Rich MARvelous Move of the Race – Grant Park 165

Grant Park 165

Weather hindered the start, and the middle, of the Grant Park 165. This hinderance included a nearly two-hour red flag just after the start of Stage 2 while teams awaited heavy rains to move out of the area.

The dominance continues at #NASCARChicago https://t.co/rZndbChhrc pic.twitter.com/e7iN0seLbk

— Xfinity Racing (@XfinityRacing) July 7, 2024

The first 25 laps saw chaotic pit and tire strategy and an early exit for race favorite, Shane van Gisbergen.

Once cars got rolling again on Lap 31, it was a race against the clock – and daylight. NASCAR announced the race would be official two laps after 8:20 pm local time.

As the countdown clock neared 00:00, it was absolute anarchy on track. Racing went three-and four wide. Cars were in tire barriers in every corner. But what caused the real shake up was some cars had rain tires and some had slicks, which led to the chaos.

Rich MARvelous Move of the Race

The Rich MARvelous Move of the Grant Park 165 came down to those tires.

In a bold move, Alex Bowman’s crew chief, Blake Harris, opted to keep his driver on track with rain tires even though the rain stopped and the course was drying.

On Lap 51, Bowman worked his way around Joey Hand, running for RFK Racing. After another single-file restart, the No 48 sailed off with the lead, and ultimately the win.

However, the Pit Pass Network staff agreed – when Bowman took the checkered flag, we all won now that that spectacle was said and done.

Honorable Mention

While the NASCAR Cup Series left much to be desired, the NASCAR Xfinity Series absolutely delivered the best racing of the weekend. Kyle Larson and SVG raced each other hard, but clean, for the entire 50 laps. So kudos to the series, and the two drivers who provided incredible on track action on the streets of Chicago.