“This is the equivalent of Kim John Un winning the election every year”- Fans react as Chicago Street race wins the best Cup race of the season award 

Chicago Street Race was NASCAR's first outing on a street track.

“This is the equivalent of Kim John Un winning the election every year”- Fans react as Chicago Street race wins the best Cup race of the season award 

2023 Chicago Street Race (Via IMAGO)

The inaugural NASCAR Cup Series street race took place in Chicago in July this year, under the banner, The Grant Park 165. Supercars graduate, New Zealand’s Shane van Gisbergen, driving for Trackhouse Racing won the race, becoming the first driver in over half a century to win in his NASCAR Cup Series debut. The race was full of exciting moments and rightly so, it went on to win NASCAR’s Fan Choice award as the best race of 2023.

NASCAR took a huge gamble and announced a street race for the first time in history. While it received some backlash before the commencement of the race, that criticism has been sealed shut with the exciting race it produced. The course was 2.2 miles long and had 12 turns, seven of which were at 90 degrees. The race was held on a winding mix of concrete, asphalt, and elevation, and included streets like Michigan Avenue and Lake Shore Drive.

YouTube video

The race was delayed due to lightning and heavy rain, forcing NASCAR to shorten it from 100 laps to 75. The race featured many lead changes and Trackhouse Racing’s “Project 91,” van Gisbergen took the lead on lap 71, passing Justin Haley after a restart.

FS Video

A late caution for a two-car wreck involving Bubba Wallace and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. on lap 74 sent the race into a two-lap overtime, where the Kiwi held off the challenge by Haley before eventually winning the Grant Park 220 by 1.259 seconds. 

The race was a success, and NASCAR officials are planning to hold the Chicago Street Race again in 2024. It was voted as the best race of the season by the fans as they viewed van Gisbergen’s victory as one of the most amazing moments of the season. However, not everyone agreed with this sentiment. 

NASCAR fans hold split views about the Chicago Street Race

As the results were shared online on X by the NASCAR official handle, it triggered a flood of replies from almost the entire fandom. Fans who loved the race and enjoyed it were very happy to see the race win the award. But a major section of fans felt that their favorite races were robbed. Kansas race in Spring was one of the best races of the season as well, and fans felt that it deserved the top spot. 

Chicago Street Race
Chicago Street Race, Grant 165 (Credits: Chicago Tribune)

Then there were those fans who were angry about the race from the start and continued the discontent even still. And then came the other part of fandom who took the chance to take a cheeky swipe at Brett Griffin, who serves as a NASCAR spotter from the Dirty Mo Media podcast. Griffin was a strong opponent of the event and fans were sure to tag him to mock him, notifying him that the race he was bashing all day won the best race of the season award. 

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