Grant Park 165 Qualifying: Chicago Street Course
Chicago, IL – July 6, 2024

The iconic Chicago skyline and the scenic Lake Michigan provide a picturesque backdrop for the second-ever NASCAR Cup Series street race this Sunday, as drivers will speed down major city streets like Michigan Avenue and Lake Shore Drive. This unique setting offers a thrilling contrast to traditional racetracks, requiring teams to adapt to new conditions and unconventional garage and pit road layouts. Cup Series drivers made their first laps of the weekend on the 2.2-mile course during Saturday’s practice and qualifying sessions. 

HEAR FROM BLANEY: “The course is narrower than I remember it being, walking on it. I know it’s not, but I think it’s just nice to be back. It’s nice to be back and it’s nice to have good weather. I think the whole weather this weekend is going to be phenomenal and it is going to give the fans and teams and drivers an experience that we didn’t have last year. A lot of stuff didn’t happen last year because of the weather from a fan experience side and I think that’s going to be way better this year with it being beautiful outside all weekend. So it’s nice to be back. I came up here a couple months ago promoting the race and the excitement level was through the roof and I think it’s going to be the same way. It’s honestly kind of like the first year we’ve been here in my mind just because the weather is so 180 and this is like properly going to be done with the whole weekend tying in.”

LAST YEAR IN CHICAGO: Last year, historic rainfall plagued the inaugural street race event, canceling key event activations and delaying the start of the race. Austin Cindric, an experienced road racer, rallied to a strong sixth-place finish after starting at the rear of the field. Teammate Joey Logano was also among the top-10 finishers, placing eighth. 

TUNE IN ON SUNDAY: Coverage of Sunday’s 75-lapper on the streets of Chicago begins at 4:30 p.m. ET. on NBC, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio