CHICAGO — Kyle Larson and his Hendrick Motorsports teammates will face an uphill battle in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series Grant Park 165 at the Chicago Street Course, starting from the rear after a challenging qualifying session Saturday.
Larson, the 2021 Cup Series champion, suffered damage during qualifying, forcing repairs that send him to the back of the 40-car field. All four Hendrick entries—Larson’s No. 5, William Byron’s No. 24, Chase Elliott’s No. 9, and Alex Bowman’s No. 48—will start at the rear due to various issues, including Byron’s power steering failure and subsequent repairs.
Larson, who won the pole for last year’s Chicago Street Race with a track-record lap of 90.168 mph, couldn’t replicate that speed this time. The damage sustained in qualifying derailed his chance to start up front on the 2.2-mile, 12-turn course. “It’s not ideal, but we’ve got a fast car,” Larson said. “We’ll work our way forward.” The Elk Grove, California, native is mired in a bit of a rut, with no Cup Series wins since Kansas in May 2025, despite leading the series with 1,700 laps led last season. A strong result Sunday could be pivotal for the 32-time Cup winner, who sits second in the standings, 36 points behind teammate Byron.
Meanwhile, Shane van Gisbergen claimed the pole with a lap of 89.813 mph, reinforcing his road-course prowess. The New Zealand native, who stunned NASCAR by winning last year’s inaugural Chicago Street Race in his Cup debut, continued his strong weekend after dominating Saturday’s Xfinity Series race, The Loop 110, for his second Xfinity win of 2025. Van Gisbergen’s No. 88 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet edged out Michael McDowell and Tyler Reddick, who qualified third and fourth, respectively.
Spire Motorsports also showed impressive speed, with Justin Haley and Corey Heim posting competitive laps, signaling the team’s continued improvement. Haley’s top-10 run at Homestead and McDowell’s pole at Las Vegas earlier this year highlight Spire’s growing presence. “We’re building momentum,” McDowell said. “This track suits our cars well.”
For Larson and Hendrick, the Chicago Street Course presents a unique challenge. Last year, Larson finished fourth here, but starting from the rear alongside his teammates complicates their strategy.
Kyle Larson will look to charge from the back!
Elliott, with seven road-course wins, and Byron, a three-time winner this season, will look to carve through the field, while Bowman aims to capitalize on his recent consistency. With eight races left before the playoffs, a big result is crucial for Larson to regain momentum and close the gap to Byron. The race airs Sunday at 2:00 p.m. ET on TNT.
Kyle Larson will face quite the task Sunday, but if anyone can pull it off…
Connor Zilisch sounds off on Chicago Street Race.
