NASCAR Cup Series Predictions at Chicago
NASCAR’s 75th anniversary will introduce its first ever NASCAR Cup Series race to take place on the streets of Chicago this Sunday.
The Cup drivers will turn 100 laps in the Grant Park 220 and not a single one of them know what to expect around the 12 turn 2.2 mile street course.
Chase Elliott opens as the favorite to win, given his strong runs on road courses. After missing COTA due to a skiing accident, his only road course finish came at Sonoma where he placed 5th. Since his return from suspension following Charlotte, Chase has two straight Top 5 finishes. Being 25th in points and -64 points behind the cutoff, Chase needs every solid run he can get. Look for a third straight Top 5 this Sunday.
Tyler Reddick and Martin Truex Jr are the next favorites for Sunday. Reddick won at COTA and Truex Jr won at Sonoma, both led the most laps in their race and had consistent speed throughout the weekends. Toyota as a whole is something to keep an eye on, especially the two that have won on a road course this season.
AJ Allmendinger has had a season to forget on the Cup side of things. Coming off an Xfinity win at Nashville along with two straight Top 10 finishes from 6th at Sonoma and 10th at Nashville, this #16 is slowly building some momentum to a possible push at the Playoffs. He sits 19th in the points standings -24 out. Five of the next nine races include three road/street courses and super speedways, don’t count the Dinger out yet.
Chris Buescher and Michael McDowell have continued to run with Top 10 speed on road courses in 2023. Buescher has seven straight Top 10 finishes on road courses, including 8th at COTA and 4th at Sonoma, RFK will look to capitalize with a win for the #17. McDowell has finished 12th at COTA and 7th at Sonoma, FRM continues to bring the speed for contention at winning. Sunday just might be the day.
Shane Van Gisbergen is the ultimate wild card that just might pull it off. Racing for the Project #91 Trackhouse machine, Van Gisbergen has plenty of experience when it comes to street courses. The three time Supercars champion has won 79 races during his 16 year career, not to mention the sequential shifter in the Next Gen will make it a smoother transition to what he feels in his Camero ZL1.
Odds to Win Outright (FanDuel)
Elliott (+500)
Reddick (+650)
Truex Jr (+650)
Allmendinger (+900)
Buescher (+2000)
McDowell (+2500)
Van Gisbergen (+2500)
Odds to Finish Top 10 (FanDuel)