Racing Insights: Can Christopher Bell Break His Bad Luck — or Will a New Winner Emerge in Chicago?
As the NASCAR Cup Series returns to the streets of Chicago, all eyes are on Christopher Bell — a driver brimming with talent but still chasing his first big breakthrough of the 2025 season. Bell has shown flashes of brilliance on road courses in the past, but luck hasn’t been on his side lately. So the question heading into this weekend’s Grant Park 165 is simple: Can Bell finally flip the script, or will Chicago crown yet another new street course winner?
Bell’s road course resume is strong. He’s a two-time Cup Series winner on road layouts and often runs near the front in these technical, tire-sensitive races. But in 2025, bad luck and late-race misfortune have derailed promising runs. Whether it’s ill-timed cautions, pit road issues, or just plain racing chaos, Bell hasn’t been able to convert speed into results.
Still, his raw pace remains undeniable. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver has top-tier equipment, a cool, calculated style, and a deep understanding of how to manage tires — all crucial on a street course like Chicago’s 12-turn, 2.2-mile layout. If his team nails the strategy and Bell avoids the chaos, he could be a serious threat to win.
But standing in his way is a stacked field — and a growing list of contenders hungry for their own breakout moment.
New Faces in the Mix
With Shane van Gisbergen, Alex Bowman, and Tyler Reddick already having wins on the streets, it’s likely we’ll see a familiar face near the front. But don’t rule out a first-time winner. Young drivers like Ty Gibbs and Josh Berry have looked strong on road courses this season, and a wildcard victory isn’t out of the question in a race known for unpredictability.
Chicago’s tight corners and unforgiving walls leave little room for error. One small mistake could open the door for a driver to steal the win — especially in the closing laps when chaos tends to erupt.
📊 Driver Stats – Chicago Street Course & Road Course Performance
🔹 Alex Bowman
- 2024 Chicago winner
- 2 top-5 finishes in last 3 races
- Finished 11th or better in last 3 races
- Previously had 7 finishes of 27th or worse in 9 races
🔹 Tyler Reddick
- 2024 Chicago runner-up
- Most laps led on road courses since 2022: 206
- Most points on road courses since 2022: 614
- Tied-most road course wins: 3
- Tied-most poles: 3
- Tied-most stage wins: 4
- 2nd-most top 5s on road courses since 2022: 8
- 2nd-most top 10s on road courses since 2022: 13
🔹 Ty Gibbs
- Most points scored on street courses
- 1 of 3 drivers with top 10 finishes in both Chicago races
- 3rd-most laps led on road courses in 2025
- Still seeking 1st Cup Series win
🔹 Michael McDowell
- 1 of 3 drivers with top 10 finishes in both Chicago races
- 11 top 10s in 19 road-course races since 2022
- Last win: Indy Road Course, 2023
- 66 races since last win
📈 Racing Insights’ Top 10 Projected Finishers – Grant Park 165
- Shane van Gisbergen (#88)
- Christopher Bell (#20)
- Kyle Larson (#5)
- William Byron (#24)
- Chase Elliott (#9)
- Ty Gibbs (#54)
- Tyler Reddick (#45)
- Chris Buescher (#17)
- Michael McDowell (#71)
- Ross Chastain (#1)
The Bottom Line
Bell has the skill and the speed — now he just needs the breaks. If fortune finally swings his way, don’t be surprised to see him in Victory Lane. But if the unpredictable nature of the Chicago Street Race strikes again, we could be looking at yet another new winner adding their name to the growing list of street course success stories. Either way, expect fireworks in the Windy City.
