TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE
Chicago Street Race
Chicago, Illinois
July 6-7, 2024
One year ago, the NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) and NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) made history by competing in the sport’s first-ever street race. NASCAR will make its return to the “Windy City” this weekend to take on the Chicago Street Course for a doubleheader event featuring two of NASCAR’s top divisions – kicking off Saturday with the NXS’ The Loop 110, with NASCAR’s premier series capping off the weekend in Sunday’s Grant Park 165.
Built among some of the city’s most renowned landmarks, the 2.2-mile, 12-turn circuit features portions of the famed streets of Lake Shore Drive and Michigan Avenue, with the start-finish line situated at the Buckingham Fountain. Chevrolet will return to the course as the defending winners of the inaugural NCS event, while looking to capture its first street race victory in the NXS.
ONE YEAR AGO…
Shane van Gisbergen added to an already history-making weekend on the streets of Chicago by becoming the first driver in 60 years to win in his NASCAR Cup Series debut. Van Gisbergen, who was also piloting a Camaro ZL1 in the Supercars Championship series last season, made the trip to the United States to make his first-career NASCAR start in the inaugural Chicago Street Race. The 35-year-old New Zealander immediately caught the eye of the NASCAR world when his first-ever laps behind the wheel of a Next Gen Camaro ZL1 saw the Team Chevy driver top the leaderboard in the series’ practice session, going on to post a third-place qualifying effort for his series debut.
Enduring a race that saw a crossover from wet to dry conditions, van Gisbergen showcased his mastery in making left- and right-hand turns throughout the race. With the race ultimately shortened due to impending darkness, crew chief Darian Grubb gave van Gisbergen a fresh set of Goodyear tires that allowed the driver to quickly climb through the field to the top position during the final stage. Despite never experiencing an overtime restart, the challenge proved to be no problem for van Gisbergen as he quickly pulled away to take the checkered flag and a historic victory.
Big Day for the Bowtie Brand
Van Gisbergen’s historic victory was celebrated by a dominant performance by the Bowtie brand, with Team Chevy drivers sweeping the top-five finishing positions in the series’ first-ever street race. Van Gisbergen, who was behind the wheel of Trackhouse Racing’s PROJECT91 Camaro ZL1, led drivers from four different Chevrolet organizations to the finish including: runner-up finisher Justin Haley in the No. 31 Kaulig Racing Camaro ZL1; Hendrick Motorsports’ Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson in the third and fourth positions, respectively; and Richard Childress Racing’s Kyle Busch rounding out the manufacturer’s top-five sweep. This marked the second time in the series’ Next Gen era that Chevrolet swept the top-five finishing positions of an event – also accomplishing the feat at Road America in July 2022.
MOMENTUM ON LEFTS AND RIGHTS
Sunday’s Grant Park 165 will mark the NASCAR Cup Series’ third event that will feature left- and right-hand turns. Chevrolet has been unstoppable on road course circuits this season, with wins by Hendrick Motorsports’ William Byron (Circuit of The Americas) and Kyle Larson (Sonoma Raceway) keeping the manufacturer undefeated on road courses this season.
While there are unique challenges that come with street racing, Chevrolet has a boost of confidence from its success in making left- and right-hand turns in recent years. With Larson’s win in the series’ most recent road course race at Sonoma Raceway, the Bowtie brand now owns 19 victories in the past 24 NCS road course events – nine of which have come in the series’ Next Gen era. Among the entries for Sunday’s event, there are eight Team Chevy drivers that have recorded a road course/street course win in NASCAR’s premier series.
Topping the list is Hendrick Motorsports’ Chase Elliott, who ranks third on the series’ all-time road course wins list with seven triumphs. Joining Elliott on the list includes Kyle Larson (five NCS road course wins), Kyle Busch (four), AJ Allmendinger (three), William Byron (two), Ross Chastain (one), Daniel Suarez (one) and Shane van Gisbergen (one).
SMITH COLLECTS CAREER-BEST FINISH; ADDS TO MANUFACTURER POINTS LEAD
At Nashville Superspeedway, Team Chevy’s Zane Smith came just 0.068 seconds from becoming a first-time winner in NASCAR’s top division. Settling for a runner-up result, Smith’s career-best finish in the series didn’t come without a fight. The NASCAR Cup Series rookie was sitting outside of the top-20 for the first overtime finish, but pit strategy by the team’s rookie crew chief, Stephen Doran, put the No. 71 Spire Motorsports Camaro ZL1 team in prime position to outlast the long list of drivers that fell short on fuel during the record-setting five overtime attempts.
Smith’s finish helped keep Chevrolet atop the NCS’ manufacturer points standings, with the Bowtie brand heading to Chicago with a four-point lead over second-place Toyota. In 19 points-paying races, five Chevrolet organizations have contributed points towards the manufacturer points standings as the Bowtie brand looks to defend its championship title. Smith also became the ninth different driver to lead Team Chevy to the finish in a NCS race this season.
SVG’S CHICAGO RETURN
While Shane van Gisbergen has already proven his ability to navigate the Chicago Street Course, the 35-year-old New Zealander is on the horizon of his first career NASCAR Xfinity Series start at the 2.2-mile, 12-turn circuit. Returning to the venue that put his name on the map in the NASCAR world, van Gisbergen heads to the “Windy City” as the series’ most recent road course winner. Just one month ago, van Gisbergen became a first-time NXS winner at Portland International Raceway, with the Team Chevy driver becoming the series’ second rookie to secure a playoff berth this season. Van Gisbergen followed up that performance with yet another trip to victory lane just one week later at Sonoma Raceway – giving the team back-to-back road course triumphs. In addition, van Gisbergen will strap into the No. 16 Camaro ZL1 for Kaulig Racing to defend his title in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series event.
Among the nine drivers that will pull double-duty this weekend, five come from the Chevrolet camp. Joining van Gisbergen on that list includes Hendrick Motorsports’ Kyle Larson, who will return to the driver’s seat of the No. 17 HENDRICKCARS.COM Camaro SS. This weekend will mark Larson’s second NXS start of 2024, with his lone start in the series this season resulting in a trip to victory lane (Circuit of The Americas – March 2024). Trackhouse Racing’s Daniel Suarez, who became a first-time NCS winner at Sonoma Raceway in 2022, is also tapped to pilot the No. 36 Camaro SS for DGM Racing. Team Chevy’s full-time NXS drivers, AJ Allmendinger and Austin Hill, will also compete in Sunday’s NCS race, with Allmendinger driving the No. 13 Kaulig Racing Camaro ZL1 and Hill driving the No. 33 Richard Childress Racing Camaro ZL1 – a third entry for both Chevrolet organizations.
ECKES PROVING TO BE A TITLE FAVORITE
Despite a three-week break in competition for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS), no momentum was lost for Christian Eckes and the No. 19 McAnally-Hilgemann Racing Silverado RST team. At Nashville Superspeedway, the 23-year-old New York native became the series’ second three-time winner this season in dominating fashion. With a third-place qualifying effort, Eckes quickly drove his No. 19 Silverado RST to the lead on the first lap, with the Team Chevy driver going on to lead every lap of the 150-lap event en route to the victory. The triumph also extended Eckes’ lead in the series’ points standings, with the Team Chevy driver now sitting at a 40-point advantage over second-place Corey Heim with three races remaining in the regular-season.
BOWTIE BULLETS:
· The pace car lineup for the second annual Chicago Street Race will feature all three NASCAR OEM partners, with the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 helping lead the NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series to the green-flag in their respective events.
· With 50 races complete across NASCAR’s three national series this season, Chevrolet has a winning percentage of 54% with 27 victories (NASCAR Cup Series – eight wins; NASCAR Xfinity Series – 10 wins; NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series – nine wins).
· Shane van Gisbergen captured the win in the NASCAR Cup Series’ inaugural Chicago Street Race last season, with the 35-year-old New Zealander becoming the first driver in 60 years to win in his first career NCS start (last previously accomplished by Johnny Rutherford at Daytona International Speedway in 1963).
· Chevrolet drivers swept the top-five finishing positions in the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series Chicago Street Race – recorded by drivers from four different Chevrolet organizations. The feat marked the second time the manufacturer swept the top-five finishing results in the series’ Next Gen era – also accomplishing the feat at Road America in July 2022.
· Chevrolet has earned 19 victories in the past 24 NASCAR Cup Series road course events – dating from Chase Elliott’s victory at Watkins Glen International in August 2019, to Kyle Larson’s victory at Sonoma Raceway in June 2024.
· In 13 NASCAR Cup Series road course races in the Next Gen era, Chevrolet leads the series with nine victories – recorded by six drivers from four different Chevrolet organizations.
· In 91 points-paying races in the Next Gen era, Chevrolet leads all manufacturers with 45 victories – a winning percentage of 49.5%.
· With his victory at Sonoma Raceway, Kyle Larson is the second driver to hit a double-digit win record in the NASCAR Cup Series’ Next Gen era with 10 triumphs. Larson’s Hendrick Motorsports teammate, William Byron, leads the series’ all-time win record in the Next Gen era with 11 victories.
· With its 42 NASCAR Cup Series Manufacturer Championships, 33 NASCAR Cup Series Driver Championships, and 859 all-time NASCAR Cup Series wins, Chevrolet continues to hold the title as the winningest brand in NASCAR Cup Series history.
FOR THE FANS
· Fans can visit the Team Chevy Racing Display in the Fan Plaza at the Chicago Street Course.
· Fans can check out an assortment of Chevrolet vehicles including: Trax ACTIV, Silverado 1500 ZR2, Colorado Trailboss, Tahoe Z71, Traverse Z71, Blazer EV RS, Equinox EV RS, Corvette Stingray and Corvette Z06.
Team Chevy Driver Appearances at the Display:
Sunday, July 7
· Chase Elliott: 12 p.m. – 12:15 p.m.
· Kyle Busch: 12:15 p.m. – 12:30 p.m.
· Shane van Gisbergen: 12:30 p.m. – 12:45 p.m.
· William Byron: 12:45 p.m. – 1 p.m.
· Carson Hocevar: 1 p.m. – 1:15 p.m.
· Kyle Larson: 1:15 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Chevrolet Display Hours of Operation:
· Saturday, July 6: 8:45 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
· Sunday, July 7: 9 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.
Manufacturer Points Standings
Chevrolet: 685
Toyota: 681 (-4)
Ford: 663 (-22)
Manufacturer Points Standings
Chevrolet: 637
Toyota: 606 (-31)
Ford: 535 (-102)
Manufacturer Points Standings
Chevrolet: 498
Toyota: 459 (-39)
Ford: 414 (-84)
TUNE-IN:
NASCAR Cup Series
Grant Park 165
Sunday, July 7, at 4:30 p.m. ET
(NBC, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)
NASCAR Xfinity Series
The Loop 110
Saturday, July 6, at 3:30 p.m. ET
(NBC, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)
QUOTABLE QUOTES:
Ross Chastain, No. 1 Busch Light Peach Camaro ZL1
Is there anything you, Daniel or the organization can take from SVG’s Chicago win that will transfer over?
“Well, he’s a machine when it comes to preparation. I would say he’s kind of leading the charge for us in the simulator and getting it how he thinks it will be. But, the streets up there will have changed and we’re all honest with each other that the simulator is a tool. At least I’ll have that to go off of though. Last year, I’ll be honest, that I didn’t put enough stock in his simulator prep but this year I definitely have.”
Do you think SVG will has as much of an advantage in on a dry street course and now that you all have one race there under your belt?
“He is an animal when it comes to road courses and we’ve seen that with his two Xfinity wins already this season. He’s that good.”
What are you most looking forward to at Chicago?
“Getting another crack at it, as SVG would say. Definitely not the result I wanted last year. Didn’t feel comfortable, didn’t make a lot of speed, couldn’t pass and really struggled. It was a concrete canyon feeling and the walls were really close to the left and right of the racing line. Looking forward to getting another shot and seeing if I can do better.”
Having notes and data now, how does that change going into Chicago this time?
“It’s definitely more than last year (laughs). I just have no idea what it would be like but the street could’ve totally changed with regular traffic out there and what’s getting dropped on it, gouges, new paint here and there. I know NASCAR will try to and make it the most similar but still, it’s another level of unknown.”
Corey LaJoie, No. 7 Celsius Camaro ZL1
What’s your perspective heading into this weekend?
“We ran 14th at the Chicago Street Course last year and our goal is to better that this weekend. Our road course program has been solid so we’re looking to have a great run in the Celsius Camaro. There’s no margin for error on the race track so we have to be perfect all weekend. I’m looking forward to going back to Chicago this weekend and putting on a great show.”
Kyle Busch, No. 8 Zone Camaro ZL1
What was your experience like last year at the Chicago Street Race?
“The Chicago Street Race last year was pretty exciting. I know we had the weather there and it kind of held up the start of things. I didn’t think we were going to race. I thought it was flooded, but it stopped raining, they got it kind of dried up, the standing water removed, and we were out there as it was still drying, running our wet tires. It was a challenging racetrack already with how narrow it was and how slick it was on city streets. Throw in the rain and wet aspect into it and it totally changes it for us. We struggled a little bit there early in the race, but we were able to turn it around. Our strategy worked really well, some breaks fell our way, and we were able to score a top-five.”
Last year you went nose first into the tire barrier but were able to bounce back and score a fifth-place finish. Were you surprised the car didn’t have more damage?
“I was thankful that the car didn’t have more damage than what it did. I was able to continue racing and was able to score a top five finish, which was really good for us. I felt like we had a top five car, so we achieved the finish that we should have so that was pretty good.”
Would you be okay with adding another street race to the schedule? If so, what would be a good location?
“I would say that another street circuit would be a pretty good idea. If we’re going to do it, we should go to an area that we’re not currently racing in. I wouldn’t change racing at Las Vegas Motor Speedway to run on the streets of Las Vegas. Let’s go somewhere different.”
AJ Allmendinger, No. 13 Benesch Camaro ZL1
“I really liked the racetrack last year in Chicago. I thought it was really ‘racey’ for a street course. We definitely didn’t have the result we wanted to, but I’m pumped up to get back there and run both races. I believe with the things we have learned on the road courses, especially with the Cup car, we’ll be better there and have a great weekend.”
Alex Bowman, No. 48 Ally Camaro ZL1
Bowman on racing the Chicago Street Race:
“I’m excited to get there (Chicago Street Course). It is a really fun place to race. It’s honestly difficult, you know, just making laps there (Chicago Street Course) by yourself it’s so technical that it actually makes it really fun. I’m excited to get there from that stand point of things. I think our road course stuff has been really, really good. Last year, we had a good day going until we encountered a mechanical issue. Excited to go back to Chicago and looking for a little redemption.”
Blake Harris, Crew Chief, No. 48 Ally Camaro ZL1
Harris on calling the shots for the No. 48 team during NASCAR’s second consecutive Chicago Street Race:
“This weekend we are shooting to have a full solid race. I feel like road courses in general have been a strength of ours this year- so my eyes are set on a top-five finish and hopefully contending for a win. There is potentially a little bit of rain Sunday, so we’ll see how everything plays out. We ended the race a little bit early last year due to a mechanical failure, so I’m a little bit disappointed that we didn’t get more dry track time there. Of what we did run and even in the wet (tires) I thought we were super competitive though. I’m excited to get back there.”
Zane Smith, No. 71 Focused Health Camaro ZL1
Career best second-place finish last weekend in Nashville. How does that feel and how will you carry this momentum with you?
“It feels so good to put a solid weekend together. It was an awesome result and obviously it stinks to be 0.068 seconds away from my first Cup victory. You never know when you might get a shot at that again. But so proud of my team for pulling the second-place finish off and the strategy we chose. We know what our cars are capable of now. Going to build off this momentum and continue to learn and get better. I’m looking forward to getting to Chicago this weekend. I’ve heard how cool of an event it was last year and I’m excited to make my first start on a street course.”
Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Zeigler Auto Group Camaro ZL1
Even though it’s your debut at the Chicago Street Race, you’ve been putting in extra prep time since last year. Has that extra effort made you feel more ready heading into race week?
“I did a lot of prep work in the SIM. It’s kind of weird to say, I’ve gotten a ton of laps on the Chicago Street Course but I’ve never raced there, so I’m really looking forward to just getting on the actual race track. The SIM was interesting last year without all the buildings, it was just completely bare so I’m excited to go and see the actual Chicago skyline everyone keeps talking about. The extra time makes me feel good about this week. I feel pretty good. I think we are going to have a fast car and I know we can continue to build and get better at road courses.”
Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Jockey x Folds of Honor Camaro ZL1
What are your thoughts on Sunday’s race in Chicago?
“I am very optimistic. We were good there last year. It was frustrating because we had a really good car and I thought we were going to be there at the end, but we ended up having too many issues. We had a good car all weekend and I think everyone knew we were there. I know we are good enough to win this race on Sunday.”
What is the key to winning?
“You have to survive. Stay out of trouble. You do that by qualifying well, making good pit stops, good strategy and having a little bit of luck.”
How important is Chicago to NASCAR?
“I think Chicago is very important. We need as many new markets as possible. We came up here two weeks ago for a Daniel’s Amigos and I was pleased with how enthusiastic everyone was about the upcoming race. The Amigo’s program is about bringing new fans to the sport and going new places is one of the best ways to do that.”
What are your thoughts on running a Jockey paint scheme honoring a fallen Georgia police officer?
“Jockey and Folds of Honor have come up with a great paint scheme to honor Chase Lee Maddox who lost his life in the line of duty. I’m honored to meet his family this weekend and thank them for his service in the military and as a police officer.”
Chevrolet NASCAR Cup Series Statistics
Manufacturers Championships:
Total (1949-2023): 42
First title for Chevrolet: 1958
Highest number of consecutive titles: 13 (2003-15)
Years Won: 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2021, 2022, 2023
Drivers Championships:
Total (1949-2021): 33
First Chevrolet champion: Buck Baker (1957)
Highest number of consecutive titles: 7 (2005-11)
Most Recent: Kyle Larson (2021)
Years Won: 1957, 1960, 1961, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2020, 2021
Event Victories:
Record for total race wins in single season: 26 (2007)
2024 STATISTICS:
Wins: 8
Poles: 6
Laps Led: 1,607
Top-five finishes: 35
Top-10 finishes: 72
Stage wins: 11
· Chase Elliott: 1
· Kyle Larson: 8
· Ross Chastain: 1
· William Byron: 1
CHEVROLET IN NASCAR CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:
Total Chevrolet race wins: 859 (1949 to date)
Poles won to date: 749
Laps led to date: 250,782
Top-five finishes to date: 4,333
Top-10 finishes to date: 8,932
Total NASCAR Cup Wins by Corporation, 1949 to Date:
General Motors: 1,193
Chevrolet: 859
Pontiac: 154
Oldsmobile: 115
Buick: 65
Ford: 832
Ford: 732
Mercury: 96
Lincoln: 4
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles: 467
Dodge: 217
Plymouth: 191
Chrysler: 59
Toyota: 187
About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands. Chevrolet models include electric and fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.
