NASCAR's Chicago street race red-flagged after 3 laps thanks to huge wreck

Several drivers, including Brad Keselowski, saw their Chicago Street Race come to a premature end on Sunday.

By Jeremy Goldstein

A crash halted proceedings in Chicago

A crash halted proceedings in Chicago (Image: Getty Images)

Just three laps into the Grant Park 165, also known as the Chicago Street Race and in its last year, a wreck featuring early leader Michael McDowell, Carson Hocevar, Brad Keselowski, Austin Dillon, and others caused a red flag.

A similar fracas occurred last month during the NASCAR Cup Series race in Michigan. Hocevar accepted the blame. "Just got too close to the barrier," he said of his driving. Dillon was not so pleased. "Carson Hocevar is the biggest dumb--- in the entire sport," he was picked up saying on his radio. "He wiped out into 10 and just wiped out half the field."

In total, eight drivers were impacted: Hocevar, Dillon, McDowell, Keselowski, AJ Allmendinger, Daniel Suarez, Riley Herbst, Todd Gilliland, and Will Brown. Hocevar, Dillon, Keselowski, and Brown would see their day end. 

Brown, driving the No. 13 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet, came over from Australia SuperCars just for his race with the hopes of mimicking Shane van Gisbergen's surprising 2023 victory at the same venue. 

"I just had nowhere to go because I had someone on my right," the SuperCars champion said. "I just couldn't move. I started braking and locked up into it."

The wreck also sees No. 32 seed Ty Dillon — fresh off an upset win over Denny Hamlin — into the NASCAR Cup Series In-Season Challenge third round past No. 17 Keselowski. 

"Wrong spot, wrong time," Keselowski admitted after his day was done. "The No. 77 wrecked [and] blocked the track. I was going to get stopped, or if I was going to hit him, it was going to be very light. 

"Then, like three cars came in from behind and blasted us. It broke the left-front suspension off the cars. It's a shame, we never really got a chance to show what we have, but that's just how it goes."

The city of Chicago is in the third year of a three-year deal signed with NASCAR ahead of the 2023 season for street races. While they've been a tremendous commercial success and highly entertaining for the viewer, it seems the circuit may pivot next year. 

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Kyle Larson wants to tradition to continue, either in Chicago or somewhere else. "I just hope it wouldn’t be the end of street course racing, because I think it’s really big for our sport and I just enjoy racing in the city and being near a nice area,” he told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “I know NASCAR’s got plans, even if we don’t come back here next year, of stuff that’s equally as exciting. 

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