Sunday’s Cup Series race in the streets of Chicago was an exhilarating affair with a lot of newness to it. Rain, once again, drenched the roads and presented a challenge akin to last year. However, drivers had tire options this time around. Ty Gibbs, who finished in third place, was particularly excited with his racing experience.
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Comparing the wet weather race to dirt-track races, the Joe Gibbs Racing youngster explained his thoughts to the press. He said, “I feel like it’s kind of like a dirt track, honestly. Pick and choose your lines. See what line is drying up and is faster. You have to look around which makes it fun as we don’t get to do that a lot. I like that and it takes a lot of racing awareness to do that.”
Gibbs was one of the most dominant drivers on the 2.2-mile street circuit and led a race-high of 17 laps. He also placed highest amongst his teammates and was the only driver wearing Joe Gibbs colors in the top 10. Notably, he finished in third place in the Xfinity Series race that went down on Saturday as well. The trip to Chicago proved to be a pleasant affair for the 21-year-old.
From a broader perspective, he currently sits 84 points above the playoff elimination line with six races to go in the regular season. Though he has secured nine top-10s and five top-5s so far, a victory lane visit is still sorely missing from his campaign. His next chance to fill that gap will fall in the Pocono Raceway, where he made his Cup Series debut, this Sunday.
NASCAR created a thrilling experience under rain in Chicago
Unlike in New Hampshire, the promotion lets teams choose what tires they start their races on slick or wet compounds. This provided space to draw up strategies and implement them in a way the teams thought was right.
At the end of the day, this very choice created all the difference between winning and losing. The final chase between race winner Alex Bowman and runner-up Tyler Reddick evidenced that.
Towards the race’s culmination, it made all the sense for drivers to opt for slick tires. While Reddick put them on, Bowman chose not to go to the pit road. The exciting chase that followed saw the latter edge out as the winner and gain a spot in the upcoming playoffs. The sequence showcased everything right with wet weather racing.
