Cup Series←Race 19→

Grant Park 165

Date
Jul 6
Track
Chicago Street Course
Distance
75 Laps

RACE RECAP

Shane van Gisbergen continued his stranglehold on non-oval racing by winning the Grant Park 165 on the Chicago Street Course, his second career Cup Series victory on the downtown circuit. The Trackhouse Racing driver started from the pole and led 26 of 75 laps on the 2.2-mile temporary course winding through Grant Park, building a lead of more than two seconds before a caution on the final lap brought the field together under yellow.

The race featured 7 cautions for 15 laps and a red flag lasting nearly 15 minutes, with 6 lead changes among 5 drivers adding some variety to an otherwise SVG-dominated event. Michael McDowell won Stage 1, Ryan Blaney captured Stage 2, but van Gisbergen was untouchable in the final stage when it mattered most. Ty Gibbs earned a strong runner-up finish, with Tyler Reddick, Denny Hamlin, and Kyle Busch rounding out the top five.

Van Gisbergen completed a weekend sweep of both the Xfinity and Cup Series races in Chicago, becoming the latest driver to achieve that feat. His third victory in just 33 career Cup starts put him on a historic pace, and the win further cemented his reputation as the most feared road-course and street-course driver in modern NASCAR.

BY THE NUMBERS

6
Lead Changes
5
Leaders
7/15
Cautions / Laps
1,244
Green Flag Passes
Under Caution
Margin of Victory
66.764
Avg MPH
2:28:17
Race Time
20.0%
Under Caution
7.5
Avg Green Run (Laps)
Stage Winners
S1Michael McDowell
S2Ryan Blaney
Lap Leaders
#71McDowell31laps
#88Gisbergen27laps
#19Briscoe13laps
#12Blaney3laps
#16Allmendinger2laps
Caution Breakdown
1L4–63L#77, 6, 99, 34, 3, 13, 35, 16 turn 11 [Red Flag: Lap 4, 14:42]
2L22–243LStage 1 ConclusionLD #17
3L32–332L#21 stalled on track
4L47–482LStage 2 Conclusion
5L61–622LSpectator medical emergencyLD #10
6L65–662L#2 stalled on trackLD #12
7L75–751L#51 incident turn 6

KEY TAKEAWAYS

01Shane van Gisbergen is now 3-for-3 on road and street courses in 2025 -- he should be the first driver locked into every fantasy lineup on non-oval tracks without exception.
02Ty Gibbs delivered an impressive P2 on the street course, suggesting he has genuine road-course talent that fantasy managers should factor into their builds going forward.
03Michael McDowell's Stage 1 win provided early fantasy points for managers who targeted the veteran road-course specialist at a value salary.
04Kyle Busch's P5 finish was a pleasant surprise from a driver who has historically struggled on street courses -- a sign of improved adaptability in 2025.
05The Chicago Street Course's tight confines and frequent cautions create a unique fantasy dynamic where track position and clean air matter more than raw lap speed.

VALUE PICKS

8.8
pts/$
Car #33
Austin Hill$4
P9S1:P9
5.25
pts/$
Car #10
Ty Dillon$4
P20S1:P10
2.00
pts/$
Car #13
Riley Herbst$12
P17
6.83
pts/$
Car #41
Ryan Preece$6
P7S1:P5
5.00
pts/$
Car #71
Zane Smith$6
P14S1:P8FL

BUSTS

0.1
pts/$
Car #24
William Byron$15
P40
0.17
pts/$
Car #13
Will Brown$12
P39
0.60
pts/$
Car #77
Carson Hocevar$10
P35
1.09
pts/$
Car #99
Daniel Suarez$11
P29
1.20
pts/$
Car #20
Christopher Bell$15
P24S2:P10

PERFECT LINEUP

Optimal 5-driver roster for this race

Salary
$46/50
Avg Finish
P5.6
Total Points
346.75
GroupDriverSalaryFinishPts
A
Car #45
Tyler Reddick
$143
112.00
2 × 56.00
B
Car #11
Denny Hamlin
$94
77.00
1.75 × 44.00
C
Car #8
Kyle Busch
$115
70.50
1.5 × 47.00
D
Car #41
Ryan Preece
$87
51.25
1.25 × 41.00
E
Car #33
Austin Hill
$49
35.00
1 × 35.00