The Windy City has increasingly becoming a colossus of sorts in the Cup Series. It certainly is the only venue of its kind in the NASCAR calendar — whereas other races are contested atop cordoned off ovals and road courses, the Grant Park 165 swirls through the heart of Chicago’s financial district.
Such a dynamic can make for captivating viewing. In 2023, Shane van Gisbergen bested all comers in his first-ever NASCAR race, becoming the second driver in Cup Series history to win his debut. The 2024 iteration of the race was similarly captivating — Alex Bowman ended his 80-race winless streak while Ty Gibbs, Joey Hand and Michael McDowell all notched top-five finishes.
What could be in store for the race in 2025? Only time will tell. But the race’s qualifying session is certain to play a vital role in shaping its final standings.
MORE: Watch the Grant Park 165 live with Fubo (free trial)
With that, here’s what you need to know about the results from Saturday’s qualifying round at Chicago.
Who won the Grant Park 165 pole for 2025?
Shane van Gisbergen took home the pole at the Grant Pole 165, posting a scorching 89.656s lap time, about half a second faster than front row counterpart Michael McDowell.
van Gisbergen, who raised gold at the first-ever Chicago street race, entered into the weekend one of the most likely candidates to appear at the top of the field. He’s a savant on road courses, already nabbing one checkered flag at Mexico City this season.
He’s in good position to pick up another in the Windy City. Don’t let van Gisbergen’s paltry regular season points total fool you; he’s a killer, particularly atop one of NASCAR’s most notable surfaces.
“Practice wasn’t that great, and I went out in qualifying, and the car felt really good,” Van Gisbergen said, per NASCAR.com. “I learned a lot in the Xfinity car this morning, and that just gives you a great leg up for the Cup car.”
Grant Park 165 starting lineup 2025
| Starting pos. | Driver | Car No. | Team |
| 1. | Shane van Gisbergen | 99 | Trackhouse Racing |
| 2. | Michael McDowell | 71 | Spire Motorsports |
| 3. | Carson Hocevar | 77 | Spire Motorsports |
| 4. | Tyler Reddick | 45 | 23XI Racing |
| 5. | Chase Briscoe | 19 | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 6. | Kyle Busch | 8 | Richard Childress Racing |
| 7. | Ryan Preece | 60 | RFK Racing |
| 8. | Chris Buescher | 17 | RFK Racing |
| 9. | Ty Gibbs | 54 | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 10. | Austin Dillon | 3 | Richard Childress Racing |
| 11. | Alex Bowman | 48 | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 12. | Joey Logano | 22 | Team Penske |
| 13. | Christopher Bell | 20 | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 14. | Kyle Larson | 5 | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 15. | Brad Keselowski | 6 | RFK Racing |
| 16. | AJ Allmendinger | 16 | Kaulig Racing |
| 17. | Ryan Blaney | 12 | Team Penske |
| 18. | Daniel Suarez | 99 | Trackhouse Racing |
| 19. | Will Brown | 13 | Kaulig Racing |
| 20. | Todd Gilliland | 34 | Front Row Motorsports |
| 21. | Riley Herbst | 35 | 23XI Racing |
| 22. | Ross Chastain | 1 | Trackhouse Racing |
| 23. | Cole Custer | 41 | Haas Factory Team |
| 24. | Noah Gragson | 4 | Front Row Motorsports |
| 25. | John Hunter Nemechek | 42 | Legacy Motor Club |
| 26. | Zane Smith | 38 | Front Row Motorsports |
| 27. | Austin Cindric | 2 | Team Penske |
| 28. | Justin Haley | 7 | Spire Motorsports |
| 29. | Josh Berry | 21 | Wood Brothers Racing |
| 30. | Austin Hill | 33 | Richard Childress Racing |
| 31. | Josh Bilicki | 66 | Garage 66 |
| 32. | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | 47 | Hyak Motorsports |
| 33. | Katherine Legge | 78 | Live Fast Motorsports |
| 34. | Erik Jones | 43 | Legacy Motor Club |
| 35. | Cody Ware | 51 | Rick Ware Racing |
| 36. | Ty Dillon | 10 | Kaulig Racing |
| 37. | Bubba Wallace | 23 | 23XI Racing |
| 38. | William Byron | 24 | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 39. | Chase Elliott | 9 | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 40. | Denny Hamlin | 11 | Joe Gibbs Racing |
