Kaulig Racing Weekly Preview | Chicago Street Course

June 27, 2023

Grant Park 220
Chicago Street Course
NASCAR Cup Series (NCS)
Sunday, July 2 at 5:30 p.m. EST on NBC

So far in the 2023 NCS season, Kaulig Racing has earned six top-10 finishes and led one lap.

AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 BCI Acrylic Bath Planet Camaro ZL1

AJ Allmendinger will make his first NCS start at the Chicago Street Course for the inaugural Grant Park 220.
So far in the 2023 season, Allmendinger has led one lap and earned three top 10 and six top-15 finishes.

“Chicago is going to be very interesting. A street course takes me back to my roots of racing open wheel and being at a lot of different street courses. I think it’s a venue that, if it’s put on right, we can have a great weekend there as an industry. It’s a racetrack that a small mistake can have a huge penalty when it’s that narrow and surrounded by concrete walls. Anything can happen and we’re not really sure what to expect. Street racing is some of the most fun I’ve had racing in my life, so I’m looking forward to getting to Chicago and trying it out in a Cup car.”
– AJ Allmendinger on Chicago Street Course

Justin Haley, No. 31 Benesch Camaro ZL1

Justin Haley will make his first NCS start at the Chicago Street Course for the inaugural Grant Park 220.
So far in the 2023 NCS season, Haley has earned three top-10 finishes with a best qualifying effort of third.
After completing the 2023 Coca-Cola 600 and Alsco Uniforms 300, Haley now holds the record for the most NASCAR National Series miles completed in a single day by any driver in NASCAR history.

“There’s a lot of excitement as well as unknowns about Chicago. We’ve only seen virtual renderings of the street course, and it looks like it’s going to be a fun race. There will be a lot of entertainment and value brought to the fans so cool to get the market back to the Chicago area. It’s going to be something new, and it’s always an honor to be a part of events like that.”
– Justin Haley on Chicago Street Course

The Loop 121
Chicago Street Course
NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS)
Saturday, July 1 at 5:00 p.m. EST on USA

So far in the 2023 NXS season, Kaulig Racing has earned four wins, 10 top fives, 24 top-10 finishes, two pole awards and has led 419 laps.

Justin Marks, No. 10 Jockey Chevrolet Camaro

Justin Marks has made 35-career starts in the NXS.
Marks has earned one win, three top fives and seven top-10 finishes, all of which came at road courses.

“I’m a big fan of street races, so I’m really looking forward to getting back in a Xfinity car with Kaulig Racing. This is the type of racing I cut my teeth on. It’s a challenging type of race, but I feel like this is a great move for NASCAR. It’s indicative of where the sport is going right now, looking for unique events that can attract types of fans.”
– Justin Marks on Chicago Street Course

Daniel Hemric, No. 11 Cirkul Chevrolet Camaro

Daniel Hemric will make his first NXS start at the Chicago Street Course in the inaugural The Loop 121.
Hemric currently sits 10th in the NXS standings and has earned one top five and seven top-10 finishes during the 2023 season.

“This is a super exciting weekend for our sport heading to Chicago. It is always fun to prepare for a brand-new place that no one has ever been to. Growing up, I would go to all these different race tracks all over America having never seen them before. We didn’t have the tools to learn about them until we got on track for the first time. This will be a similar challenge that I’m looking forward to. Hearing that over 80% of the ticket sales here this weekend are from brand new race fans that have never attended a race, is very exciting. We have a great opportunity in front of us, not only as a sport, but also here at Kaulig Racing. Hopefully we can go have a great weekend in our Cirkul Chevrolet and give our guys an opportunity to do something special.”
– Daniel Hemric on Chicago Street Course

Chandler Smith, No. 16 Quick Tie Products Chevrolet Camaro

Chandler Smith will make his first NXS start at the Chicago Street Course in the inaugural The Loop 121.
Smith is sixth in the NXS points standings with one win, two stage wins, four top fives and six top-10 finishes.

“I feel like I’ve rarely gone into a race weekend with this many unknowns, so I’ll give you what I do know. Kaulig Racing has a great road course program, and the No. 16 Quick Tie Products team has had solid pace on road courses this year. All the testing and simulator work we’ve gotten at Chicago gives us a baseline of what the street course will be like, but I think it’ll be a very different thing once we hit the track for the first time Saturday. Overall, this will be a really cool event, and I hope we can secure a strong finish from it.”
– Chandler Smith on Chicago Street Course