It’s all about the finest margins. Just ask Kyle Larson, who beat Ty Gibbs by one-hundredth of a second to secure pole position at Chicago Street Course. Larson posted a fast lap of 87.836 seconds during the second round of qualifying, with a top speed of 90.168 mph. In comparison, Ty Gibbs’ lap time was 87.846, with the difference being negligible to the average Joe while being worlds apart for a racecar driver. That’s why Larson is considered one of the most talented drivers in the world.

Finishing on pole in Chicago is a big improvement from his result last year, as the Hendrick Motorsports driver finished seventh. While it may appear as ‘progress’, the race took place in different weather conditions and on an unknown race course. Factors that have undoubtedly played a role in the overall result.

Kyle Larson credits his team for the qualifying result

If the Xfinity Series race is anything to go by, it has proven that Kyle Larson can go wheel-to-wheel with arguably one of NASCAR’s best drivers on road courses, Shane van Gisbergen. He may have finished behind van Gisbergen and Ty Gibbs in The Loop 110, but there was plenty of promise in his performance, that Larson will hope to replicate in the Cup Series race. The Hendrick Motorsports driver won his fifth Busch Light Pole Award, a career-best for the driver, but he gave credit to his team for the achievement.

After qualifying on the pole in Chicago, Kyle Larson was asked if he takes more pride in performing well on a road course as compared to a standard oval. He replied in the pole-winner press conference, “I don’t feel like I’m any better of a road racer one year later. I think my team is, like I just mentioned, this is our second year here, they studied their notes from last year and made our car a lot better in areas where I needed help. I think that’s what makes me really proud too is that we have a team that’s capable of doing that you know.”

Comparing his performance in qualifying this year to the last, Kyle Larson went on to say, “I felt like last year, in qualifying especially, the Gibbs cars were, gosh, I was like ‘I’m a second off the pace’. I mean, I still made the final round but I was like close to a second off the pace. This year, we barely beat Ty but you know, compared to Martin or Denny, or Reddick, guys like that, I feel we are quite a bit better than what we were last year. I’m mostly, on this weekend, proud of that and our team.”

Larson may have a point. Last year, Denny Hamlin (1:28.435) and Christopher Bell (1:29.224) finished ahead of the Hendrick Motorsports (1:29.512) driver during qualifying, with pole-sitter Hamlin being over a second ahead. This time around, there was a significant improvement in his performance on the 2.2-mile course, as his No. 5 Chevrolet was fastest in practice, and in qualifying. However, the real test will be in the cup race itself, where Kyle Larson will look to secure his fourth win of the season.

Kyle Larson’s qualifying result will be an encouraging sign for the rest of the drivers as well. After all, Shane van Gisbergen is quickly developing an ‘unbeatable’ reputation on the road course, having won two out of two races in Chicago; one in 2023 and then the Loop 110 on Saturday. With Larson starting on the pole, and the Kiwi behind him in fifth place, it will give others hope that the former three-time champion in Australia’s Supercars series is only human.

What are the bookies saying about the race?

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Shane van Gisbergen will look to win his second NASCAR Cup Series victory on Sunday. Coincidentally, the Kiwi’s first win was at Chicago Street Course, where he will be looking to double that tally and defend his crown.

• Having already won the Xfinity Series race this weekend, Shane van Gisbergen and Tyler Reddick are the 6-1 co-favorites to take the chequered flag, according to the latest NASCAR betting odds.
• Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell follow at 13-2 and will be popular picks for many. Bell, in particular, was arguably the most dominant driver in last year’s race, dominating the first two stages before falling short towards the end. His performance on similar tracks is commendable, having finished as runner-up at COTA and posted a top-10 finish in Sonoma earlier this year.
• Surprisingly, William Byron is 14-1, presumably because he won at COTA, but his results since then have been less than satisfactory.
• Meanwhile, Denny Hamlin, who finished 11th in qualifying, is 22-1. Unlike traditional superspeedways, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver has struggled on street races and road courses and isn’t a favorite to win Grant Park 165. Hamlin finished in 11th place last year, which is the same position in which he will begin the race this time around.

However, considering that he is one of NASCAR’s all-time greatest drivers, it’ll be wise to never rule him out. Who do you think will win the Grand Park 165? Let us know in the comments!