Shane van Gisbergen took the victory in the Grant Park 165 this Sunday, completing a perfect weekend on the streets of Chicago. The Trackhouse Racing driver started from pole position in both weekend races, matching what Kyle Busch did at Indianapolis in 2016.

Takes the lead on lap 60 by passing Chase Briscoe

Van Gisbergen passed Briscoe on the inside at turn 2 during lap 60 and never relinquished the lead. The driver of the No. 88 managed two more restarts before Cody Ware crashed at turn 6 during the penultimate lap.

The race ended under yellow flag, but van Gisbergen had already taken the white flag. "When I came out of the final turn I saw a lot of smoke towards turn 6," explained the New Zealander. "I just held my breath until I crossed the line."

Ty Gibbs second and Tyler Reddick climbs from P15 to third

Gibbs finished second, his best result since Darlington last year. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver lost ground on the final restart after starting on the outside lane.

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"The inside driver almost always wins," said Gibbs. "He got a good gap and pulled away from me."

Reddick finished third after climbing from 15th position with fresh tires and nine laps ahead. The 23XI Racing driver gained eight positions in the final stretch.

Carson Hocevar causes eight-car crash on lap 3

Hocevar hit the inside wall at turn 10 and bounced into the opposite barrier, moving the Jersey barriers. The accident involved Brad Keselowski, Daniel Suárez, Todd Gilliland, Will Brown and Riley Herbst. Only Herbst and Suárez continued.

The cleanup took 14 minutes and 42 seconds.

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William Byron retires on lap 1 due to clutch failure

Byron, the championship leader, retired on the first lap with clutch issues. He finished 40th and saw his lead over Chase Elliott reduced to just 13 points.

Michael McDowell led the first 31 laps after passing van Gisbergen at the start, but had to retire due to a stuck throttle.

Overcomes Saturday overheating issues in Xfinity

Van Gisbergen had visited the medical center on Saturday for overheating during the Xfinity race. "Yesterday I overheated. I don't handle heat well," he said. "The cooling system failed from the start."

The driver consumed three energy drinks during the day and stayed hydrated. "I'm not perfect, but I felt good in the car throughout the race."

Stephen Doran executes plan for seven yellow flags

Doran, van Gisbergen's crew chief, managed decisions during the seven yellow flags. "Stephen did an excellent job painting the picture in my head of who I was racing against," said van Gisbergen.

The decision to pit before the end of the first stage was crucial. "I saw how many pitted the previous lap. I didn't want to get stuck behind them," Doran explained.

Justin Marks confirms Daniel Suárez's departure for 2025

Justin Marks, owner of Trackhouse Racing, confirmed this week that Daniel Suárez will not continue with the team next year. "When we sat down and mapped out our three- and five-year plan, we felt it was time to move forward," said Marks.

The owner praised van Gisbergen for his talent to think while driving at the limit. "Shane can drive the car at the limit but still be thinking about big-picture things," he added.

Accumulates 10 playoff points heading to Gateway and Darlington

With this victory, van Gisbergen adds 10 playoff points and secures his place in the postseason. The first round will include Gateway (where he's never raced), Darlington (his favorite oval) and Bristol.

"At Bristol I feel like I could be driving the wrong way. It's very difficult," van Gisbergen admitted about Bristol Motor Speedway.

First rain-free edition in three years of the event

For the first time since the Chicago race began in 2023, rain did not affect the event. Conditions remained dry during the 2 hours, 28 minutes and 17 seconds of racing.

The race had six lead changes among five different drivers, with van Gisbergen leading twice for a total of 26 laps. The average speed was 66.764 mph.

Rain arrived just after the checkered flag, confirming weather concerns that influenced late-race decisions.

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