Chicago Cup Starting Lineup: Shane van Gisbergen Headlines the Grid for Grant Park 165 Showdown

Shane van Gisbergen continued his dominance on street courses Saturday, claiming pole position for Sunday’s Grant Park 165 with a commanding performance that left the field in his wake.

The Trackhouse Racing driver delivered a blistering 89.656-second lap (88.338 mph), nearly half a second faster than his nearest competitor. Van Gisbergen’s pole position caps off a perfect Saturday that saw him sweep the Xfinity pole and race victory earlier in the day.

Shane Van Gisbergen’s Perfect Saturday Sets Stage for Sunday

Van Gisbergen’s third career Cup pole position came as no surprise to those who’ve watched his street-course mastery unfold. The Trackhouse racing sensation, already locked into the playoffs after his Mexico City triumph, seems to have a special connection with these urban circuits that demand precision and fearlessness in equal measure.

“I’m a lucky boy, Xfinity pole, Cup pole-pretty special. Hopeful for the race tomorrow,” van Gisbergen said after clinching the top spot, his excitement barely contained despite his typically understated demeanor.

His front-row partner Michael McDowell knows exactly what it takes to succeed on these demanding tracks. The Spire Motorsports driver secured his seventh top 10 start of 2025 and was realistic about the challenges ahead. McDowell gives Chevrolet a powerful 1-2 punch on the challenging 2.2-mile layout.

“Our car’s in the game. Tomorrow will be a mixed bag with potential weather in and out,” McDowell noted, acknowledging the 50% chance of rain that could completely change race strategy.

Weather Wild Card and Starting Line-Up

The weather forecast adds another layer of complexity to an already challenging race. With temperatures expected in the 80s and scattered storms threatening to roll through during the race window, teams are preparing for multiple scenarios. NASCAR’s Gen-7 package now includes treaded rain tires and windshield wipers, meaning the action won’t necessarily stop when the skies open up.

Sunday!

INDYCAR
Mid-Ohio
ET

9:30-FS1-INDYCAR warmup
10:36-FS1-NXT green 35 (55 min)
1-FOX-Prerace
1:22-FOX-INDYCAR green 90
NWS: 80s, 10%rain

NASCAR
Chicago
ET

1-TNT-Prerace
2:20-TNT/TruTV-Cup green, stages 20-25-30, 6 sets (5 sets wets), fuel 39-42 laps
NWS: 80s, 50%rain pic.twitter.com/wkOPJU5giA

— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) July 6, 2025

Here’s how the starting line-up looks:

1. Shane van Gisbergen, No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
2. Michael McDowell, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
3. Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
4. Tyler Reddick, No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota
5. Chase Briscoe, No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
6. Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
7. Ryan Preece, No. 60 RFK Racing Ford
8. Chris Buescher, No. 17 Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford
9. Ty Gibbs, No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
10. Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
11. Alex Bowman, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
12. Joey Logano, No. 22 Team Penske Ford
13. Christopher Bell, No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
14. Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
15. Brad Keselowski, No. 6 Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford
16. AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
17. Ryan Blaney, No. 12 Team Penske Ford
18. Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
19. Will Brown, No. 13 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
20. Todd Gilliland, No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford
21. Riley Herbst, No. 35 23XI Racing Toyota
22. Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
23. Cole Custer, No. 41 Haas Factory Team Ford
24. Noah Gragson, No. 4 Front Row Motorsports Ford
25. John Hunter Nemechek, No. 42 Legacy Motor Club Toyota
26. Zane Smith, No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford
27. Austin Cindric, No. 2 Team Penske Ford
28. Justin Haley, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
29. Josh Berry, No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford
30. Austin Hill, No. 33 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
31. Josh Bilicki, No. 66 Garage 66 Ford
32. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 HYAK Motorsports Chevrolet
33. Katherine Legge, No. 78 Live Fast Motorsports Chevrolet
34. Erik Jones, No. 43 Legacy Motor Club Toyota
35. Cody Ware, No. 51 Rick Ware Racing Ford
36. Ty Dillon, No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
37. Bubba Wallace, No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota
38. William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
39. Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
40. Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

With rain looming and NASCAR’s In-Season Challenge in play, the 2025 Grant Park 165 promises high drama from the moment van Gisbergen drops the clutch. The street course specialist will look to complete his perfect weekend, but Chicago’s unforgiving concrete barriers and unpredictable weather could turn Sunday’s race into pure chaos.