Chase Briscoe wins in NASCAR return to Chicagoland Speedway
- TSN MOTORSPORTS INSIDER
- Jul 6
- 3 min read
During an offseason bonding trip to the United Kingdom, NASCAR driver Chase Briscoe, accompanied by crew chief James Small, discovered chocolate buttons, a popular British confection. Upon returning to the United States, Briscoe purchased some online but found they didn't quite match the original experience.
On a subsequent trip to the U.K., Small acquired more of the chocolates and promised to share them with Briscoe if he secured a victory on Small's birthday. This made Sunday's win particularly satisfying.
Briscoe successfully held off Christopher Bell during NASCAR's return to Chicagoland Speedway, earning his first Cup Series victory of the season. True to his word, Small presented the chocolates to Briscoe immediately after the race.
"They were quite delicious," Briscoe remarked.
In the final laps on the 1.5-mile oval, located approximately 50 miles southwest of downtown Chicago, Briscoe was closely pursued by Bell. However, Bell was unable to overtake his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate.
Briscoe, a 31-year-old native of Indiana, celebrated his sixth career victory with a burnout, followed by standing atop his car and acknowledging the enthusiastic sellout crowd.
"I've always cherished this track since we used to race here, and I've missed it," Briscoe remarked. "It's consistently been among my top five tracks."
This marked Bell's fourth second-place finish this season. He wore a splint on his arm as he continued to recover from a broken left wrist sustained in a crash at Michigan on June 7.
"I believe he's managed the situation remarkably well," stated team owner Joe Gibbs. "He's incredibly determined to compete and win. He had a very competitive car tonight as well."
Denny Hamlin, who secured the pole position, finished third. William Byron, who won two stages and led a race-high 94 laps, along with Alex Bowman, completed the top five.
"I felt in control early on, despite not leading," Hamlin commented. "I probably became a bit complacent during some restarts, assuming I could easily regain the lead."
NASCAR hosted 19 Cup races in Joliet before discontinuing after the 2019 season, attempting to generate interest in a crowded sports market but facing challenges with attendance.
After competing on a street course in downtown Chicago for the past three years, NASCAR returned to Chicagoland, eager to observe the performance of the Next Gen cars on the track's rough, bumpy asphalt. Despite rain causing parking issues on Friday and Saturday, the racing was engaging.
With strong performances from Briscoe, Bell, and Hamlin, Toyota achieved seven of the top 10 finishes for the first time in a Cup Series race, maintaining a robust season for the manufacturer.
"Yes, the Toyotas are fast," Bell noted.
Bubba Wallace, driving a "Space Jam"-themed car to commemorate the Looney Tunes movie's 30th anniversary, secured sixth place in his No. 23 Toyota Camry. Wallace is part of the 23XI Racing team co-owned by Michael Jordan, a star of the 1996 movie.
Ryan Blaney achieved his seventh consecutive top-10 finish, placing seventh. Ty Gibbs, Corey Heim, and Riley Herbst rounded out the top 10.
Tyler Reddick's championship prospects were hampered by an oil leak with approximately 32 laps remaining in Stage 2. A lengthy caution ensued as Reddick's 23XI Racing crew addressed a radiator issue in his No. 45 Toyota.
Reddick, who won the first three races of the season, finished 36th. He now trails Hamlin by 44 points in the Cup standings, having been just one point behind entering the weekend.
Kyle Larson faced difficulties after qualifying second behind Hamlin. He was in third place when he spun out of Turn 4 on Lap 93, driving his No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet into the wet infield grass, requiring extraction from the mud.
Larson finished 34th, extending his winless streak to 43 races. He had finished second in the previous two Cup races at Chicagoland.
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