Story By: BRANDON LEE / RFK RACING – CONCORD, NC
Chicago Street Event Info:
Date: Sunday, July 7
Time: 4:30 p.m. ET
Series: NASCAR Cup Series (NCS)
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Format: 75 Laps, 165 Miles, Stages: 20-25-30
TV: NBC
Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90)
Weekend Schedule:
Saturday: 12:30 p.m. ET, Practice (USA, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Saturday: 1:30 p.m. ET, Qualifying (USA, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Sunday: 4:30 p.m. ET, Race (NBC, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Pace Laps:
The streets of Chicago hosts the NASCAR Cup Series this weekend for the second Chicago Street Race. The 12-turn course spans 2.2 miles and is settled along some of the city’s top tourist attractions.
Chris Buescher led RFK a season ago in Chicago with a 10th-place result.
Buescher earned his third top-5 in the last four races this past weekend in Nashville. He has the fourth-best average finish of any driver in the last six races.
6 Team Info:
Crew Chief: Matt McCall
Partner: Elk Grove Village
17 Team Info:
Crew Chief: Scott Graves
Partner: Fastenal
60 Team Info:
Crew Chief: Derrick Finley
Partner: BuildSubmarines.com
Keselowski on Road Courses
Starts: 45
Wins: —
Top-10s: 11
Poles: 1
Keselowski finished 24th a year ago in the debut of the Chicago Street Course.
In 45 starts otherwise on road courses in his Cup career, Keselowski has a 16.9 average finish with 11 top-10s.
Thus far in 2024, Keselowski has finishes of 33rd (COTA) and 13th (Sonoma).
Buescher on Road Courses
Starts: 34
Wins: —
Top-10s: 14
Poles: —
Buescher enters the second-ever Chicago Street Race as one of the drivers to watch, coming off a 10th-place run there a year ago.
In two road course events thus far in 2024, Buescher has two top-10s with a P8 result in COTA, and a third-place finish in Sonoma just a few weeks ago.
In 20 road course events since the start of the 2021 season, Buescher has 12 top-10s and a 9.6 average finish, second-best of any driver.
Hand in NASCAR
Starts: 7
Wins: —
Top-10s: —
Poles: —
Hand makes his first appearance in the NASCAR Cup Series since the 2022 season. His debut came back in 2021 when he ran the No. 52 car for Rick Ware Racing at the ROVAL.
His six starts in 2022 all came on road courses with a best result of 20th at Sonoma.
RFK Historically at Road Courses
Cup Wins: 5 (Mark Martin, 1993-95, Watkins Glen; Mark Martin, 1997, Sonoma; Carl Edwards, 2014, Sonoma)
RFK on the Road: As an organization, RFK has made 261 starts on road courses in the Cup Series with five wins, 92 top-10s and 42 finishes inside the top five with a 17.4 average finish.
Last Time Out & Where They Stand
Nashville: Buescher finished fifth in a wild finish at Nashville that saw five NASCAR Overtime attempts. Keselowski finished fifth in each of the first two stages and was in line for a top-10 at minimum, but was spun late to ultimately finish 25th.
Points Standings (6: 9th, 17: 12th): Both drivers are up one position from last week as Buescher inches closer to the top-10, now just 14 points out of that spot.