2024 NASCAR Chicago Street Race: Live updates as race weekend wraps up in Grant Park

ABC7's Stephanie Wade spoke with Chicago Street Race President Julie Giese on Sunday morning ahead of the NASCAR Cup Series race.

ABC7's Stephanie Wade spoke with Chicago Street Race President Julie Giese on Sunday morning ahead of the NASCAR Cup Series race.

Shane van Gisbergen, who won the Cup Series in Chicago last year and raced to his third Xfinity Series victory of the season on Saturday, will compete again Sunday.

"It was his first NASCAR win," Giese said of last year's Cup Series. "He took home the victory yesterday. He will be competing again today, so we'll see how he does."

Downtown Chicago is gearing up for Sunday afternoon's NASCAR Cup Series race after a successful NASCAR Xfinity Series race Saturday.

Drivers will hit the track at 3:30 p.m. to take their shot at the challenging track. It's a 75-lap course around Chicago's Loop.

Cars will reach speeds of up to 100 mph on the fast straightaways. With lots of twists and turns, drivers told ABC7's Stephanie Wade it is much more difficult to navigate versus the typical donut-sized tracks normally seen in NASCAR.

Entry gates and NASCAR Village at Butler Field open at 9 a.m. Sunday.

Big name headliners like Keith Urban and Lauren Alaina will also perform Sunday

Day 1 is now wrapping up and it seems to be an overwhelming success. It's been quite the comeback for NASCAR after all the weather issues from last year. Everyone ABC7 talked to Saturday has been very impressed with the entire experience.

NASCAR's street race has taken over Chicago, with cars topping 100 miles per hour and beautiful views pleasing fans across the city.

"I'm so excited I just hear the engines going right now, and it's like 'woo!'" NASCAR rookie Kay Lewis said.

Many people came in from different states or countries to take in the action, some watching NASCAR for the first time.

"The race in the city is wonderful everything is cool ... close to Michigan lake... the cars are awesome... the first turn is the best," Canadian fan Sylvain Simard said.

Saturday's action on the streets included a 50-lap race in The Loop 110 NASCAR Xfinity Series.

There was also a unique freestyle motor cross event, showcasing riders in the air performing tricks. There was of course plenty of live entertainment, with Buddy Guy, The Black Keys and The Chainsmokers headlining Saturday's music in Grant Park.

More action is in store Sunday with the main event Cup Series, where drivers will take on 75 laps. It's bringing a special excitement to Chicago as people are hoping NASCAR will keep returning to the city.

"I think it brings people from all walks of life together... both Chicagoans and the rest of the country... we could use that right now," said Michelle Prifer, who is visiting from Michigan.

Sunday's NASCAR cup series will start around 3 p.m. There is also a lot of excitement for the live entertainment scheduled as Keith Urban will bring in some big crowds at 1 p.m.

Shane van Gisbergen is the BETMGM Sportsbook favorite to win Sunday. Van Gisbergen won Saturday's Xfinity Series race. ... Larson is on the pole. The Hendrick Motorsports driver is going for his fourth win of the season in his 350th career Cup Series start.

Alex Bowman sees a Chicago street course full of possibilities. He also sees a major potential problem.

"All the winners behind us in points make my life harder for sure," Bowman said Saturday. "So just trying to do the best we can to get in victory lane to avoid those issues."

That's the situation for a group of NASCAR Cup Series contenders fighting for five remaining spots in the playoffs after Joey Logano became this season's 11th different winner last weekend in Tennessee.

Martin Truex Jr., Ty Gibbs, Ross Chastain, Chris Buescher and Bowman occupy the last five playoff spots on points at the moment. Truex is in a strong position with seven races left in the regular season, but a win for a driver below Bowman in the standings could shake up the playoff field once again.

Bubba Wallace, Chase Briscoe and two-time Cup champion Kyle Busch are among seven drivers below the cutline who previously participated in the Cup Series playoffs.

"It'd be nice to have a win. I feel like we should have a win," said the 44-year-old Truex, who plans to retire from full-time racing at the end of the season. "We've had a few heartbreakers, so just keep digging and take it week by week."

Buescher feels Truex's pain. Buescher lost to Kyle Larson at Kansas in May in the closest finish in Cup Series history. Then he was wrecked by Tyler Reddick at Darlington, taking him out of contention.

"I feel like we're very, very close to where we need to be to not have to have a points conversation whatsoever," Buescher said.

The second edition of the downtown Chicago street race on Sunday offers another possibility for 18 winless Cup Series drivers who are eligible for the playoffs. But there is risk everywhere.

The 12-turn, 2.2-mile course is narrow and bumpy in spots, and there is little room for error. A crash could open the door for a driver in the right spot at the right time, but it also could collect multiple cars and hurt positioning when it comes to accumulating points.

"I'm not worried about Chicago. ... Everybody here knows that I'm not the best at road course racing," Wallace said, "so Chicago is just one of those, let's survive, move on."