UNPRECEDENTED | NASCAR Chicago Street Race Review & Analysis

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NASCAR's first ever Chicago Street Race is officially in the books! From flash flooding to first-time winners, let's break down all the action!
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#NASCARChicago #SVG #ChicagoStreetRace

[@EricEstepp]

I honestly didn't realize SVG was also hosed by the distance shortening until yall mentioned it in the comments. That makes his run even MORE impressive! What a performance.

[@jacksonrobison1901]

Yes he was hosed also Eric but you good

[@bretthobson3034]

​@@jacksonrobison1901who cares.

[@masoneveridge4078]

Brett Hobson gonna win the careless award lol

[@Ice-Blade]

had no idea was shortened either and i watched every lap. still had a typical last lap caution anyway. soo... was it really shortened?

[@Ice-Blade]

guess i didn't notice/in one ear out the other. so it was 75 laps +3 of oT they changed the laps after the stage 2 caution. bell was in the lead then.

[@blackjack7811]

It been 70 years since the number #91 wins a race. Tim flock in 1953.

[@Eamont_]

wait i think it was actually 1963

[@rollingthunder8378]

@@Eamont_1963 was the last time before this weekend where a driver won in their first race in the cup series. The 91 hasn’t won’t since 1953

[@Eamont_]

ohhhhh ok i’m illiterate💀

[@DogFish-NZ]

let's gone gizzy! showed them ye ol' righty bootie, breaky boogie

[@7sins435]

@@rollingthunder8378Trevor Bayne would’ve if he didn’t get that one rogue texas start late the year before lol would’ve been amazing to happen at the 500

[@pinkiepromise666]

Let me put into perspective how convincing Gizzy's win was today; Project 91 was also screwed over by the late call to shorten the race. They were top 5 all race, didn't have the best final stop and with all the teams that stayed out SVG restarted 18th. However, he didn't screw up whereas all the drivers that could beat him (Reddick, Bell, MTJ) made unforced errors. 18th to 1st in 20 laps. Generational talent if there ever was one.

[@kylewagoner]

AND he got screwed out of passing all of those cars in that pileup. He went from like 17th to 10th or something and had to go back again after giving people back their track position.

[@skippingrhyme4386]

This is the equivalent of Taking the V8 Supercars putting them on an Oval and letting Larson Compete. Yes it was impressive but it's not like he cam from dirt midgets or F1. He's driving pretty much the same car. Now if you put him on a tough to drive Oval and he does this I'd call thay Generational Talent

[@eddiefowke]

@@skippingrhyme4386 He's actually spent time in Sprint Cars with mixed results, and of course won the NZ GP in open wheel, and has raced well in a WRC rally. But for sure there would be a learning curve to get to the top level on ovals, learning how to work with spotters etc.

[@iceberg5220]

@@skippingrhyme4386 Driving LHD car and driving in the opposite direction throws off all your responses. Think about it ! What Shane did was even more impressive than YOU realise ! I am looking forward to NASCAR drivers heading over to Bathurst. All welcome !

[@dkmotorracingnz8010]

@@eddiefowke He grew up in Speedway and his run in the sprintcar last season in NZ (22-23) he worked up from finishing in the mid pack first race, to winning a feature at the end of the year. He actually was allowed to run midgets in 2020-21 but was pulled out by RB just before he was set to go.

[@InactiveChannel19272]

I’m so happy Justin Haley did well today. I wish he got the win but a 2nd place finish is great. Hell of a job by SVG winning in his first start.

[@sdx3918]

Didn't he start in last place too? Impressive race for him.

[@weekendcharts1652]

@@sdx3918he did yea. He got major benefits from the lap cut announcement and ran with it other than getting passed by svg

[@brianclifton9988]

haley did good. race was boring until the end. I hope they don't do it again. Daytona needs some rain .

[@DogFish-NZ]

he said he didn't think he was fastest in race pace lol, his best lap was 0.8 seconds faster than anyone else

[@_isles_]

wait WHAT

[@Bigcountry_littlelegs]

Svg fastest lap was .8sec quicker then the the next fastest driver, he also had to come back from 18th

[@horsefly1020]

He also said he left a lot on the table.

[@hollygolden9673]

He dominated.

[@rodbrown8306]

Was insane driving, but I've seen him do it before more than once.

[@DogFish-NZ]

let's gone gizzy! showed them ye ol' righty bootie, breaky boogie 🇳🇿

[@brandonspratt487]

He was flying once the track fully dried out. You could see him being tentative on wet tires and when they first went to slicks which was understandable. But once he got put back in the field and the race was shortened, he turned up the wick to an insane level of driving.

[@nathandillard4108]

Mike bagley calling the race is exactly what’s been missing from any NASCAR broadcast. He was ELECTRIC. Haven’t been that stoked listening to a broadcast in years!!!

[@OFWGKTADGD]

Mrn and prn are always turnt. They've really been the best for as long as I can remember. Radio can't count on visuals and know how to make it all sound exciting.

[@owen_som]

Hearing him interrupt like 5 times to yell about gragson crashing into the turn 6 barrier was hilarious

[@salty_flightdeck_cpo]

The Bagman brought the Energy and Enthusiasm that have been missing since the start of the season. I want to buy a few cases of whatever he was drinking out there on his perch.

[@salty_flightdeck_cpo]

The Bagman brought the Energy and Enthusiasm that have been missing since the start of the season. I want to buy a few cases of whatever he was drinking out there on his perch.

[@nurabsal0x018c]

Now that I have SXM for the time being I’ve started listening to PRN/MRN a lot, the radio broadcasts are fun to listen to.

[@dethangel88]

Weirdly before SVG did this race, a few months ago I was seeing Supercar highlights in my KZbin feed. Watching some my thoughts were "Damn, some of these guys should be in NASCAR" and of course, 1 shows up and steals the show. What a day!

[@morgfarm1]

Marcos Ambrose already did that and proved V8SC guys can hang with NASCAR guys. Ovals just weren't their thing. V8SC was basically pure road courses. He put up one HELLUVA fight in 2011 against Kurt Bush at Watkins Glen. SVG coming in here and schooling the regulars was awesome. I want the die cast if I can find one for this race

[@dethangel88]

@@morgfarm1 Yes but did Ambrose win his first time? Ambrose was awesome, but not SVG awesome.

[@cheddydoit0404]

@@dethangel88 people jus tryna take away from SVG, they are mad he came in and outclasses everyone in their own cars in their own country

[@Dexter037S4]

@@cheddydoit0404 Hell, the NextGen Car is literally a Project Blueprint V8 Supercar from 2008, I fucking knew as soon as he was announced, he was winning by a mile.

[@EricK-fr9fe]

You have to watch the tv broadcast to truly appreciate this race. The crowd was amazing. 10 deep along the fences. Cheering from start to finish. You could hear the fans cheering over the broadcast. Awesome. Also the visuals were stunning. I couldn’t stop watching…. I think after you watch the tv broadcast you’ll be even more impressed. They 1000% need to do this again next year. Hands down the best road/ street NASCAR race I’ve ever watched

[@JBK353]

The fans and TV broadcast made it better. Like you said visuals in the background and hearing the fans made it great.

[@brendanlanglois2865]

I agree this race was visually stunning to look at with the scenery. The lighting with the gloomy weather and those yellow lamp posts was also kinda neat. I also loved how you could hear the fans, they were going wild when the track blocker pile-up happened lol

[@RW-zh7kl]

I will say you never have Nascar fans cheering when a car gets pulled out after being stuck, that was really refreshing for a Nascar race.

[@EricK-fr9fe]

@@brendanlanglois2865 Exactly. Those yellow light posts were awesome. I loved when they zoom in on cars coming over the bridge towards the last turn. You could see all the city traffic in the background. 1 block away from the gridlock of downtown chicago you have freaking nascar stock cars tearing up the streets! I live 1 hr away from downtown chicago. I didn’t go this year because of the price. I will 100% go next year

[@LawsonBrown123]

SVG grew up beside the dirt oval NASCARS roots, racing Speedway, he still does dirt racing. He's been successfull in Rally WRC-2, Drifting D1NZ, Open wheel Fomula Ford and NZGP Champ. His debut 24h of Daytona GTD placed 2nd, last years debut at 24h Le Mans GTE Pro placed 5th. He's got alot on his resume 🇳🇿🇳🇿

[@Man_in_BLKtruck1991]

I was at a family party with only 2 regular race fans. This race had 10 others GLUED to the race all day. This is was NASCAR wanted and what they got. Well done NASCAR

[@TheTheotherfoot]

What you really mean is you need street and circuit racing. Places where the cars turn both to the left and the right. It is time to cut back on the ovals and bring in more street/circuit racing.

[@OldsmobileCutlass1969Va]

​@@TheTheotherfootAnd what do you call all the road courses they race on every year?!

[@marekrossi9365]

I never watched a single nascar race, but went to this one and now I’m a fan for life. What an experience!

[@extragoogleaccount6061]

The sounds with it bouncing off all of the buildings must have been something! Have you picked out a favorite to root for?

[@Thegreatdeer53]

Who’s gonna be ur favorite driver?

[@bretthobson3034]

If this race made you fan, then you won't like the rest of the races then.

[@bretthobson3034]

​@@Thegreatdeer53He won't like it after next weekend.

[@Thegreatdeer53]

@@bretthobson3034 why

[@UahUahUah]

Imagine being a veteran in this sport for more than a decade and having some Kiwi from across the world, in a COMPLETELY different series, with COMPLETELY different rules and car setups, and still wipe the floor with you. SVG is an absolute CHAD. RIght-hand drive to left-hand drive, 18th to first, on a completely foreign track to everyone in the series.

[@jameswilson2268]

Alpha-Chad and proper mad lad 🤙

[@lionelhutz3142]

Us locals in Chicago had our doubts and the bad weather put this whole event in jeopardy on Sunday morning...but that race was EPIC! The last 15 laps were some of the best I've seen in a long time! The Twitter memes about the crashes were a hoot as well. I think its safe to say NASCAR will be back in Chicago next year. Now they just need to bring the prices down and have more free exhibits and events for the fans in the adjoining Butler Park. 👍

[@jmiddlefinger]

Absolutely. More concessions in the seating area and more restrooms as well are needed, but most of all, they need at least two more bridges across the track to safely accommodate people. It was awful and incredibly unsafe to have to wait 40 minutes to be able to cross while we were being evacuated from the xFinity race

[@jackthorton10]

Overall, not a bad race :)

[@iap6647]

Totally agree! I can’t wait for it to come back next year!

[@SlimJimJZ]

I also agree that they need more activations in the midway. I also could not find the Ford and Geico activations for the life of me. Were they in a restricted area with certain ticket access? I found the Toyota and Chevy areas without any issues. Signs for those on the park map and in the walkways would be helpful.

[@lionelhutz3142]

@@SlimJimJZ Yeah...they needed more staff on-site to assist for sure

[@johnvandeventer8668]

This is one of the greatest victories in NASCAR history and possibly one of the greatest victories in motorsports history in my opinion

[@ChristopherWHerbert]

Because you were not alive to see Johnny Rutherford win, you could say that

[@davids5006]

Overstatement

[@toyotaecw]

You never saw Chaz Mostert and Paul Morris win the Bathurst 1000 from dead last.

[@ChristopherWHerbert]

@@toyotaecw you never saw Larry Perkins and Russell Ingal win the Bathurst 1000 from last to first in 1995. How many more you never saw .... lots

[@ronbelanger4113]

LOL, greatest in motorsport history, are you 12?

[@imonstershotz3540]

Shane put a whupping on our boys and kudos to him! Dude is a wheelman with amazing talent. The single file restarts was a great call by Nascar.

[@TheTN24]

Agreed double file would have been a chaotic wreckfest.

[@jackthorton10]

This NASCAR Chicago Road Course is brought to you by BugBears’s Wreckfest :)

[@josephmatuszak3855]

Honestly, this race was the most real life Chicago experience. If ya don't like the weather, wait an hour. You don't got a lot of space or time to make important decisions. It doesn't matter how big or small a name ya are, with will and dedication you can get to the top! What a fun race to watch!

[@michaelkpate]

Johnny Rutherford won his Daytona Duel driving for Smokey Yunick in 1963, the youngest winner ever at the time and his first ever NASCAR start.

[@irvingboy1122]

I had more fun watching this race than I ever thought I could It had literally everything u want out of a nascar race and this is coming from someone whose kinda been against the whole street course idea all weekend absolute banger of a race

[@MaxRamos8]

Pretty interesting race considering the weather, shout out to Bell and Reddick holding up 2/3rds of the event! Hopefully the next street course will have better weather conditions

[@RW-zh7kl]

​@@MaxRamos8it made it a lot more interesting with the rain and wet track to start.

[@jmiddlefinger]

It was insane watching Kyle Busch fight from dead last to fourth and in the fight for the win. I was in the N Wells section. Didn’t really see very much from that vantage point, but it was awesome nonetheless

[@747rotate]

I'll have to admit i really wasn't expecting too much going into this but damn that was some kickass racing. I loved it! TV coverage was excellent which I'm not a big NBC fan but for this race i think they did a stellar job broadcasting the race. Hopefully Nascar will run a different city each year and would have great success in doing so. Hell I'd love to have it in my city.

[@Jeschitown]

I think it should stay in Chicago for at least the 3 years it's contracted to do so then branch out if need be

[@tombo6245]

Street courses are too expensive to do one-offs every year.

[@DogFish-NZ]

the supercars series has way better tv production

[@RW-zh7kl]

The TV coverage for this race was way better than it is for all the other Nascar races unfortunately. That was one of the big differences that made this race a lot better.

[@aowbsx]

As a fan since the late 80s, every time I’ve heard the talk of a street course, I rolled my eyes. Why? I don’t know, that was one of the best races I’ve watched in a while. Pretty awesome.

[@jackthorton10]

40 years since the Las Vegas street Race right, or was that the year following?

[@perhapscoleiro3164]

I’ve been saying for months that van Gisbergen would sweep the field clean when the rumours began around a possible P91 appearance, glad I wasn’t disappointed!

[@nomadman5288]

He was better than everyone, but he got a lot of help the last 20 laps too.

[@cheddydoit0404]

@@nomadman5288 false he actually got screwed and restarted 18th

[@Kablooey81]

@@cheddydoit0404 the bad ending

[@nurabsal0x018c]

What, helped by putting half the field in front of him?

[@nomadman5288]

@@nurabsal0x018c I'm talking about after the race distance change, my guy. I'm talking about the timely cautions that tighten the field back up and the two best cars wrecking themselves out during that time. I'm talking about having 15 lap fresher tires than the top 10 or so. I'm not taking away anything, just pointing those things out to keep some perspective. To win, things have to go a certain way and that's true of any type of racing. I'm just saying he had those things that had to go his way and they did. That's my point. I've been watching since I was 5(about 34 years), so I've seen ringers come in and do well on road courses. None were as decorated as SVG. It was a really cool win! I'm was rooting for him towards the end. And as I've said, he is clearly better at this style of racing then these guys are, but that shouldn't surprise anyone considering his experience and accolades. He's got more wins on these tracks than most NASCAR drivers will ever even race in for their career.

[@PaperCupSeries]

This race was fantastic. I live in Austria, 30 minutes away from the race track in Spielberg where the F1 race was today, and of course I watched it, but the Nascar rave was by far the best this weekend. I would love to see it again next year. Maybe the will do a special race in Europe one day but I think that's only my dream 😂

[@lionelhutz3142]

Here in Chicago we met so many racing fans from all over the world...Germany, Italy, Portugal and of course New Zealand! They all seemed to really enjoy themselves and really enjoy the great Chicago food. It started off as a hot mess Saturday but the race on Sunday was EPIC!

[@skippingrhyme4386]

Its possible and as an American I hope it happens soon I can't imagine the logistics on sending 36 teams plus all of NASCAR Overseas!

[@PaperCupSeries]

@@lionelhutz3142 Man I wish I would be there yesterday. Chicago is my favorite city and I really want to try the food there. But I'm 20 and had to work on the weekend so not these year but one day if they are not racing somewhere in Europe I will go and watch race in the states.

[@gregwhitworth]

I was coming to compare the races as well. I love both series for different reasons but this race was remarkable.

[@masoneveridge4078]

@@skippingrhyme4386 they did it before in 88 and 96-98 Australia in 88 and Japan in 96-98

[@seantipton4589]

I think nascar should definitely do one street course a year in a different city/country every year. I don’t know if that’s logistically possible but that would be the ideal scenario imo.

[@crw3673]

I totally agree!

[@davids5006]

🤦🏼

[@TheTN24]

Yep and dump the rovals in the process. The rovals are the ultimate in boring and I love road course racing. However with street racing give me a little longer stretch for higher speeds. To me the ultimate street course is Azerbaijan with that long stretch. If Chicago could have had a just a smidge longer stretch it would almost have been perfect.

[@ibowers819]

I agree. Or maybe cities can sign a 2-3 year contract and then have it rotate to a different city. I'd like to see Chicago one more time just so they can learn from the first year and make some necessary adjustments (and maybe the weather will cooperate). Then they should try moving it around to other locations.

[@DEIFAN]

​@@TheTN24they need to Dump the Indy Roval and Keep the Charlotte Roval

[@wayneblackwwell6439]

Turning the race upside down with the announcement of shortening the race to 75 laps made it more exciting. It was then up to the cars with fresher rubber to move forward. Of all that got effected, SVG was really the only driver that showed true class to move to the front again. He is a master at saving tires and going full sprint mode towards the end of a race.

[@jamesemmeneckersr.1875]

Start a new series... You already have the car. The current car is more oriented to road courses. SVG has way more time in this type of car. The Firecracker 400 is NASCAR on the 4th. I had no expectations other than several dozen shootings.

[@tomhoblin4571]

I spent the entire morning at the track, got soaked through pretty good, and when they were put on the flooding hold for Xfinity, I walked back to my brother's apartment about 20 blocks south to dry off and warm up. We decided to go back for the scheduled start around 3 and walked through heavy rain the whole time and waited about an hour and a half and it didn't seem like anything was going to happen, so we headed out again. Saw Bob's tweet about the race start as we were walking into his building. So we booked it all the way back, just as you did. I had my scanner rental so I was listening to the radio broadcast as I walked back and made it into the track just as they rolled off pit road

[@Turt-lf7ce]

If NASCAR wanted to add another street race, I think Long Beach would be a good choice. It would already be set up for Indycar and the track layout would work pretty well for NASCAR stock cars.

[@NotDaender]

Not only does Long Beach work for Indycar, but also IMSA/WeatherTech sports car racing too! A NASCAR Long Beach race would probably need to be its own weekend as it's probably packed enough with Indy, IMSA, AND Formula Drift (they help lay down rubber for the parking lot section and the tight hairpin) occupying the area for one weekend.

[@Glitchunlocked]

I've thought about this. I'm local and super bummed that Fontana is closing but I think Long Beach is too tight of a course. The fountain roundabout and the hairpin before the main straight are already tough enough for Indycar, I can't imagine another 15 cars on track, cars that are larger, with less aero, trying to get through those sections. Let alone the rest of the track, which is mostly as tight as the tightest section of Chicago with few sections wide enough for more than two cars. There aren't enough passing zones.

[@owen_som]

I think it would be a good replacement for a SoCal race without auto club

[@Glitchunlocked]

@@NotDaender I'm local. I doubt the city/locals will be willing to deal with the closed roads and chaos Indy brings twice a year. If anything, they'll need to schedule it during the same period Indy visits. Maybe the weekend before, or the weekend after.

[@DEIFAN]

I would like to See Chicagoland Back and the Long Beach Street race

[@cheddydoit0404]

He showed up the field simple as that! He dusted the “best of the best”. He got a fan outta me that’s for sure, what a savage talented man

[@Draco_Alpha]

SVG IS the best of the best. he's got absolutely insane skill. he can literally win in any series, while driving any car... i've been watching him for quite a while, and became a diehard fan after he drove a McLaren 650S GT3 to the overall victory at the Bathurst 12h in 2015. the man's an absolute legend.

[@doomusrlc]

I'd have to imagine the CCs all figured the race would not go to 100 laps. But i have a feeling they didn’t expect 25 laps to be cut off.

[@SerEnmei]

One thing to remember, and I believe some of the other drivers even said so, is that, SVG has had more street racing experience than all the other drivers on the track. To know where he has come from and the experience from the battles he's had in the Supercar Series it's not surprising he took the win.

[@kkmdew09]

I have off work tomorrow and Tuesday for the holiday and I will probably be re-watching this for how insane it was and how much there is to unpack.

[@EricEstepp]

I'll be right there with you haha

[@inthere2it]

I could tell the energy was electric even from watching at home. It added to my experience too, great race.

[@JoshOutdoorsGR]

The NBC coverage, especially during the laps that SVG was slicing through the top 3 at the end was fantastic. The relay style from one play by play to the next was seamless. I was pretty skeptical that this track would produced good racing , and you couldn’t pass on all 12 turns, but more than half had action. The on screen views of the cars racing as the sunset was great! One of the best races all year.

[@thesammyjenkinsexperience4996]

The coverage was absolutely pathetic. SVG going from 18 to 3 went completely unnoticed by the commentary team.

[@thebaltimorebroh4056]

The biggest question is why was the start time so late to begin with. With the amount of cautions if it was dry, they would not have finished in time without lighting anyway. Also I was in victory lane and that was super exciting. Hell yea SVG

[@TrailsVonMudder]

Yeah it was cuz of the golf broadcast beforehand on NBC. In the end it would have still started when it did due to how the weather went

[@ibowers819]

To be fair, I was in Chicago and the rain never stopped falling until around 6:00pm so even if it had been scheduled for 1:00pm-5:00pm they probably would have delayed the start until the time it began all the same.

[@SHarrell42069]

Once the track became drier, the racing was INCREDIBLE!! I was excited for the race either way, but now...Im excited for ANOTHER Chicago street race!

[@jackthorton10]

A toast to a successful race

[@j.cbutterfly3293]

It was unbelievable race at Chicago. We’ve saw chaos bunches the wall, wrecks, spins, traffic jam packed and more. I watch on TV at home and I’ll give a 93.2%. This is absolutely incredible race I have ever seen in the street race course at Chicago. Next year will be famous street course in the nearly future.

[@Lancr-jq2or]

How you got the .2? Lol not hating or anything just funny seeing the point you were so exact lol.

[@Bigcountry_littlelegs]

If they want to go international would be awsome to see them come to Australia at a place like Adelaide working in with the supercars

[@DepravedCoTApologist]

Australia & Europe make the most sense for an international race

[@nomadman5288]

Cool idea! I'll have to look that track up to see what it about.

[@Bigcountry_littlelegs]

@@nomadman5288 Street track that's an ex f1 track, with the supercars they draw around 200000+ over 4 days

[@big-man-c77]

adelaide is the perfect street course for nascar i think, i dont see a long term future in europe, especiall compared to australia. im an australian fan so maybe im biased

[@fivespeed42]

Yes! Australia would be epic... I wanna see em run Bathurst

[@Firestar-ro8pm]

According to Racing Reference this was SVG’s first ever start in nascar period. I must say I am intrigued to see what else he may be capable in a car. Especially at an oval like Daytona or Bristol. Even the Bristol dirt race might be interesting to see how he does. But we may need to wait a couple years to see if he is still interested in NASCAR after next year

[@jhwdesign]

Bristol dirt race would be amazing. 100% we’d see him go toe to toe with Larson. You should definitely look into Shane’s past outside of Supercars if you haven’t already, he’s incredible

[@Alltimechamp24]

Truex was running really well in top 5 for the first half of the race or so. It's amazing how he just started putting it into every barrier after running so well 😬

[@rocksreviewsreactions337]

He was pushing too far. After half the field stayed out, he was forced to pit and got put to the back. Like at one point he went from last to 23 in a few laps, but he was pushing it way too hard causing him to make mistakes.

[@sonicscrewdrivr5964]

Hadn't been to a race since the 90s. Went with two friends who had never been and they were just super excited. The speed the noise the racing, they loved it. Was neet to see their reactions to their first race. They would never have gone had it not come to Chicago.

[@senna3]

Johnny Rutherford won his Dual race at Daytona in 1963 for his debut. It counts as a win since back then they paid points for the duals.

[@spliffsforbreakfast]

As a resident, I loved the idea and thought it was dope to see. I wasn’t able to make it due to work scheduling but I’m *brand new* to NASCAR and felt like this event was a literal video game brought to life. Hope they bring it back so I can go with some friends! The broadcast highlights I saw looked pretty great!

[@crystaljon]

O'Hare Airport said that this was their rainiest single day since 1982. NASCAR at this point is hexed, isn't it?

[@davids5006]

Sure

[@claytondurst4075]

Single file restarts were great. They need to do that at certain road courses to prevent the ridiculous traffic jams that always happen in the first turn. That or move the restart zone before the final corner like they did this weekend.

[@jeffreycarrolll9278]

They do, do single file starts at other road courses due to weather. You are showing how little you actually watch of Nascar.

[@claytondurst4075]

@@jeffreycarrolll9278 I’m talking about in the dry. They need to do single file restarts in the dry.

[@racegrubb2152]

​@@jeffreycarrolll9278he is talking about the dry

[@SlimJimJZ]

My family knows I’m a huge NASCAR fan (been watching for the past 18 or so years) and I was at the street race in person. They usually ask me what’s going on or check in on the race, but they usually never watch with me. When I got home, they told me that was the first race ever where they all sat down and watched from start to finish. They were hooked on the action on track!

[@masonward5004]

This shows how NASCAR regulars had no idea what they were doing at this event. And a guy who's used to running similar tracks in similar cars comes out, amd can keep pace not even pushing the car. Then he starts to get aggressive and is instantly 1.5 seconds faster

[@nomadman5288]

NASCAR has shortened races this same way before. They just did it at New Hampshire a couple seasons ago. They shortened a race early at MIS too back in 2000 if I remember correctly. It was gonna be dark in another 15 mins anyways, so the teams really should have seen it coming imo.

[@racegrubb2152]

1996 Talladega where Earnhardt broke is collar bone and sternum was shortened due to darkness as well

[@nomadman5288]

@@racegrubb2152 I remember that wreck, but not the race shortening. I'll take your word for it though. I know I'm missing a few others somewhere too.

[@racegrubb2152]

@@nomadman5288 it has a long rain delay and after that red flag from dales crash they shortened it up

[@bertpulaski2492]

SVG did an outstanding job. Usually the Aussie V8 drivers do very decent in a stock car. They’re use to feeling the chassis move from body roll. Button realistically finished about where I expected. Not taking a single thing from his driver talent but a stock car isn’t a F1 car. Completely different animal. I would like to see SVG at a short track or intermediate track though to see how he can do.

[@rmg_2771]

I’m so glad NASCAR made the call before the green to have single file restarts. With all eyes on this race, it kept the race professional. Also gives guys up front a fair shot on restarts instead of getting caught up in wrecks from unnecessary dive bomb moves. But I have to give NASCAR a ton of credit, everything was going wrong to ruin this weekend, and they got this race in and turned out to be one of the most memorable races in NASCAR history!

[@toddrunion2]

TBH after last years Indy car fiasco on the narrow Nashville street race, I was really a nay sayer when the Chicago race was announced a few weeks later. I guessed that this would be another narrow street course that would have major bottlenecks. But after seeing the lay out and how much room this circuit had I got excitedly on board real fast. And the Chicago track didn't disappoint. Put the weather aside and it was a great race IMHO. Yes there was a learning curve for the drivers and NASCAR in general as are most first time for anything. I do hope that NASCAR does go back again to Chicago in the future and if another street race gets on the schedule then I also hope it's Montreal. Montreal is another exciting course with lots of room and places to pass. NBC's coverage was really a huge step up from Fox's lackluster coverage. Only exception for me was the radio style coverage from Mike Bagley. He needs to go. All others were their usual great selves, but Bagley was obnoxiously loud and grating. His voice went thru me like nails on a chalkboard times 1000. While all the other announcers had their volume levels set to 7, Bagleys was cranked to 11.

[@crystaljon]

To answer your first-start winner question, SVG is the seventh driver in Cup history to pull it off. 1. Jim Roper - Charlotte, 19 June 1949 2. Jack White - Hamburg, 18 September 1949 3. Harold Kite - Daytona, 5 February 1950 4. Leon Sales - North Wilkesboro, 24 September 1950 5. Marvin Burke - Oakland, 14 October 1951 6. Johnny Rutherford - Daytona, 22 February 1963 7. Shane van Gisbergen - Chicago, 2 July 2023

[@kirkbullard4302]

NBC makes the racing more exciting...Fox and FS1 aren't even close in their boring coverage.

[@JBK353]

Some crew chiefs knew 100 laps wasn’t gonna happen so for Adam Stevens to even say they got screwed is crazy to me.

[@andrewdelong6688]

The broadcast was fantastic. They had awesome shots of all the action. Radio style worked very well. Everything ran smoothly. They really got the energy going for the fans at home. I would definitely watch that race again.

[@MathiasTheGiant]

I love the idea of Nascar having a large assortment of tracks to mix and match every year, and street courses are an interesting alternative idea. I'm hesitant to make one permanent, but as a change of pace in places like Texas, Vegas, Michigan, and maybe even new cities like Seattle or Quebec, I like that it's possible. More options is always a good thing.

[@owen_som]

Montreal will probably get a race soon

[@jackthorton10]

Up to the great North once again!

[@mjr333]

Shane's talented driving style really suits street racing. He is also very good with setup and engineering of his car.

[@aaronclawson835]

Did not expect the racing to be as good as it was I was pleasantly surprised but I agree that you can't say the next one would be the same or better

[@MercurialChemister]

That race was fantastic. A bit chaotic at times and Noah Gragson is gonna have nightmares about tire barriers for weeks but it was amazing.

[@salty_flightdeck_cpo]

Gragson would have had better luck flying over or sailing through the Bermuda Triangle.

[@DennyDeliversYT]

shane van gisbergen in 1 start really has more than a third of the point from what ty dillon has collected in 18 races… 💀

[@cookingwithyayaslamdien6747]

I was up hole night watching this race . Loved every minute of it . Went to bed at 5 this morning.

[@RW-zh7kl]

Good job to the drivers paying tribute to the traffic jams in Chicago during the race! It sounded like all the fans were laughing!

[@snbks4ever]

Very happy SVG won and Hailey had a solid finish. As for the part of the race ending early and such, NASCAR announcers made reference ot a couple teams playing strategy of pits based on the race ending early and I think this was before the race was shortened. Great video as always Eric.

[@turbokart3776]

I cannot comprehend the fact that something that hasn't happened since 1963 just happened. And even then, Johnny Rutherford's debut "win" was in his Duel at Daytona, which isn't even a points race today. In reality, a debut win hasn't happened since 1950. NASCAR's second season. SVG is unbelievable, and I will never forget today's race. Wow.

[@RACINGUS95]

Don’t forget that he went from 18th to 2nd in about 10 laps. Shane is an absolute demon behind the wheel of a race car.

[@big-man-c77]

svg just got faster and faster throughout the race. as a v8 supercars fan its amazing to see him do so well away from home, his ethos the last while has been if it has wheels, he'll race it, and he'll be fast. you were right about this being more comfortable ground for shane, the track was something akin to the many street circuits in v8 supercars, and svg has been doing amazing for as long as i can remember across those tracks

[@lincolnthe16th90]

My wife never watches NASCAR and I told her about it being Shane’s first start when he was running third with 16 to go and she started watching and cheering for him!

[@theseanie9958]

im so glad they were able to get such a great race in despite mother nature throwing in a month's worth of rain in one day to try to sabotage them. what an awesome event. they HAVE to come back next year so we can see if they can do even better without weather ruining the concerts and support races

[@greggfridline4260]

I wish they would have made the decision to shorten the race before some pitted, it seemed a little unfair, but the 91 wasn't one of them that did and he still won. Racing was awesome, the 91 100% deserved that win.

[@kharnthebetrayer1575]

That I agree with , the call should’ve been made before the pits where opened.

[@joshuapittman4663]

@@kharnthebetrayer1575honestly if they were gonna do it when they did. They should’ve ruled that all teams had to make a 4 tire pit stop.

[@kharnthebetrayer1575]

@@joshuapittman4663 disagree.

[@hallo_welt_ag]

Let me Tell you: It was exactly what I expected. It was a mess, the Most Beautiful mess possible. And exactly what we needed after the disaster on saturday

[@Adam_Strachan]

He just proved that 90% #NASCAR driver are only racing to their next photo shoot while #supercar Drivers actually drive for the trophies and fame.

[@Eagleracer38x]

The race was quite a good race. Martin Truex was looking good early, but late seems to be driving like it was his first stockcar race. He was in the wall a dozen times or more. I thought it was going to be a crashfest with no green flag racing, but there were great green flag runs and SVG win was cool too. I really enjoyed it.

[@drinkstout8018]

After watching this I want them in Montreal next, I had my doubts but solid race overall

[@iceeblueburst03]

This is one of my favorite races this year! Congrats to Shane van for getting this win! I was so damn worried ever since that caution with Stenhouse and Bubba near the end, but I’m happy to see Shane van get through with the final laps and win this race at the Chicago Street Course race! Hopefully we’ll see more drivers in the Project 91 ride!

[@donnibrasko1]

As the race got faster the City got brighter, kudos to NBC for a great production in showcasing a unique and beautiful venue!

[@timmya811]

Hey Eric! So nice to get to say Hi on the way out. My friend Michael and I had a great experience but such an emotional roller coaster as you did. I've watched since I was a kid, but this was my first at track experince. Completely exceeded my expectations. BTW- Drivers who won their first race, according to CBS Jim Roper - Charrlotte 1949 Jack White - Hamburg 1949 Harold Kite - Daytona Beach 1950 Leon Sales - North Wilksboro 1950 Marvin Burke - Oakland 1951 Johnny Rutherford (Personal hero) Daytona 1963 Yup I'm a Nascar History nerd. Be well

[@danpeggydpn2213]

We were totally entertained by this Chicago street race. We we’re hanging on every word with the NBC broadcast. Job well done NBC. Maybe they should flood the streets before each race and start the race with wet tires. Just a thought. As a rule we record the races and catch the race later, so then we can fast-forward through the commercials and some of the race when it drags on. Thanks Eric. Keep up the great work. You are awesome.

[@BuffaloWarrior7]

As a F1 fan trying to get into NASCAR, trying to find a driver. Find a team. This race was awesome. But lordy the ads during the broadcast were insane to me. And I'm an American. I watch NFL football. I watch college football. But they pause the game in coordination with the commercial breaks. It's insane to me that they didn't cut away from ads when there was legitimate action on track. You can watch it happening in the side by side. But you can't hear it. I'm new to this sport I don't know what car just got stuck in the barrier in the little half screen view with a Wendy's ad playing full volume. There's got to be a better way to handle ads during the race that don't impead the broadcast so badly. I couldn't believe that you'd watch a wreck happen during a commercial and 3 more ads would play before they cut back to the race.

[@ksteinwand6744]

Money. That's seriously what it is. One of the head NBC guys was on the Dale Jr. podcast in a series they've just recently launched called Business of Motorsport. They would love to run as few commercials as they can, but operating costs make it tough quite often, so they have to rely on sponsors because that's what also brings in the purse for winnings. If we could get a title sponsor to cover the insane amount needed to reduce commercials, then that would happen. But until then, money talks, that's all it really is.

[@beneddu]

The track looked amazing as the sun began to set, next year bring some floodlights! Also Jenson forgot (or perhaps didnt know how) to signal that he was pitting and so Buescher got into the back of him as he tried to get onto pit road and spun him around

[@conanmcclanahan1069]

Your energy here is literally flying thru the screen! And I couldn't agree more with literally every word you said!! This race was amazing, fun, laughable, suspensefull, and rewarding all in the same breath!!! SVG had such a humble approach to his time in a cup car, the God's of NASCAR themselves wanted him to win! You had to be dreaming to think Elliott or Haley even had a chance during the last 3-5 laps, even with Bubba sending it into the corner to give them a ~second~ shot at him on the restart!! HE STILL COOKED THEM!!!

[@HayTatsuko]

We even got a Macau Moment out of the event when over a dozen cars parked it in that one turn after a couple guys got a bit crossed up. The racing was fantastic, the fans were awesome, and even sweeter than all that was our getting to see something that hasn't happened in the previous _sixty years_ of NASCAR -- a debut driver winning his first race! I can even almost overlook Martin Truex's terrible day, in light of all the good stuff that happened up front. Was nice to see Justin Haley doing well, too!

[@rick6083]

As a chase fan I'm happy with the way the race ended the way the weekend started I'd never thought I'd see a 3rd place finish but I still believe he will need a win! It was cool to see Shane win it

[@jeremiegranger7285]

The race turned out to be the best chaotic race I've ever watch. I was wrong about the race. Also I'm proud of SvG. He completely schooled the whole field in his first start on a new street course. I'm also proud of Justin Haley for a top 5 finish.

[@avoqado89]

They said there were a few drivers between the 40's & 60's that did it. First win-on-your-opening-race in the "modern era."

[@cadillacjohn1994]

I’m really impressed with how far Trackhouse has come in the last two seasons. In that time, they’ve made Ross a championship contender, they’ve made Daniel a race winner, they’ve given Kimi a career revival, and now they’ve given SVG, or Shane McMahon as I call him, an opportunity to make a name for himself in America as well. If he keeps up this kind of performance at the other starts he makes in the future, I don’t see a single reason why he shouldn’t get a full time ride in the near future. He could do really well here, if this keeps up. I’m also really impressed with Haley today. This was the best I’ve ever seen him today. Keep it up. Sucks for LMC, especially for Noah, and on Richard Petty’s 86th birthday nonetheless. For all his struggles, at least he’s committed to his sponsors. Overall, when I was ready to label this race as a NASCAR bust, they came back and made this race a great one. I legit thought that this would be the ending to the Blues Brothers all over again. It almost was. Nice job from everyone, unless of course you’re a Toyota fan. Then, you have a perfect right to be upset. Reddick was wicked fast today.

[@ozgal6929]

Shane McMahon ? Why on earth would you call THE GIZ something so disrespectful?. C'mon man, his name is Van Gisbergen.

[@retrocash_007]

Proud of SVG from Melbourne Australia and good video Eric

[@BillCondo]

I watched more of this race than any other NASCAR event in 10+ years. This is the direction the series needs to go to gain more USA and international viewers. 2+ street races on the schedule would be great! I got a bit of the Le Mans vibe from this.

[@johnthefalcon2903]

I had so much fun watching this event! Single file restarts, and not throwing stage cautions made it a cleaner you can even say more legitimate race. Wet track probably made the racing product better. That said . I am concerned. NASCAR should not oversaturate the schedule with street races. It will ruin the luster and charm of this event. Maybe finish contract with Chicago and then go somewhere else for a 3 year contract (and go back to Chicago Speedway). Keep it to 1 race a year, move around every 3 years or so. That will keep it fresh and exciting.

[@fernandoarroyo3889]

I really wasn't surprised about the outcome, the man is a 80+ race winner, with 3 super cars championships where they run a lot more street courses. He drives almost the same car in Australia, maybe a lil more advanced in the chassis department, but otherwise pretty close, especially this year. Not to mention the fact that his team hit the strategy perfectly, I mean he had 16 lap better tires than anyone up front. Not to take anything away from him, it was pretty cool to see him win.

[@adrenalinmatt1]

Hello from Australia. Awesome race, great day for NASCAR. I really enjoyed it. But Please, Please, Please, Please, Please! Bring NASCAR to 🇦🇺. We will welcome you. Surfers Paradise would be a perfect option.

[@randymarsh6679]

We have had indy here in surfers nascar would be amazing

[@adrenalinmatt1]

@randymarsh6679 yup & in 2019, and Scott McLaughlin & Fabian Coulthard drove Joey Logano Mustang in demonstration laps.

[@randymarsh6679]

@@adrenalinmatt1 oh yeah forgot about that I was even there haha

[@adrenalinmatt1]

@@randymarsh6679 so was I, I was in heaven. Best part of that weekend.

[@randymarsh6679]

@@adrenalinmatt1 I'm pretty sure that was the time the f18 did a low flyover and I didn't expect it and almost gave me a heart attack hahaha

[@zachhatten261]

The problem with this race is most of the excitement came from the wet weather. It forced drivers to back up the corners and allow others to be more aggressive and try to outbrake them. I don't see this being the same in the dry. But it shows exactly what the new car needs: brakes need to be drastically reduced to make more passing opportunities.

[@jacksonrobison1901]

I met you Eric at Darlington raceway in may on Mother’s Day keep up the videos I love you content ❤❤❤also I didn’t expect that Chicago street race yesterday evening to be that good 👍 but I enjoyed it congratulations to svg that was insane my mom actually picked him after his impressive performance in practice on Saturday afternoon the broadcast was actually really amazing I think in my opinion I love the radio style thanks again for the videos I’m supporting I watch your videos every chance I get ❤❤😊

[@greathitnick3034]

Love seeing Elliot and Larson finish top 5

[@ludabam241]

HMS 💪🏼

[@brandondavis8790]

At least you do all I see is troll and hate comments on social media towards both like 75 percent of the time and good god the Mickey Mouse Elliott jokes are annoying and have run its course also it's the same people who forget he would of been the real champion last year without the playoffs but still use the Mickey Mouse jokes anyways why not use that joke for logano who wouldn't be a champion without the playoffs format the closest he came to being a legitimate champion was in 2015 until the Martinsville and texass happened for him but yeah I don't hate logano but fans need to start using the Mickey Mouse joke towards somebody else

[@brandondavis8790]

And not to mention the annoying comments of Larson being a racist when he learned his lesson from it and has not been like that ever since the iracing incident and have improved big time good god that is annoying to

[@WALTRIPFLAIR]

@@brandondavis8790 You're the reason people do that. "Boo hoo hoo, Chase would have been the champion if they would have changed the rules back to what I like." "Boo hoo hoo, Logano did everything right with the rules in place but because I wanted Chase to win they shouldn't give him the trophy he won."

[@jayannakelley9051]

@@brandondavis8790- Yeah, having worked in shops (& for race team) for 40 years, as soon as the wives/gf’s leave all guys talk like that! Sheesh..

[@MarshallGriffin69]

I feel like that this is a truely a great race to put on 4th of July. Daytona yes I get that it is nostalgic to lots of people and I will admit myself I really liked the racing, but at the same time, every year there would be some kind of weather problem which made it hard to look forward to every year with all of those dumb circumstances. Indy, like anyone even remembers that. Road America is a solid place to do it, but I feel like the Chicago Street Race fits the bill more being that it is one of the biggest cities in the USA. Yes they did have rain problems, but at the same time, they at least have rain tires and if they didn’t, the race would have taken way longer to start. Can’t wait to see it again next year!

[@chubbz5150ify]

Long Beach, California. That should be the next street race if NASCAR decides to add a second street circuit

[@MustangSprint]

Glad you Fellas like “GIZZYS” style. Get use to it, cause he’ll be back in a year or so to Smoke Ya’ll. Love from NEW ZEALAND

[@DennisMerwood-xk8wp]

Take it easy my Kiwi mate! Settle down. Remember Marcos Ambros was going to kill em! He didn't. Love from Palmerston North

[@fivespeed42]

I admit, I was a skeptic, I totally thought this race would suck. Figured it was too narrow, no passing, too bumpy, etc etc... but man was i wrong!! I thought the track and race was spectacular, even with the crap weather. The track was really racey, lots of passing zones, and there was just somethin about watchin those cars screamin around city streets. I really hope they bring this back next year, might even think about goin Ps. SVG is on hell of a wheelman!!!

[@michaelbuettner1487]

It’s got to be better then going around in a circle/oval every race? Come on that was WAY more entertaining then the usually crap that is NASCAR.

[@xavierjuno4572]

​@@michaelbuettner1487you'd be surprised how competitive racing on an oval can be my good man

[@petersburg8920]

It was a lot better than expected. I enjoyed it.

[@frevazz3364]

This was a tale of two extremes. For most of the day it looked like a complete washout and an egg in the face for Nascar, then somehow despite track flooding they got the race going and delivered one of the greatest moments in the sport's history. It just feels like the sport is on a Renaissance. Nascar took a huge risk and ot paid off big time.

[@TheNickLavender]

I watched the highlights and from what I could see, that was actually some exciting racing! I think politics gets involved when it comes to some people not liking Chicago, but regardless if its ever Chicago again, these kinds of races need to happen more often! That was a great race!

[@jakemacminn932]

A lot of boomers on Facebook were hating on the race 😂

[@DennisMerwood-xk8wp]

American-boomers jake! This 75-year-old Kiwi, whose hero was Denny Hulme, thought the race was superb I love those big ole stock cars on street circuits. Even better back in the day when Awesome Bill was trying to muscle around that beautiful, but terrible handing #9 Thunderbird!

[@foneco]

as if twitter is a good base to take in account, lol

[@erikcorr3261]

SVG literally just scythed through the field by just being faster, no bumping, just flat out outran everyone. 18th to 1st in less than 25 laps. Watch out for this guy in the future, the cup drivers today really were as bad as Elliott said they were compared to Gisbergen over MRN.

[@SimoneMX950]

Did I miss something? What has Elliott said about SVG?

[@ksteinwand6744]

@@SimoneMX950 pretty much every driver made the same remark about SVG, he kicked their asses and showed that they've got a long way to go.