Who doesn’t love a new road course? This weekend, NASCAR hits the streets as they take on the Grant Park 220 in this Chicago Street Course! This has been a long-awaited track for quite some time now, and the excitement is in the air not only for fans of the windy city but the drivers as well. Racers like Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson have emphatically put their support behind this track. And after a year of planning, we finally get to see it in action.
Take a lap around the Chicago Street Race course with @DavidRagan. #NASCAR #RaceHub pic.twitter.com/akzkXZqkNz
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) June 28, 2023
In case you haven’t seen this course yet, there’s a video showing you around. But as usual, I give you five drivers I think will be worth watching. With a brand new track, it’s hard to get an idea of who’s got an edge, but there are a handful that I think should be in consideration. So without further delay, here is your Grant Park 220 preview!
#2 Austin Cindric
Embed from Getty ImagesRoad courses seem to do Austin Cindric well when he runs them. He’s got two top-five finishes with an additional four top-10 finishes in his career at road courses. Though, his lone career win was at last year’s Daytona 500. For the sake of this being a new track and everybody being fairly new, this is a perfect chance for the #2 team to steal one from the favorites and bring a new contender to the playoffs. This will be one of the very few opportunities this team will have to do so, and they’ll have a fair shot to capitalize.
#9 Chase Elliott
Embed from Getty ImagesIt does seem I’ve been using the fan-favorite driver pretty consistently lately, but it’s not without good reason. He ran a solid top-four last weekend and is usually in the mix for a win every week. This weekend is a challenge that Elliott in particular has succeeded at; new road courses. He won at COTA’s debut in 2021, he placed fourth at the Indy Road Course’s Cup Series debut in 2021, and he won Road America in its debut in 2021. At road courses in general Chase Elliott is a phenomenal pick, with an average finish of eighth. It wouldn’t shock anybody if he visited victory lane in Chicago this weekend.
#16 A.J. Allmendinger
Embed from Getty ImagesHas anybody else noticed the #16 car having a bit of a heater lately? A.J. Allmendinger has two straight top-10 finishes heading into this race. As well as a fifth-place finish in North Wilkesboro. Besides being dominant at road courses usually, Dinger seems to be on a bit of a hot streak lately at both ovals and road courses, winning last week’s Xfinity race in Nashville. His lone Cup Series victory came at the Indy Road Course in 2021, a new track to the Cup Series. Dinger could very well do it again here where there’s an even playing field among drivers.
#19 Martin Truex Jr
Embed from Getty ImagesSpeaking of cars on a hot streak, Martin Truex Jr has been maybe the best driver in NASCAR the last month, with four straight top-five finishes, including a dominant win at Sonoma. He’s been great all season really. When he’s got a good setup from the start, he’s more than likely going to finish in the top three and lead a few laps while he’s at it. He’s a veteran and not much can surprise him in the world of racing, so learning a new track might not take as long for him as it might others. He’s averaging a top-10 finish this year and I don’t see him finishing any less than that if he finishes this race unharmed.
#54 Ty Gibbs
Embed from Getty ImagesIn a race where experience isn’t much of a factor, there may just be a shimmer of hope for 20-year-old driver Ty Gibbs and the #54 team. Everybody will be learning as they go truthfully, and it’s as close to an even playing field as you’re going to get at this street course. And for what it’s worth, the rookie hasn’t been half bad this year, with four top-10 finishes. At the road courses, he’s looked capable. Posting a top-20 at Sonoma, and a top-10 at COTA. He’ll be an interesting car to watch as he’s already learning a lot as he goes. I wouldn’t be shocked at all if Gibbs is excellent in this race.
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