NASCAR’s inaugural In-Season Challenge got off to a chaotic start last week at Atlanta. Chase Elliott won on his home track in what became an event of attrition following multiple big wrecks.
More than one-third of the grid did not finish the June 28 race at EchoPark Speedway, and Elliott passed leader Brad Keselowski on the final lap to take victory by 0.168 seconds.
That victory marked Elliott’s first win since his win at Texas Motor Speedway back in April 2024. It also closed the gap at the top of the drivers’ standings from Elliott in second to points leader William Byron, who was caught in one of the wrecks. Elliott now sits 37 points behind Byron atop the standings.
With many drivers knocked out of contention before the checkered flag, the in-season challenge bracket saw plenty of upsets. Top seed Denny Hamlin’s DNF gave No. 32 seed Ty Dillon the win and eliminated the Joe Gibbs Racing driver from contention. Same goes for Hamlin’s JGR teammate Chase Briscoe, the No. 2 seed.
This week marks the only street course event on the Cup Series calendar in 2025, so there will likely be even more surprises in store. Here’s everything you need to get ready for the Cup Series race in Chicago on July 6:
What time does the NASCAR Cup race in Chicago start?
The Grant Park 165 is scheduled to start at 2 p.m. ET (1 p.m. local) Sunday, July 6, on the street course in downtown Chicago.
What TV channel is the NASCAR Cup race in Chicago on?
The Grant Park 165 will be broadcast on TNT. It’s the second of four races to be broadcast on the network. Pre-race coverage will start at 1 p.m. ET.
Will there be a live stream of the NASCAR Cup race in Chicago?
Yes, the Grant Park 165 will be streamed on WatchTNT, Max and Sling TV.
Stream the NASCAR race at Chicago on Sling
How many laps is the NASCAR Cup race in Chicago?
The Grant Park 165 is 75 laps around the 2.2-mile track for a total of 165 miles. The race will have three segments (laps per stage) — Stage 1: 20 laps; Stage 2: 25 laps; Stage 3: 30 laps.
Who won the NASCAR Cup race at Chicago last year?
Alex Bowman led the final eight laps, taking the lead on Lap 51 of the shortened race that ended with a countdown clock on Lap 58 instead of the scheduled 75 after weather disrputed the race. When the clock hit zero, Bowman needed to maintain his lead for two laps – taking the white flag and the checkered flag – to earn his lone victory of 2024. Bowman pulled away from Tyler Reddick and won by 2.863 seconds.
NASCAR In-Season Challenge second round matchups
Thirty-two drivers qualified for the inaugural in-season challenge and 16 were eliminated in Atlanta. The 16 winners advanced to the second round and make up the remaining bracket. Here’s how things look entering Chicago:
Top half of draw
No. 17 Brad Keselowski vs. No. 32 Ty Dillon
No. 8 Alex Bowman vs. No. 9 Bubba Wallace
No. 5 Chase Elliott vs. No. 12 John Hunter Nemechek
No. 20 Erik Jones vs. No. 29 Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
Bottom half of draw
No. 15 Ryan Preece vs. No. 31 Noah Gragson
No. 23 Tyler Reddick vs. No. 26 Carson Hocevar
No. 6 Ty Gibbs vs. No. 22 A.J. Allmendinger
No. 3 Chris Buescher vs. No. 14 Zane Smith
What is the lineup for the Grant Park 165 at Chicago?
Shane van Gisbergen, No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Michael McDowell, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
Tyler Reddick, No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota
Chase Briscoe, No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Ryan Preece, No. 60 RFK Racing Ford
Chris Buescher, No. 17 Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford
Ty Gibbs, No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Alex Bowman, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Joey Logano, No. 22 Team Penske Ford
Christopher Bell, No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Brad Keselowski, No. 6 Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford
AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
Ryan Blaney, No. 12 Team Penske Ford
Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Will Brown, No. 13 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
Todd Gilliland, No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford
Riley Herbst, No. 35 23XI Racing Toyota
Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Cole Custer, No. 41 Haas Factory Team Ford
Noah Gragson, No. 4 Front Row Motorsports Ford
John Hunter Nemechek, No. 42 Legacy Motor Club Toyota
Zane Smith, No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford
Austin Cindric, No. 2 Team Penske Ford
Justin Haley, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
Josh Berry, No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford
Austin Hill, No. 33 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Josh Bilicki, No. 66 Garage 66 Ford
Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 HYAK Motorsports Chevrolet
Katherine Legge, No. 78 Live Fast Motorsports Chevrolet
Erik Jones, No. 43 Legacy Motor Club Toyota
Cody Ware, No. 51 Rick Ware Racing Ford
Ty Dillon, No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
Bubba Wallace, No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota
William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
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