Carson Hocevar qualified in third place with strong expectations for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup race on the Chicago Street Course. However, by the end of the race, he had dropped to seventh place, while his teammate Michael McDowell overtook Shane Van Gisbergen and led the initial lap.
Just three laps into the race, Hocevar damaged the wall at the top of Turn 10 and then collided with the outside wall, losing control and spinning in front of the pack. This caused a multi-car wreck involving Brad Keselowski, Daniel Suarez, Austin Dillon, Todd Gilliland, Riley Herbst, and Supercars champions, resulting in severe damage to many vehicles and nearly blocking the track. AJ Allmendinger managed to get through without being cut off, unlike Keselowski.
Ryan Blaney and Ross Chastain were among the few who navigated a narrow gap between the barriers to avoid the crash. Additional collisions occurred behind the main pileup as drivers slowed down, with Cole Custer sustaining damage after hitting Erik Jones.
NASCAR had to stop the race with a red flag to clear the wreckage, which took 16 minutes. This accident also impacted the $1 million bracket challenge, where Hocevar, who was matched against Chicago’s Tyler Reddick in the final 16, was affected. Keselowski was competing against Ty Dillon, who remained in the tournament.
Though William Byron avoided the crash, the points leader encountered clutch issues early on, forcing him to pit and fall off the lead lap.
Fan Take: This chaotic crash early in the Chicago race highlights the unpredictability and intensity of NASCAR street course events, making for thrilling but nerve-wracking viewing. It underscores the growing challenge for drivers to maintain control on these complex urban circuits, which adds a fresh layer of excitement and strategy to the sport.
