NASCAR's historic inaugural race around the streets of downtown Chicago almost immediately fueled excitement around next year's plans for a 2024 NASCAR Chicago Street Race.
Will NASCAR make its return to the Windy City? The answer is yes. Here's what we know so far.
NASCAR Chicago 2024 dates
While we know there will be a NASCAR Chicago Street Race in 2024 -- after Sunday's epic win, despite record rain, NASCAR fans are already counting on it -- the dates are currently TBD, according to NASCAR.
Thankfully a page dedicated to the 2024 Chicago Street Race is already built allowing fans to join the waitlist to attend next year's event and even pay a deposit to reserve priority access to purchase a ticket package.
Are 2024 NASCAR Chicago tickets available?
Fans excited for next year's race have the option to pay a deposit for priority access to official ticket and experience packages.
Listed package options include: preferred seating selection, premium hospitality access, an exclusive walk on Pit Road, a podium trophy photo op and NASCAR driver experiences.
"With a $250 deposit, you can purchase before the general public when NASCAR Chicago Experiences' ticket packages become available," NASCAR wrote online.
Fans also can fill out a form to be on a waitlist for info. "Want to discuss Official Ticket Packages?" a NASCAR prompt reads on its website. "Fill out the form and we'll be in touch!"
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How long will NASCAR be in Chicago?
An agreement between the city of Chicago and NASCAR will keep the race in town for at least three years, through 2025.
Here's what the city said last July regarding the event: "Chicago is incredibly enthusiastic about the opportunity to serve as host of the 2023, 2024 and 2025 NASCAR Chicago Street Course events, and we stand ready to welcome NASCAR fans to our world class city."
Who won the 2023 NASCAR Chicago Street Race?
Shane Van Gisbergen won the highly anticipated race on Sunday despite turbulent weather conditions forcing several delays, capping off an incredible debut performance.
What did the winner get?
The 34-year-old, driving in a Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, will take home the biggest share of the $7,565,807 in prize money that will be allocated throughout the 37-driver field. He also earned a minimum of 40 points for the win as the playoff push for all drivers continue.
Who were the other top finishers?
After 47 laps, NASCAR notified all teams the race was being shortened from 100 laps to 75. At that point, Christopher Bell led the way with Tyler Reddick and Ty Gibbs lurking in second and third place, respectively.
But Bell, who won Stages 1 and 2, eventually spun and fell out of the top spot, prompting Justin Haley to take over. Haley led all the way with six laps to go until van Gisbergen made a special move to overtake Haley for first place, and the New Zealander closed it out a few laps into overtime.
Haley finished in second, while Chase Elliott, Kyle Larson and Kyle Busch rounded out the top five, in that order.
Bell ended up dropping to 18th while Reddick, who competed up top with Bell during a long portion of the early stages, plummeted even further to 28th after crashing into a tire barrier and getting stuck underneath.
How else did van Gisbergen make history?
The 34-year-old van Gisbergen, a New Zealand native, became the first driver to win his Cup Series debut since Johnny Rutherford in the second qualifying race at Daytona in 1963.
He became the sixth driver born outside the United States to win a NASCAR Cup Series race, joining Marcos Ambrose, Mario Andretti, Juan Pablo Montoya, Earl Ross and Daniel Suárez.
Part of Triple Eight Race Engineering, an Australian motor racing team, van Gisbergen came into the race having won three Supercars championships in 2016, 2021 and 2022. Trackhouse Racing, though, was van Gisbergen's team for this Cup Series race.
The Auckland, New Zealand native has competed in 499 Supercars Championship races, logging 80 wins, 174 podiums, 46 pole positions and recently finished first in the 2022 campaign with 3,523 points.
