Hendrick Motorsports unloaded four really fast Chevrolets for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series Grant Park 165, which will be contested around the 2.2-mile, 12-turn Chicago Street Course. But if any of the HMS drivers is to emerge victorious in Sunday’s race, they’ll have to do so from the rear of the field.
STARTING LINEUP: NASCAR Cup Series Grant Park 165 at Chicago
Following Saturday’s hectic NASCAR Cup Series practice and qualifying sessions, Hendrick Motorsports confirmed that all four of its drivers — Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott, William Byron, and Alex Bowman — will be among the many cars dropping to the rear of the field prior to the green flag in Sunday’s race.
What’s that @Drake line about starting from the bottom again?
Unfortunately, due to needed repairs, all four cars will start tomorrow’s race from the back. pic.twitter.com/FaxmIcGLyJ
— Hendrick Motorsports (@TeamHendrick) July 5, 2025
Byron and Elliott were already slated to start at the rear as they were unable to complete a qualifying lap after suffering suspension damage in incidents with the walls around the street course in practice. Prior to the contact, Byron, the regular-season championship leader, had turned the second-fastest lap in the practice session, while Elliott, last weekend’s race winner, was third-fastest.
Bowman carried the banner for the Hendrick Motorsports team in qualifying as he nailed down the 11th-fastest lap in the qualifying session. Larson wasn’t far behind Bowman in the 14th position. However, both of the remaining Hendrick drivers suffered damage in qualifying, which necessitated their teams to make unapproved adjustments following the qualifying session.
Obviously, the Chicago Street Course is a treacherous race track with several heavy braking zones. While there will be opportunities to make passes for the Hendrick drivers, there will also be plenty of opportunities to make mistakes on the way up through the field.
In the two previous editions of this event, the worst that a race winner has started was eighth, and that was accomplished by Bowman last year. The top three finishers in this race a season ago all started eighth-or-better.
That’s not to say a great finish isn’t possible from a starting spot deep in the field as Joey Hand, and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. finished fourth and sixth in this race last year after starting 38th and 33rd, and in the inaugural Chicago Street Race, Justin Haley nearly won the race after starting 37th. Elliott started 26th and finished third in the 2023 Grant Park 220 at the Chicago Street Course.
It’s definitely possible, but all four drivers will have to show quite a bit more constraint around the treacherous street course than they did on Saturday if they hope to pull off the victory on Sunday in the Grant Park 165.
