NASCAR Cup Series Practice Report: Chicago Street Course
Bubba Wallace Leads an Eventful Practice Session
Bubba Wallace set the fastest lap during NASCAR Cup Series practice at the Chicago street course, clocking in at 90.951 mph (87.080 seconds). As a driver for 23XI Racing, Wallace enters this weekend holding the final playoff spot, with a precarious 23-point cushion.
Key Incidents and Driver Rankings
William Byron, the regular season points leader, was the second fastest at 87.027 mph until a wall impact at Turn 10 in the closing minutes caused significant driver-side damage. Consequently, Byron will start at the back of the field for Sunday’s race. "I’m an idiot," Byron admitted after the incident, attributing it to trying to gain speed while cleaning his tires.
Chase Elliott followed closely in third place at 86.964 mph but similarly encountered trouble, hitting the wall at Turn 5. Like Byron, Elliott will also miss qualifying laps due to required repairs.
Ty Gibbs recorded the fourth fastest time at 86.945 mph, with Michael McDowell completing the top five at 86.782 mph. Carson Hocevar (6th, 86.686 mph), Shane van Gisbergen (7th, 86.676 mph), Chris Buescher (8th, 86.627 mph), Tyler Reddick (9th, 86.619 mph), and Brad Keselowski (10th, 86.545 mph) rounded out the top ten.
Defending race winner Alex Bowman placed 11th but faced issues similar to his Hendrick Motorsports teammates. Meanwhile, Will Brown, making his second Cup Series start with Kaulig Racing, was 12th fastest.
In a notable development, Denny Hamlin encountered engine failure during his initial lap and will miss the remainder of Saturday’s activities.
Entry Details
A total of 41 teams are entered for the Chicago race weekend. Alongside Brown’s entry, other open teams include Corey Heim (23XI Racing), Austin Hill (Richard Childress Racing), Josh Bilicki (Garage 66), and Katherine Legge (Live Fast Motorsports).
