The Cup Series now has a driver to fear when they venture to road or street courses. No matter the circumstances, Shane van Gisbergen is the driver everyone else will be chasing. That was very clear all weekend long in Downtown Chicago. What he did to win the pole and completely outclass the field for his third career NASCAR Cup win was simply incredible. Too bad it seems to be overshadowed by controversy caused by the sport itself once again.
No Denying Shane Van Gisbergen in Chicago, But NASCAR Tries To Steal The Show
Yes, it’s very clear who the winner of the Grant Park 165 was on Sunday afternoon. SVG’s No. 88 looked nearly untouchable as he won his second race of the season. He could very well be on his way to many more. Especially with Sonoma and Watkins Glen still to come in the regular season. No one could hang with the No. 88 except Michael McDowell for the first 31 laps of the 75-lap race. But before Shane could run Michael back down after a strong start to the race.
The race flipped on its head after Carson Hocevar got out of shape in one of the tightest sections of the course. In a very blind area for spotters, he ended up blocking the track and knocking out some big names, including Austin Dillon and Brad Keselowski. It wasn’t a pretty sight, especially for Hoceva, who has gotten on the bad side of plenty of drivers lately.
From there, things only intensified, especially for many of the sport’s top drivers. The Chicago Street Race certainly hasn’t been kind to Championship contenders.
Despite Lots of Road Racing Wins, HMS Power Had Nothing Positive on Sunday
The more van Gisberegen got out front, the worse off everyone else was. That doesn’t count all the trouble, all the other race winners this season went through. It wasn’t a good weekend for drivers already locked into the 2025 Playoffs, other than SVG. Regular season points leader William Byron had problems in practice and started at the back, as did all three of his other Hendrick teammates.
Byron’s day was over faster than anybody, as he suffered a clutch issue right before the Hocevar wreck. Chase Elliott was pretty much a non-factor as he spent most of the day trying to stay up with track position. Though he never got it, settling for a 16th-place finish. Kyle Larson showed some drive throughout the day, but never really found the speed to contend either. At the end of the day, Alex Bowman was the banner carrier for HMS.
It was arguably a shitshow for a lot of drivers that have been known be strong at road racing. Spire Motorsports also runs Hendrick Power, and they certainly had a rough day at the office, too. Ya know how I said McDowell may have had something for Shane. His day ended 22 laps from the end of the race, as he had a mechanical issue as well.
In-Season Bracket Is Dead
There has been plenty of drama after just two weeks of the in-season challenge for the NASCAR Cup Series. After Sunday, the thing might as well be dead. Chase Elliott was probably the favorite for the challenge after his win in Atlanta, but he isn’t in the running now. Neither Chris Buescher nor Bubba Wallace, for that matter.
The challenge turned ugly in the race’s closing ten laps, as van Gisbergen continued to drive off into the sunset. First, there was turmoil between Ross Chastain and Joey Logano, which had plenty of people talking. That led to a tight battle between Bowman and Wallace for around 9th in the race, as both tried to outduel the other to remain alive in the bracket. It turned physical on track as Bowman and Wallace slammed into each other several times. Before Alex ultimately dumped Bubba, ending a good day for the No. 23 team.
Two moments in the final 10 laps that weren’t even the biggest takeaway from Sunday’s race. Not even Shane van Gisbergen’s win was the biggest takeaway from Chicago.
Read More: Who Will Win The NASCAR In-Season Challenge?
Why so Late on the Caution?
The track had plenty of Arby’s sponsorship signage this weekend, but I guess it wasn’t enough for NASCAR to see Cody Ware’s No. 51 Ford go flying hard into the wall in the final two laps of the race. Or when they did, SVG had already taken the white flag. Sure, with the weather coming in and the need for the race to be over, I get it.
WOW! What an insane angle of the last-lap crash for Cody Ware… I can’t believe that wasn’t an immediate caution.
That’s a brutal impact, look how fast he’s going into that barrier… 😳#NASCAR | 🎥: @MagnusCheeks
— Joseph Srigley (@joe_srigley) July 7, 2025
However, the video of Cody slamming into the tire barriers is hard not to rewatch, and think what the heck the tower was watching in that moment. He lost his brakes and hit that at who knows what speed. It wasn’t a safe moment at all. The caution should have flown as soon as it happened. Angry drivers and missed calls by NASCAR, what else is new?
Read Next: JR Motorsports Makes Right Call with SVG in Xfinity Series Win at Chicago Street Course
Main Photo: James Gilbert, Getty Images
Recording Date: 7/6/2025
