History was made in Chicago over the weekend.
NASCAR held the first street race in its 75-year history, with New Zealand’s Shane van Gisbergen winning the race in his first start – making him the first driver in the modern era to win in their Cup Series debut. The three-time Australian Supercars champion dominated the final stage, charging forward to give Trackhouse Racing its second consecutive win.
Trackhouse’s part-time “Project 91” car, which debuted last year, is designed to give stars from other racing disciplines a chance at NASCAR. Van Gisbergen, 34, has no more scheduled starts this season but said he remains open to coming to the U.S. after his Supercars contract expires.
While van Gisbergen felt comfortable on Chicago’s streets, many other NASCAR stars struggled. Here’s our latest NASCAR power rankings as the series heads to Atlanta (Sunday, July 9, 7 p.m. ET, USA Network):
1. Denny Hamlin
Last week: 3
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After practice and qualifying on Saturday, Hamlin looked like the driver to beat. But rainy conditions on Sunday changed his fortunes, as he lost the lead on the opening corner and later hit the wall. He recovered to finish 11th, showing just how much he’s improved at road racing after a miserable 2022 on that track type.
2. Martin Truex Jr.
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Last week: 1
In the first two stages, Truex finished fourth and eighth as he appeared to be in the mix for a solid finish. Things fell apart in the closing laps, though, as an untimely caution came before he slid into the wall multiple times and finished 32nd.
3. Kyle Larson
Last week: 5
One of the few drivers who had a quiet day in Chicago, Larson finished fourth after scoring 13 stage points. He just didn’t quite have the speed to compete for the victory. Larson now has four straight top-10 finishes, with a series-best eight top-fives through 18 races.
4. William Byron
Last week: 2
Aside from triggering a massive jam reminiscent of rush hour traffic, Byron had a decent race. He was forced to start in the back after unapproved pre-race adjustments, then battled back to finish 13th. But, come on, just look at this mess he caused on Jackson Drive:
5. Ross Chastain
Last week: 4
Fresh off a win in Nashville, Chastain never looked comfortable in Chicago. He qualified 34th of the 35 cars to take a lap on Saturday. The race was an improvement – how could it not have been, right? Chastain worked his way up to finish 22nd as his teammate for the day went to victory lane.
6. Kyle Busch
Last week: 6
Four laps into the race, Busch’s car was wedged underneath the tire barriers in turn six. By the end of the race, he finished fifth – making it six straight top-10s for the No. 8. Sure, Busch was fortunate with some caution flags and the shortening of the race. But there’s no denying that this team is in a groove right now.
7. Christopher Bell
Last week: 7
While drivers like Busch benefited from the darkness forcing the race to be shortened, Bell was on the other end of the spectrum. He won the first two stages, leading a race-high 37 laps before having to change his strategy on the fly. Bell was stuck deep in the field and couldn’t get back to the front like van Gisbergen did, instead finishing 18th.
8. Joey Logano
Last week: 9
Is Logano finally starting to heat up? The defending champion finished eighth at Chicago. Even though it was largely thanks to the caution timing, he’s now scored three top-10s in four races after having just one in the previous five. Logano’s only win of 2023 came at Atlanta in March, which should make him one of the favorites for Sunday.
9. Chase Elliott
Last week: first four out
Elliott returns to the power rankings for the first time after missing seven races due to injury and suspension. He finished third at Chicago, giving him three straight top-fives. Elliott has finished in the top-12 in nine of his 11 starts this season, though he likely needs a win to make the playoffs. Luckily for him, the No. 9 was victorious at Atlanta last summer.
10. Ryan Blaney
Last week: 10
Since taking the points lead after Gateway, Blaney has three straight finishes outside the top-30. He was 33rd at Chicago after suffering early damage, which dropped him to ninth in the points standings. Blaney’s victory at the Coca-Cola 600 on Memorial Day suddenly feels like ages ago.
First four out: Kevin Harvick, Chris Buescher, Tyler Reddick, Brad Keselowski
