Alex Bowman wins in Chicago and secures his place in NASCAR Playoffs

Alex Bowman achieved his eighth victory in the NASCAR Cup Series after a race complicated by changing weather conditions on the Chicago street circuit. Bowman, driving the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, secured the win after overtaking Joey Hand on lap 51, just before Josh Berry's collision in turn 2 caused the fifth and final yellow flag.

The race was affected by heavy rain that forced a stop after lap 25. Bowman's crew chief, Blake Harris, decided to keep the driver on track with older wet tires after the last yellow flag, which proved to be a winning strategy. Despite pressure from Tyler Reddick and Christopher Bell, Bowman maintained his position and crossed the finish line with a 3.447-second lead over Reddick.

The race was filled with incidents that altered the leadership several times. A multiple-car crash affected Christopher Bell, who had led for 14 laps. Reddick, in turn, lost momentum after hitting the wall on the final lap. Kyle Larson, the pole-sitter, was out of the race after hydroplaning and crashing in turn 6.

At the end of the race, Bowman expressed his relief after breaking an 80-race winless streak and assured that they would celebrate with a big party. On the other hand, Shane van Gisbergen, who led much of the race before being hit by Chase Briscoe, showed his disappointment at not being able to finish the competition.