It’s SVG’s World, We're All Just Living in It

Okay. Confession time. We have a blast creating these recaps, and judging by your comments, you all seem hooked too!
We love hearing from you about how much you dig our post-race breakdowns, and we're stoked that you can't get enough of them. So, we bothered our poor graphics team head to whip up some fresh new designs just for you. Do let us know how it looks.
But enough chit-chat – let's dive into the good stuff!

👀 Early Suspensions?

The drama had already started brewing in Chicago before the race had even begun. NASCAR had dropped the hammer on a bunch of teams for unapproved adjustments during qualifying, with a total of 10 cars being sent to the back of the field. That list included a few unexpected names, all hit with penalties for breaking the rules.

One of the big names caught up in it was Denny Hamlin, whose No. 11 Toyota was sent to the rear after a last-minute engine change. Hendrick Motorsports had been hit pretty badly, too, with Kyle Larson, William Byron, and Alex Bowman being sent to the back after their crews made unauthorised fixes.

Bubba Wallace, Josh Berry, Ty Dillon, and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. were in the same boat. With so many heavy hitters starting at the rear, the street course race had just gotten a whole lot more interesting.

The Chicago Street Course was supposed to be a soggy mess, but Mother Nature decided to throw the racing world a curveball – the sun came out! Derrick Rose, the former NBA superstar, gave the command and we were off! Well, sort of. Just three laps in, Carson Hocevar did what he does best – made a mess!

His No. 77 Chevy went rogue, slamming into the inside wall and spinning out in Turn 10. It was like a domino effect – Austin Dillon, A. J. Allmendinger, Brad Keselowski, Daniel Suarez, Michael McDowell, and Will Brown all got caught up in the chaos.

Even the tow truck looked like it had enough of Hocevar’s trouble by the end of it. Watch this, you’ll know what we mean. 

The drama didn't stop there – Austin Dillon was FUMING on the team radio. You know, full circle moment – last year, Dillon wrecked Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano on his way to Victory Lane at Richmond. Justice's a beautiful thing, right?

Meanwhile, Chris Buescher was having a rough day – his power issue forced him to pit just before the caution and red flag came out. But Michael McDowell, the sly one from Spire Motorsports, stayed out and snagged the Stage 1 win! Shane van Gisbergen and most of the field pitted for fresh tires, but McDowell's gamble paid off – it was his fourth career stage win and his first of the season. The No. 71 team's strategy was spot on, and they reaped the rewards!

As the green flag waved for stage two, we knew it had Bubba Wallace written all over it. On Lap 25, the 23XI Racing driver found himself in the wrong place at the wrong time! Kyle Larson clipped him, and the No. 23 Toyota spun out like a top, dropping from 16th to a dismal 32nd. Here's that sad moment.

But wait, there's more! Five laps later, Josh Berry went rogue in Turns 7 and 8, and his No. 21 Ford was toast – heavy front-end damage, and it wouldn't budge. And in a head-scratching move, NASCAR decided to... well, let's just say it was a weird call while Josh's car was still stuck in the middle of the track.

Meanwhile, Kyle Busch's day just kept getting worse – like, exponentially worse. For no good reason, 'Rowdy' spun out on his own in Turns 7 and 8, plummeting from sixth to the back of the pack. Talk about a bad day! Michael McDowell's day was also going from bad to worse – his No. 71 team was stuck in the garage, wrestling with throttle issues. After dominating Stage 1 and leading the most laps, his shot at victory went up in smoke.

But amidst all the chaos, one driver managed to stay above the fray – Ryan Blaney. The Team Penske driver played it smart, picked up a playoff point by winning Stage 2, and looked like a genius while everyone else was having a meltdown. Shane van Gisbergen and A. J. Allmendinger were among those who pitted before the stage ended, trying to make some moves. Who knew what would happen next?

As the race was heading up, on Lap 49, Chase Briscoe snatched the lead from Tyler Reddick and finally got some clean air to show off his skills. But Shane van Gisbergen was like a ninja – he swooped in, climbed up to fourth, and set his sights on Denny Hamlin for third. And, spoiler alert, he didn't mess around! By Lap 59, SVG was in the driver's seat, doing what he does best on Chicago's streets.

Just as he was getting comfy, the caution flag waved – not for a crash, but for an ambulance crossing the track. Yes, you read that right.

Then, on Lap 64, Austin Cindric stalled in Turn 6, and the caution flag waved again. The restart was a mess, with Ross Chastain, Joey Logano, and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. all getting caught up in separate incidents. Stenhouse's day went from bad to worse, and he had to be the drama king of the day.

Meanwhile, the reigning Cup Series champ lost his cool on the team radio, but he wasn't the only one having a meltdown. Bubba Wallace and Alex Bowman got into a heated exchange, and before long, they were trading paint like it was going out of style. Wallace's No. 23 Toyota spun down the straightaway after catching Bowman's bumper!

In the end, Shane van Gisbergen made it two wins in a row on the streets of Chicago. He led 26 laps and crossed the checkered flag ahead of Ty Gibbs and Tyler Reddick. The race ended under caution after Cody Ware slammed into the barriers in Turn 6 on the final lap – talk about a dramatic finish! And, true to form, SVG celebrated like a rugby star, capping off another memorable win. The Kiwi king has got this!