Rain, again, threatened to damper the Chicago Street Race’s premier event.
The start of the Grant Park 165 on Sunday was delayed for 1 hour, 43 minutes, but for the drivers, the conditions didn’t take away from the excitement of the race.
The second Chicago Street Race concluded after Alex Bowman accomplished something he’d never done: He won his first road course.
Bowman, racing in the No. 48 Chevrolet, clinched a spot in the playoffs and ended his 80-race drought. His decision to stick with the rain tires played a role in his victory.
He said that if he had changed tires, the clock would’ve become an issue, so he and his crew made the decision to keep them.
On the final lap, Tyler Reddick, who finished second, and Bowman were neck and neck. Reddick had an opportunity to pass Bowman until he hit the wall, and time became an issue.
“I would have gotten there,” Reddick said. “What would have happened once I got there, who knows?
“There was still more braking potential, just more grip potential there at the very end. I think I would have gotten there. [Bowman] would have fought really hard, but, unfortunately, we’ll never know.”
Bowman’s decision to stick with the rain tires gave him a healthy cushion. He outlasted Reddick (No. 45 car) and Joey Hand (No. 60 car). Hand’s decision to stick with rain tires also paid off.
Bowman said he and his team would drink lots of bourbon to celebrate the win. The victory was emotional for him and his team because of what he had to overcome to make it to the Chicago Street Race.
“It’s certainly been a large mental task to go through everything that has happened in the last two years and try to continue to overcome that every week,” Bowman said.
Last April, Bowman was involved in a car crash in Iowa that left him with a fractured vertebra. Bowman thought the injury would be career-ending, but he rehabbed his way back. He noted the mental side was tougher than the physical.
“It’s really difficult,” Bowman said. “Obviously, we have all the tools we need to win, and our teammates have been really good throughout that time, but we couldn’t put it together.”
Upon return, he lacked that feel he once had. But in treacherous conditions, he prevailed.
For a second consecutive year, NASCAR wasn’t able to finish the full 75 laps for 165 miles. Because of the lost time, the race would have to end at 8:20 p.m. once the leader crossed the start-finish line after time expired.
Bowman and his crew’s decision to stick with the rain tires even as the weather dried up wasn’t an easy one, but they felt comfortable with the choice. For other drivers, the decision was costly.
“It buried us, then we ended up losing a lap,” said Michael McDowell, who finished fifth.
The rain eliminated the two favorites in the race: 2023 Chicago Street Race winner Shane van Gisbergen and Kyle Larson, who was Sunday’s pole winner.
Even after the restarts and delays, the drivers still loved racing in Chicago.
“It’s really fun,” said Ty Gibbs, who finished third. “It’s kind of like a dirt track.”
The weather added another element of stress, but that didn’t damper the moment for the drivers.
“It’s unfortunate that for a couple of years we’ve ended up with rain,” Hand said. “But the couple of days with the concerts — the people out in the sunshine — it gives a good vibe.”
The Chicago Street Race is entering the last year of its contract, but all the drivers have continued to sing the city’s praises.
“It’s an incredible event,” Bowman said. “It’s been two chaotic races with the weather, but it’s a super-fun event and really meaningful to be able to win.”
