Who doesn’t love a new racetrack? This weekend, NASCAR hits the streets when it takes on the Grant Park 220 at this Chicago Street Course! This has been a highly anticipated track for quite some time, and excitement is in the air not only for fans of the Windy City but also for the drivers. Runners like Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson have been very supportive of this track. And after a year of planning, we finally get to see it in action.
Take a lap around the Chicago Street Race track with @DavidRagan. #NASCAR #RaceHub pic.twitter.com/akzkXZqkNz
– FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) June 28, 2023
In case you haven’t seen this course yet, there is a video that shows you. But as usual, I’m giving you five drivers that I think will be worth watching. With a brand new track, it’s hard to get a sense of who has an advantage, but there are a handful that I think should be taken into account. So without further delay, here is your preview of Grant Park 220!
#2 Austin Cindric
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Road courses seem to do Austin Cindric good when he runs them. He has two top-five finishes with an additional four top-10 finishes in his road course career. The only win of his career, however, came in last year’s Daytona 500. Because this is a new track and everyone is fairly new, this is a perfect opportunity for the #2 team to steal a favorite and bring in a new playoff contender. This will be one of the few opportunities this team will have to do so, and they will have a fair chance to capitalize.
#9 Chase Elliott
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It seems like I’ve been using the fan-favorite controller lately, but not without good reason. He ran a solid top four last weekend and is usually in the mix to win every week. This weekend is a challenge that Elliott in particular has been successful at; new ways. He won in the COTA debut in 2021, placed fourth in the Indy Road Course Cup Series debut in 2021, and won Road America in his 2021 debut. On road courses overall, Chase Elliott is a phenomenal pick. , with an average result of eighth. He wouldn’t surprise anyone if he visited victory lane in Chicago this weekend.
#16 AJ Allmendinger
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Has anyone else noticed that car #16 has been getting a little hot lately? AJ Allmendinger has two straight top-10 finishes heading into this race. As well as a fifth-place finish at North Wilkesboro. In addition to generally being dominant on road courses, Dinger seems to be on a hot streak lately on both ovals and road courses, winning last week’s Xfinity race at Nashville. His lone Cup Series win came at Indy Road Course in 2021, a new track for the Cup Series. Dinger might as well do it again here where there’s a level playing field between the drivers.
#19 Martin Truex Jr.
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Speaking of cars on a roll, Martin Truex Jr has been perhaps the best driver in NASCAR the past month, with four straight top-five finishes, including a dominating win at Sonoma. He’s really been great all season. When he has a good setup early on, chances are he’ll finish in the top three and lead a few laps while he does. He is a veteran and there is not much that can surprise him in the world of racing, so learning a new track may not take as long as others. He’s averaging a top-10 finish this year and I don’t see him finishing less than that if he finishes this race unscathed.
Quote #54
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In a race where experience isn’t a factor, there may be a glimmer of hope for 20-year-old Ty Gibbs and the #54 team. Everyone will learn as they go honestly, and it’s as close to an even playing field as you’re going to get on this street course. And for what it’s worth, the rookie hasn’t been too bad this year, with four top-10 finishes. On racetracks, he looks capable. Posting a top 20 in Sonoma and a top 10 in COTA. It will be an interesting car to watch as he is learning a lot on the go. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if Gibbs is excellent in this race.
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