own lineups and projections, and fine-tune your rankings to maximize your profit potential with a strategy built just for you.
NASCAR Post-Contest Simulator
Success in DFS is not just about winning—it’s about consistently improving. The Post-Contest Simulator lets you dive deep into your lineup performance, compare your projections against real ownership, and uncover patterns and trends that can sharpen your strategy for long-term results.
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Take full control over your lineup construction with a customizable Contest Generator. Adjust ownership projections, tweak player pool rankings, and apply your own projection weights to craft high-upside lineups built specifically for the NASCAR DFS slate in front of you.
NASCAR DFS Projections and NASCAR DFS Ownership Projections
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Motorsports
Live updates, highlights from Chicago
Jeff Gordon reflects on how to grow NASCAR’s popularity Jeff Gordon discusses the popularity of NASCAR and how the sport can continue to grow. Sports Seriously Arguably the most unique event on the NASCAR calendar is here. The streets of Chicago will be filled with the sounds of Cup Series racing for the third year […]


Jeff Gordon reflects on how to grow NASCAR’s popularity
Jeff Gordon discusses the popularity of NASCAR and how the sport can continue to grow.
Sports Seriously
Arguably the most unique event on the NASCAR calendar is here. The streets of Chicago will be filled with the sounds of Cup Series racing for the third year in a row.
This year’s race comes with an added wrinkle; it’s round two of NASCAR’s inaugural in-season challenge. Round one last week in Atlanta saw multiple upsets of the top seeds thanks to a collision-filled race with nearly one-third of the field failing to finish.
In the end, Chase Elliott won his home race by just 0.168 seconds over Brad Keselowski. That win was his first in more than a calendar year and closed the gap from him to championship leader William Byron.
The Grant Park 165 will be another challenge for the remaining 16 drivers in contention for the in-season challenge title. It’s the only street course event of the season and the prior two runnings were impacted by rain.
USA TODAY Sports will have coverage of the Grant Park 165 at the Chicago Street Course. Follow along for all the action and results:
Leaderboard as of Stage 1.
- Michael McDowell, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
- Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
- Tyler Reddick, No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota
- Chase Briscoe, No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
- Ryan Preece, No. 60 RFK Racing Ford
- Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
- John Hunter Nemechek, No. 42 Legacy Motor Club Toyota
- Zane Smith, No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford
- Austin Hill, No. 33 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
- Noah Gragson, No. 4 Front Row Motorsports Ford
- Shane van Gisbergen, No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
- Ty Gibbs, No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
- AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
- Christopher Bell, No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
- Joey Logano, No. 22 Team Penske Ford
- Ryan Blaney, No. 12 Team Penske Ford
- Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
- Cody Ware, No. 51 Rick Ware Racing Ford
- Bubba Wallace, No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota
- Justin Haley, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
- Josh Berry, No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford
- Josh Bilicki, No. 66 Garage 66 Ford
- Erik Jones, No. 43 Legacy Motor Club Toyota
- Austin Cindric, No. 2 Team Penske Ford
- Katherine Legge, No. 78 Live Fast Motorsports Chevrolet
- Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
- Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 HYAK Motorsports Chevrolet
- Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
- Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
- Riley Herbst, No. 35 23XI Racing Toyota
- Alex Bowman, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
- Ty Dillon, No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
- Cole Custer, No. 41 Haas Factory Team Ford
- Chris Buescher, No. 17 Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford
- Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet (out)
- Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet (out)
- Brad Keselowski, No. 6 Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford (out)
- Todd Gilliland, No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford (out)
- Will Brown, No. 13 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet (out)
- William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet (out)
McDowell took the lead from Shane van Gisbergen on lap 1 and held on following the caution period to take the win after the first 20 laps. van Gisbergen kept behind McDowell for most of the stage but pitted on lap 18, leaving McDowell to take the stage win uncontested.
Carson Hocevar spun out in the No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet after hitting two walls and more cars collided and blocked the track. Austin Dillon, Brad Keselowski, Daniel Suarez, Todd Gilliland, Riley Herbst and Will Brown were involved in the wreck.
The lone street race of the 2025 Cup Series calendar is underway with Michael McDowell taking the lead from pole sitter Shane van Gisbergen.
How to watch NASCAR Cup race in Chicago
- Shane van Gisbergen, No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
- Michael McDowell, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
- Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
- Tyler Reddick, No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota
- Chase Briscoe, No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
- Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
- Ryan Preece, No. 60 RFK Racing Ford
- Chris Buescher, No. 17 Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford
- Ty Gibbs, No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
- Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
- Alex Bowman, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
- Joey Logano, No. 22 Team Penske Ford
- Christopher Bell, No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
- Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
- Brad Keselowski, No. 6 Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford
- AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
- Ryan Blaney, No. 12 Team Penske Ford
- Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
- Will Brown, No. 13 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
- Todd Gilliland, No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford
- Riley Herbst, No. 35 23XI Racing Toyota
- Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
- Cole Custer, No. 41 Haas Factory Team Ford
- Noah Gragson, No. 4 Front Row Motorsports Ford
- John Hunter Nemechek, No. 42 Legacy Motor Club Toyota
- Zane Smith, No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford
- Austin Cindric, No. 2 Team Penske Ford
- Justin Haley, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
- Josh Berry, No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford
- Austin Hill, No. 33 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
- Josh Bilicki, No. 66 Garage 66 Ford
- Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 HYAK Motorsports Chevrolet
- Katherine Legge, No. 78 Live Fast Motorsports Chevrolet
- Erik Jones, No. 43 Legacy Motor Club Toyota
- Cody Ware, No. 51 Rick Ware Racing Ford
- Ty Dillon, No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
- Bubba Wallace, No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota
- William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
- Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
- Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Thirty-two drivers qualified for the inaugural in-season challenge and 16 were eliminated in Atlanta. The 16 winners advanced to the second round and make up the remaining bracket. Here’s how things look entering Chicago:
Top half of draw
- No. 17 Brad Keselowski vs. No. 32 Ty Dillon
- No. 8 Alex Bowman vs. No. 9 Bubba Wallace
- No. 5 Chase Elliott vs. No. 12 John Hunter Nemechek
- No. 20 Erik Jones vs. No. 29 Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
Bottom half of draw
- No. 15 Ryan Preece vs. No. 31 Noah Gragson
- No. 23 Tyler Reddick vs. No. 26 Carson Hocevar
- No. 6 Ty Gibbs vs. No. 22 A.J. Allmendinger
- No. 3 Chris Buescher vs. No. 14 Zane Smith
The Weather Channel is calling for a 60% chance of rain in Chicago today. The hourly forecast predicts the highest chance of rain between 4 and 6 p.m. ET which may hit towards the end of the race. Temperatures should stay around the low 80s.
The Grant Park 165 is scheduled to start at 2 p.m. ET (1 p.m. local) Sunday, July 6, on the street course in downtown Chicago.
The Grant Park 165 will be broadcast on TNT. It’s the second of four races to be broadcast on the network. Pre-race coverage will start at 1 p.m. ET.
Yes, the Grant Park 165 will be streamed on WatchTNT, Max and Sling TV.
Stream the NASCAR race at Chicago on Sling
The Grant Park 165 is 75 laps around the 2.2-mile track for a total of 165 miles. The race will have three segments (laps per stage) — Stage 1: 20 laps; Stage 2: 25 laps; Stage 3: 30 laps.
Alex Bowman led the final eight laps, taking the lead on Lap 51 of the shortened race that ended with a countdown clock on Lap 58 instead of the scheduled 75 after weather disrupted the race. When the clock hit zero, Bowman needed to maintain his lead for two laps – taking the white flag and the checkered flag – to earn his lone victory of 2024. Bowman pulled away from Tyler Reddick and won by 2.863 seconds.
Motorsports
How to watch and stream 2025 NASCAR Chicago Street Race
New York Post may be compensated and/or receive an affiliate commission if you click or buy through our links. Featured pricing is subject to change. For the third year in a row, NASCAR is taking to the streets. After making its NASCAR debut in July 2023, the Chicago Street Course is back on the schedule […]

For the third year in a row, NASCAR is taking to the streets.
After making its NASCAR debut in July 2023, the Chicago Street Course is back on the schedule this year. While NASCAR races on winding road courses every season, the Chicago Street Race is the only one on the schedule this season that’ll take place on real city streets.
The downtown Chicago loop area has been transformed into a 2.2-mile racetrack that’ll see NASCAR drivers whizzing by some of the city’s most notable landmarks and racing down iconic streets like Michigan Ave.
NASCAR in chicago: what to know
- When: July 6, 2 p.m. ET
- Where: Chicago Street Course
- Channel: TNT
- Streaming: DIRECTV
This year, the Grant Park 165 is also part of the league’s first single-elimination in-season challenge, which offers drivers a second chance at a $1 million bonus (the first being the All Star Race).
2025 NASCAR Chicago Street Race time:
The 2025 NASCAR Chicago Street Race is today, July 6, at 2 p.m. ET.
How to watch the 2025 NASCAR Chicago Street Race for free:
If you don’t have cable, you’ll need a live TV streaming service to stream NASCAR races for free. One option we love is DIRECTV, which comes with five days free and starts at $59.99/month, with plenty of subscription options that include TNT.
Other ways to watch the 2025 NASCAR Chicago Street Race:
Another way to watch the 2025 NASCAR Chicago Street Race is with a Max subscription. Max costs $9.99/month with ads and $16.99/month without ads — but the “with ads” plan will be just fine here, as live sports always have ads.
Where is the NASCAR race in Chicago?
As the name implies the 2025 NASCAR Chicago Street Race will take place in the streets of Chicago, IL. Specifically, the track was constructed in and around Grant Park and includes some of the city’s most recognizable streets, including S. Michigan Ave. and DuSable Lake Shore Drive, and landmarks like Grant Park’s Buckingham Fountain and the Art Institute of Chicago.

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Motorsports
What channel is NASCAR Chicago Street Race live on TV today? Time, schedule, map, watch, stream
The NASCAR Chicago Street Race brings NASCAR back to Illinois when the green flag drops for the Grant Park 165. Here’s what we know about race schedule, TV start time, where to watch, the map course layout and more: Advertisement When is the 2025 NASCAR Chicago Street Race? What date is Grant Park 165 NASCAR Cup Series race? […]

The NASCAR Chicago Street Race brings NASCAR back to Illinois when the green flag drops for the Grant Park 165.
Here’s what we know about race schedule, TV start time, where to watch, the map course layout and more:
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When is the 2025 NASCAR Chicago Street Race? What date is Grant Park 165 NASCAR Cup Series race?
The third NASCAR Chicago Street Race will be held Sunday, July 6, 2025.
What time does 2025 NASCAR Chicago Street Race start today? When does the Grant Park 165 green flag drop live?
The Grant Park 165 will take place at 1 p.m. CST / noon EST Sunday, July 7. The 165-mile NASCAR Cup Series race is 75 laps long.
What channel is the 2025 NASCAR Chicago Street Race live on TV today, Sunday, July 6, 2025? How to watch NASCAR today live Grant Park 165 coverage
NASCAR Chicago Street Race action will be broadcast on TNT. Adam Alexander, Dale Earnhardt Jr., and Steve Letarte will be on the call. The driver cam stream is available to stream on Max (subscription required).
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Watch today’s NASCAR race live on Fubo with a free trial
Where to stream, watch the 2025 NASCAR Chicago Street Race live on TV today, Sunday, July 6, 2025? Streaming NASCAR live today at Grant Park 165
Streaming options include Fubo, which offers a free trial, plus the driver cam on Max (subscription required).
Catch the Grant Park 165 live on Fubo
How to watch, stream the 2025 NASCAR Chicago Street Race live on TV today, Sunday, July 6, 2025? Streaming NASCAR live today at Grant Park 165
Catch all the motor sports racing action from Chicago through multiple viewing platforms including TNT (Fubo offers free trial), TruTV (qualifying) and Max (in-car driver camera).
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Watch the NASCAR Chicago Street Race live with a Fubo free trial
2025 NASCAR Chicago Street Race schedule today live on Grant Park 165 race day− Sunday, July 6, 2025
All times are CST:
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10 a.m. CST: Gates open; NASCAR village opens at Butler Field
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10-10:15 a.m. CST: Joint CFP and CFD Pipe and Drums Performance on the NASCAR Experience Stage
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10:05 a.m.-10:15 a.m. CST: Q&A with NASCAR driver Shane Van Gisbergen on the NASCAR Experience Stage
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10:15 a.m.-10:45 a.m. CST: NASCAR EV showcase
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10:15 a.m.-11:05 a.m. CST: Rust Riders performance on The Front Porch Lounge
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10:15-10:30 a.m. CST: Q&A with NASCAR driver Chase Elliott on the NASCAR Experience Stage
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10:20 a.m. CST: NASCAR driver Erik Jones appearance at the Toyota Racing Experience
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10:30 a.m.-11 a.m. CST: Noah’s Lego race car build-off with Noah Gragson at NASCAR kids zone
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10:30 a.m. CST: KSFMX Freestyle Motocross show on Festival Field
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10:45-11 a.m. CST: Joint CFP and CFD Pipe and Drums Performance on the NASCAR Experience Stage
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11 a.m.-11:15 a.m. CST: Q&A with Chicago Street Race president Julie Giese on the NASCAR Experience Stage
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11 a.m. CST: KSFMX Freestyle Motocross show on Festival Field
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11:15 a.m.-11:30 a.m. CST: Jesse White tumbling team at Festival Field
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11:25 a.m.-12:15 p.m. CST: Lawrence Peters Outfit performance at The Front Porch Lounge
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11:30 a.m. CST: KSFMX Freestyle Motocross show on Festival Field
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11:30 a.m.-Noon CST: Performance by Chicago DJ Chip E., the so-called “architect of house music” on the NASCAR Experience Stage
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12:40 p.m.-1:30 p.m. CST: Wild Earp performance at The Front Porch Lounge
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12:40 p.m. CST: NASCAR Cup Series driver introductions on the Busch Light Summer Music Series stage, followed by the National Anthem by Grammy-winner Soul Children
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1 p.m. CST: Grant Park 165 NASCAR Cup Series Race
2025 NASCAR Chicago Street Race map / course layout
Here is a look at the race layout:
2025 NASCAR Chicago Street Race course layout.
2025 NASCAR Chicago Street Race tickets
New for 2025, grounds passes are between $125 to $300. Prices increase with VIP add-ons, reserved turn seating, and premium clubs or suites. Visit www.nascarchicago.com for more information or to purchase tickets.
Who won 2024 NASCAR Chicago Street Race? Who was Grant Park 165 winner last year?
In 2024, Alex Bowman beat Tyler Reddick for his second victory of the year.
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Chris Sims is a digital producer at IndyStar. Follow him on Twitter: @ChrisFSims.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: How to watch NASCAR Chicago Street Race today live: Grant Park 165 schedule
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