The NASCAR Cup Series race at Chicago Grant Park was delayed due to rain. The good news came when the weather cleared up quickly, and the race was expected to run its full length. However, those passing showers put the teams in a tricky spot when it came to choosing their tires.

Unlike the race in New Hampshire, where NASCAR mandated a tire switch, in NHMS where both the Cup and Xfinity Series needed to use the “damp package”, and in Richmond, which saw the first use of wet-weather tires in a Cup Series points race (in this case to start the event), this time NASCAR did not leave it up to the teams as to when they could and could not run the wet-weather tires.

After the 2.2-mile course was declared wet by NASCAR officials, teams had the option to choose between on slick, non-treaded Goodyear tires or treaded wets to start the race. But fearing a loss in track position early in the race, many drivers and teams decided to go with slicks instead. This decision didn’t sit well with the fans, who predicted multiple wrecks and accidents because of it.

When journalist Bob Pockrass shared the mid-race update on X, some fans had mixed reactions, worried about the impact of the rain and tire changes. The post read, “Some teams are opting for slicks even with rain at some parts of the tracks.”

The likes of Martin Truex Jr, Joey Logano, Ryan Blaney, and a fair few others were on the slicks despite the wet conditions. Although this was a bold move by these teams and drivers, Chase Elliott’s crew chief, on the other hand, was not banking on this strategy call. Rather, he gave his driver four wet-weather Goodyear tires to kickstart the race, with him finishing P21. For those wondering, Elliott’s dismal result cannot be attributed to his tire choice, but to an unfortunate bump by Trackhouse Racing star Daniel Suarez (who, might we add, finished P11), while both were competing for a position within the Top-15.

It’s safe to say that Windy City did manage to turn some heads. Time became a factor as darkness encroached. Racers were challenged to show how they have evolved in wet conditions. But, ultimately, the end result produced a marvelous chase from Tyler Reddick on slicks, trying to catch Alex Bowman on wets. Wets won out with Bowman celebrating a victory, electing not to hit pit road, and maximizing tire life despite a drier line evolving to better suit slicks. And even the victor himself was surprised at what they just managed to pull off!

“Oh gosh, Blake’s (Harris) call, I never would have thought rain tires in the dry like that would have worked. So, just so proud of this No. 48 Ally Chevy team. I mean I made a big mistake earlier and tore the whole left-front off the car and ruined other people’s day. Just unacceptable and a mistake on my end. I have had a lot of screw ups lately and just happy to be here and get another trophy for these guys. … I am just really proud of this team, and it means a lot to win here and finally get a win at a road course. To do something like this is really special,” Bowman said in a post-race conversation.

It was strategy that mattered, and what we saw in the Chicago Street Race’s winner, Alex Bowman’s case, was a fine example of skill and strategy. However, if you ask fans, they weren’t too pleased with the tire situation!

A reaction to the contrasting tire strategies in Chicago

Although the decision regarding the tire rests was in the hands of the teams, being on slicks could have led to early chaos and crashes. Not every Cup driver has perfected wet-weather driving, which has produced race-ending crashes for some. As many fans weren’t thrilled to see these teams purposefully trying to create a ruckus, a fan wrote, “They should be fined and/or kicked out of the sport.”

Back in 2021, NASCAR had made a gamble when they decided to run a race at the Circuit of the Americas. While heavy storms and poor visibility already played spoilsport, the wet-weathers tires didn’t hold up either, with the “the circuit’s 20 turns…still slippery given the amount of water sustained” as per NASCAR. What it resulted in was five cautions for 13 laps, with Ryan Blaney, Bubba Wallace and Kevin Harvick, involved in a a crash. Later, the 2014 Cup Series champion didn’t mince any words when criticizing NASCAR. “We don’t have any business being out in the rain, period. All I can say is this is the worst decision that we’ve ever made in our sport that I’ve been a part of, and I’ve never felt more unsafe in my whole racing career, period,” he said.

In another incident during that same race, Martin Truex Jr and Cole Custer were involved in a Lap 25 accident, that saw the latter’s car being set on fire.

The debut Chicago Street Race race saw multiple cars lose control on the wet racing surface and crash into the wall. While aggressive racing is what a majority of fans appreciate, similarly, they are not fond of the caution laps and stoppages that could run down the race length. “This is about to be a crash fest.” 

Most of the teams do have weather radar. With more spells of rain showers expected to hit the track, this fan was baffled to see the teams opt for the slicks on a seemingly wet track, as he wrote, “Anyone looking at the radar and then putting on slicks is wild.”

Additionally, restarts on road courses are chaotic, to say the least. Moreover, after the drivers had slick tires in damp conditions, a fan was curious to see how many cars would get caught in early wrecks. “How many cars will be wrecked before the completion of the first lap?” It looks like this one saw it coming, albeit with a slight twist. Last year’s Chicago victor Shane van Gisbergen hit the wall on Turn 6 at Lap 25, after being bumped by Chase Briscoe, which ended his run.

On a similar note, Hendrick Motorsports driver Kyle Larson also hit the wall on Turn 6 during Lap 34, marking his early exit from the Grant Park 165 Race.

Another user pointed out that although NASCAR has given the control of calling the race to the teams, they will be held responsible in case this decision goes south. “NASCAR letting the teams decide. but they also gotta live with the consequences.”

This certainly wasn’t the last roll of the dice for teams and drivers today. There’s so much more to the race that none of us predicted, right from the leaders to the crashes to the ones who intentionally bumped and to the ones who won. As we process the second-ever street race, things will unfold. And while competition officials learn, so too do the drivers. Wet-weather racing has become more common than ever before in recent NASCAR history.

Not to miss: Since the 165-mile race was shortened from its original distance, it ended up at just under 128 miles at the checkered flag. That’s the shortest Cup Series race since 1992.