07/01/2025
RFK Advance | Chicago
Chicago Street Event Info:
Date: Sunday, July 6
Time: 2 p.m. ET
Series: NASCAR Cup Series (NCS)
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Format: 75 Laps, 165 Miles, Stages: 20-45-75
TV: TNT Sports
Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90)
Weekend Schedule:
Saturday: 1 p.m. ET, Cup Practice (TruTV, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Saturday: 2 p.m. ET, Cup Qualifying (TruTV, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Sunday: 2 p.m. ET, Cup Race (TNT Sports, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Pace Laps:
- The streets of Chicago hosts the NASCAR Cup Series this weekend for the third Chicago Street Race. The 12-turn course spans 2.2 miles and is settled along some of the city’s top tourist attractions.
- Ryan Preece is the only driver in the NASCAR Cup Series to win a stage in both road-course races this season (Circuit of the Americas & Mexico City).
- Chris Buescher leads the Cup Series this season with an average starting position of 10.4, anchored by nine starts inside the top 10.
- He has four straight top-10 finishes dating back to Michigan, and over the last five races he leads the NASCAR Cup Series with 183 points earned.
- All four of Brad Keselowski’s top-10 finishes this season have come in the previous six weeks, including a runner-up result in Atlanta last weekend.
- The NASCAR In-Season Tournament continues this weekend at Chicago, with all three RFK Fords advancing into the “Sweet 16”. The second-round matchups are as follows:
- 3 Chris Buescher vs. No. 14 Zane Smith
- 15 Ryan Preece vs. No. 31 Noah Gragson
- 17 Brad Keselowski vs. No. 32 Ty Dillon
6 Team Info:
Driver: Brad Keselowski
Crew Chief: Jeremy Bullins
Partner: Kroger / Blue Buffalo
17 Team Info:
Driver: Chris Buescher
Crew Chief: Scott Graves
Partner: Fastenal
60 Team Info:
Driver: Ryan Preece
Crew Chief: Derrick Finley
Partner: BuildSubmarines.com
Keselowski on Road Courses
Starts: 48
Wins: —
Top-10s: 11
Poles: 1
- Keselowski is set to make his third start at the Chicago Street Course, where he finished 24th in the debut race and 18th a year ago.
- In 48 starts otherwise on road courses in his Cup career, Keselowski has a 17.2 average finish with 11 top-10s.
- Thus far in 2025, Keselowski has finishes of 15th (COTA) and 25th (Mexico City) on road courses.
Buescher on Road Courses
Starts: 37
Wins: 1 (Watkins Glen, 2024)
Top-10s: 16
Poles: —
- Buescher has been one of the most consistent drivers on road courses over the past three seasons, registering 15 top-10 finishes in the last 18 events.
- In two road course events thus far in 2025, Buescher has two top-10s with a P7 result in COTA, and a 10th-place finish in Mexico City just a few weeks ago.
- In 37 races on road courses, Buescher has a 12.8 average finish and 16 top-10s, including his first win on a road course at Watkins Glen last season.
Preece on Road Courses
Starts: 23
Wins: —
Top-10s: 2
Poles: —
- Preece makes his third start at the Chicago Street Course where he finished 34th last season, and has a career-best finish of 15th in 2023.
- Across 23 career races on road courses, Preece has two top-10s and a 22.5 average finish.
RFK Historically on Road Courses
Cup Wins: 6 (Mark Martin, 1993-94-95, Watkins Glen; Mark Martin, 1997, Sonoma; Carl Edwards, 2014, Sonoma, Chris Buescher, 2024, Watkins Glen)
- RFK on the Road: As an organization, RFK has made 263 starts on road courses in the Cup Series with five wins, 92 top-10s and 43 finishes inside the top five with a 17.4 average finish.
- Martin Goes Three-Straight in N.Y.: NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin is responsible for four of Jack Roush’s road course wins all-time, including three-straight at Watkins Glen from 1993-95. Martin dominated the three years, leading a combined 183 laps, and won all three from the pole. He also won once in Sonoma, in 1997, after also starting from the point to lead 69 of the 74 laps.
- Edwards Victorious Four Times, at Four Different Road Courses: Carl Edwards also visited victory lane for Jack Roush at Sonoma, driving to the win in 2014 after starting fourth. In Xfinity action, Edwards was victorious at WGI in 2012, Road America in 2010, and Montreal in 2009. In the 2012 event in New York, current crew chief Scott Graves was atop the box for one of his two Xfinity wins all-time on road courses.
- Buescher, Graves Former Road Course Winners: In Buescher’s first full-time Xfinity season in 2014, he and Graves found victory lane at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in August, after leading 25 laps that day in the No. 60 entry for Roush. Last season, Buescher led 19 laps and fought off Shane van Gisbergen at Watkins Glen to secure the sixth victory under the RFK banner (since 2022) and 143rdoverall for Jack Roush in NASCAR Cup Series action.
Last Time Out & Where They Stand
Atlanta: Keselowski 2nd; Buescher 9th; Preece 15th.
Points Standings (17: 14th, 60: 17th, 6: 28th): Buescher sits 52 points above the cutline while Preece remains 23 points behind Bubba Wallace for the final playoff spot. Keselowski gained three spots last weekend after earning a season-high points total at Atlanta.
