We’re following Shane van Gisbergen’s NASCAR cameo and will provide continuous updates on how he is going in the Grant Park 220 over the new Chicago Street Course.
Van Gisbergen has impressed so far in his Trackhouse Racing Project 91 cameo appearance, going quickest in yesterday’s practice before qualifying third for the race. The drive has reignited the debate as to where the Supercars star’s career will head following the conclusion of his contract with Red Bull at the end of 2024.
Live Updates
Logging out of the updates page now. Race report coming soon.
An incredible burnout and massive celebrations!
He does it! Shane van Gisbergen wins!
He’s holding it.
One to go. The gap is just under 1 second
SVG launches well and pulls a small gap over Haley into 1. Gap’s increasing.
Safety car lights are off…
Still under caution…
It’s a two-lap shootout with SVG in the lead.
Lap 73: Haley’s holding second, and the gap has remained steady! The #47 Chevy is in the tyres with help from Bubba Wallace. We’re going into overtime following another caution.
Lap 72: Gap’s nearly 2 seconds. 3 to go…
Lap 71: Just four laps to go, and SVG’s lead is already over 1 second!
Lap 70: He takes the lead at Turn 2! Haley briefly retakes, but van Gisbergen takes it back off him at 3!
Five laps to go, Safety Car lights are off…
There are seven laps to run, and we’re under caution. SVG is 2nd and has much fresher tyres and better pace than the leader. Does he have enough time left when we go green?
Lap 67: This is thrilling! He has already bridged the gap with Haley and briefly takes the lead, but it’s short-lived as there’s another caution! He’s forced to drop back to second.
Lap 66: They’re nose to tail! SVG takes second!!! Only Haley is ahead!
Lap 65: SVG is the fastest car on the track and is up to third! 10 laps to go! He’s 1.2 seconds per lap faster than the leaders! Only Haley and Elliott are ahead.
More drama further back at Turn 1, no caution.
Lap 62: Dillon into the tyres and damaged! Limps to the lane.
Another position gained for SVG, who also gets past Cindric. Fifth!
Lap 60: Great move from SVG on Larson off the restart! Up to seventh and charging. He’s all over Cindric’s bumper.
There are 16 laps left to run, and Haley is currently leading Dillon, Elliott, Busch and Logano. Haley started 37th, Dillon 29th and Elliott 26th. All comes down to pit strategy under caution.
Lap 58: Now Reddick is off!
Turn 6 strikes again, he’s buried in the barriers, and we’ll get our seventh caution.
Van Gisbergen is up to eighth.
Lap 56: Bell spins!
The early race leader is left pointing in the wrong direction at Turn 1 after contact with the tyres, and the field funnels through.
Van Gisbergen is on a charge forward and is already back in the top 10!
Lap 54: Gragson at Turn 6, again, this time side on… He gets out and continues.
Lap 53: Green again! SVG 18th after the order is reshuffled.
Truex spins in front of the field mid-lap but escapes unscathed. Two places gained for SVG. McDowell and Suarez are behind.
Lap 50: The track is blocked!
Massive pileup mid-field. Multiple spinners, a car in the barriers and yet another caution. SVG is not involved but is caught behind. He’ll still gain places when the order is re-established. He’s 14th, but the order may be adjusted.
Lap 49: We’re green again! Van Gisbergen is 18th but stopped under caution. He lost places to McDowell and Suarez in the lane.
Lap 46: The news of the 25-lap reduction has seen the field coming to the lane en masse for a final stop. Still under caution.
The race has been reduced to 75 laps due to the delayed start.
Lap 43: Green again, and Surez bumps the wall at the exit of Turn 1 off the restart! SVG is back to fourth. Much better to restart this time around.
And we’re back to caution
Bowman returned to the track but has issues with his engine. The fire extinguishers are out, but no visible flames, just a lot of smoke. He’s stopped on the entry to the pit lane. Won’t be a long intervention again.
Stage 2 ends with Bell still in front.
Lap 41: A fourth caution!
Hamlin and Bowman make contact, leaving the latter stranded precariously against the tyres as the entire field snakes through. He returns. Won’t be a long intervention.
Lap 40: Truex Jr has dropped back, and McDowell is now sixth and losing ground on SVG.
Lap 38: Issues with SVG’s radio, no major cause for concern. Bell putting a massive gap on the field.
Lap 36: Truex Jr gets through for fifth at Turn 6, only to lose traction at the exit to allow SVG back into the position.
Lap 35: Larson passes van Gisbergen for third, Suarez follows through to drop SVG to fifth, exposed to Truex Jr. The switch to slicks has brought the field back into this.
Lap 34: Green again, and Reddick retakes second off van Gisbergen at Turn 1. Larson is in fourth and keeping up with the Kiwi.
Lap 30: Another caution!
Gragson is in the Turn 6 barriers once again and is wedged. SVG now second, following Bilicki’s stop.
Lap 27: SVG in for slicks. Bell retakes the lead, SVG returns to third, but Bilicki ahead is yet to stop.
Lap 26: Van Gisbergen takes the lead as Bell boxes. Reddick is also in behind.
Lap 24: SVG laps four-tenths faster than Bell.
Lap 23: SVG passes Reddick for second as this was all unfolding! Quickly pulls a gap as he goes about hunting down Bell, who is 2 seconds up the road.
Lap 22: Logano in the tyres at six! Reverses out and continues. It’s all going on as Button is spun entering pit lane and left facing the wrong way. Does a flick turn right in front of Logano, who is entering the lane following his impact earlier in the lap.
Lap 21: First car switches to slicks. It’s Briscoe, who seems to be struggling over the early part of the lap. Still lots of standing water at the end of the lap.
Lap 20: Truex Jnr dropping back now. SVG right on the back of Reddick as Stage 1 comes to an end. In terms of SVG’s race, stages aren’t particularly relevant, providing championship points to the front runners.
Lap 16: Green again! Single file restart sees SVG keep third. Truex Jr now fourth and keeps pace with the front three.
Lap 13: Caution!
Turn 6 again. This time Gragson wedged in the tyres. Putting on a smoke show trying to get out. Should be able to resume after he receives assistance out.
Lap 12: SVG is now on the rear of Reddick, who seems to be struggling. Bell clearing out in front.
Lap 9: Turn 6 strikes again! Reddick locks up and slides wide under pressure from Bell, which allows the #20 through to the lead. SVG 3 seconds off the lead but over 10 seconds clear of McDowell. A rhythm is starting to set in.
Lap 8: Bell now pressuring Reddick for the lead. SVG is third and 8 seconds ahead of McDowell, who has passed Suarez for fourth.
Lap 6: Green again. SVG holds third and keeps on the back of Bell. Cars behind are battling as the front three resumes where they left off and immediately begin to pull clear.
Lap 3: Reddick’s lead is already 6 seconds, SVG putting pressure on Bell for second, with fourth-placed Suarez 6 seconds back.
Safety Car!
Kyle Busch runs into the tyres at speed at Turn 6, wedging his Cherolet under the barrier. He’ll get a tow out and may be able to resume. Car surprisngly looks ok given the speed of the impact, he may have been helped in. Tyres doing their job. Those gaps are already reduced to nothing.
Turn 6 seems to be the cause of a lot of problems for the field.
Lap 2: Hamlin slides into the tyres at slow speed at Turn 2, SVG back to third!
Lap 1: Single file start off the Safety Car, with van Gisbergen holding third as Reddick takes the lead off pole-sitter Hamlin. Van Gisbergen drops to fourth mid-lap as Christpher Bell takes his position.
Chaos! A spinner on the back straight and three cars running straight at slow speed into Turn 6. All able to reverse out and resume, no caution.
Safety Car lights are off, we’re about to go green!
10.30 am: Holding under formation laps behind the Safety Car. The tight Turn 3 looks particularly treacherous.
10.15 am: Drivers, start your engines!
10.06 am: Covers coming off the cars in pit lane. Not long now.
9.57 am: Drivers called back to their cars! The rain is letting up, and the jet driers are doing their job, meaning we may get to see some racing soon! “It’s good racing rain” says driver Corey LaJoie.
9.30 am: The start has been delayed for some time now due to intense rain and the amount of standing water on the circuit. No indication yet as to when the race will start, but it does seem the rain is starting to clear slightly.
The conditions saw yesterday’s Xfinity race called off just before the mid-point due to the persistent weather and lightning strikes in the area. The race had been set to resume this morning but did not due to flooding on parts of the track.
Standing water is inches deep across parts of the track, as seen in the Tweet below from Kaulig Racing.
Header Image: Project 91
Well done on the NASCAR updates