On Sunday, July 6, the NASCAR Cup Series will hold its 19th race of the season at the Chicago Street Course, spotlighting a fierce competition between Bubba Wallace and Alex Bowman. This event, known as The Grant Park 165, holds critical importance as both drivers strive to secure their foothold in the 2025 playoffs.
Key Drivers and Stakes at the Chicago Race
Alex Bowman, driving the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevy, enters the race as the defending winner on this circuit and is among those still chasing their first victory of the season. Bubba Wallace, representing 23XI Racing, will compete against Bowman as the No. 9 seed faces the No. 8 seed in the second round of <a href="https://www.big14news.com/nascar/”>NASCAR’s In-Season Tournament. While the tournament presents immediate pressure, both racers’ bigger goal lies in advancing through the playoffs.
Currently, Bowman and Wallace sit just above the provisional elimination line, with Bowman holding a 39-point lead and Wallace 23 points above the cutoff. Wallace, from Alabama, has recorded three top-five and six top-10 finishes so far this season, along with leading 103 laps. His last victory was at Kansas Speedway in 2022, marking his first triumph for 23XI Racing. Now in his eighth full season with the Huntersville-based team, Wallace is eager to break through for a win in 2025.
Spotter Stand Concerns Highlight Safety and Visibility Issues
In the most recent race at Atlanta, Bubba Wallace publicly criticized the current arrangement of spotter stands at road course events, calling the system “complete bulls**t.” His frustration focused on the limited visibility spotters have due to poorly placed stands, which hinders their ability to communicate vital information to drivers during street circuit races.
Freddie Kraft, Wallace’s spotter, echoed these criticisms during an episode of the Door, Bumper, Clear podcast. Kraft revealed that numerous spotter stands, such as those used at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City, were ineffective because of their locations.
“This was a valid point and the point he’s trying to make is when we go to these races — like, we went to Mexico — one of the spotter stands was useless,” Kraft explained. “Completely useless and that was Turn 15. You could literally see the exit to Turn 15 and the entry to pit road.”
“So, unless somebody spun out and was sitting there, that was the only time you were actually going to do anything, and that was the primary location when we got there,” he added.
Whether adjustments will be made to spotter stand placement for the Chicago race remains uncertain. Fans can catch the 75-lap event broadcast live on TNT Sports from 2 p.m. ET or follow real-time commentary on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
The Broader Impact of the Chicago Race on the Season
The upcoming race in Chicago is pivotal for both Bubba Wallace and Alex Bowman as they seek to solidify their playoff positions while pursuing elusive victories. Success in The Grant Park 165 could boost their momentum in the mid-season stretch and influence their strategy moving forward in the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series.
With the playoff cutoff line tightening, every point and placement matters, increasing pressure on both drivers to perform at their peak on the challenging Chicago Street Course. The showdown will not only thrill NASCAR fans but also shape the trajectory of the season for these two competitors.
Our Reader’s Queries
Q. Did Bubba Wallace ever win a race?
A. On October 26, 2013, Wallace made history as the first African-American driver to win a NASCAR national series race since 1963 by claiming victory in the Camping World Truck Series Kroger 200 at Martinsville Speedway.
Q. Has Bubba Wallace ever won?
A. Wallace claimed his first Cup victory on October 4, 2021, at Talladega when the race ended early because of rain.
