2025 Grant Park 165 Starting Order: Street King SVG Leads the Field

Shane van Gisbergen’s grip on the streets of Chicago just got even tighter. Fresh off a hard-fought victory in The Loop 110, Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race at the Chicago Street Course, the New Zealander made more headlines Sunday by storming to the pole position for the 2025 Grant Park 165, the 19th race of the NASCAR Cup Series season.

The three-time Australian Supercars champion clocked in at 89.656 seconds (88.338 mph) in his No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet, outpacing the entire 40-car field in dominant fashion. It marks his second pole of the weekend and sets him up to sweep Chicago’s street race doubleheader — a feat that would cement his growing legend in NASCAR.

A Street Racing Masterclass in Progress

Saturday, SVG showcased his resilience by outdueling teammate Connor Zilisch in a two-lap shootout to win The Loop 110, overcoming a malfunctioning cool suit, a balky carburetor, and mid-race pit strategy missteps. Just 24 hours later, he showed no signs of slowing down — laying down the fastest Cup qualifying time by nearly half a second over veteran road racer Michael McDowell.

With this pole, van Gisbergen continues to prove why he’s considered the best road and street racer in NASCAR today. If he can back up Saturday’s win with a Cup Series victory, he’ll become the first driver to sweep both Chicago Street Course events in a single weekend.

Top Performers and Notable Surprises

SVG’s pole lap was 0.468 seconds faster than McDowell, who will start second in the No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet. Young gun Carson Hocevar continued to impress, earning a third-place start, with Tyler Reddick and Chase Briscoe rounding out the top five.

Cup Series veterans Kyle Busch, Chris Buescher, and Ty Gibbs also cracked the top 10, while road course specialist AJ Allmendinger will roll off 16th.

However, some big names will have their work cut out for them on Sunday.

Trouble for Top Stars

Three top contenders — William Byron, Chase Elliott, and Denny Hamlin — did not register a qualifying time due to practice crashes and will start at the rear of the field. Each driver’s crew was forced to make repairs that rendered them ineligible for the session.

Meanwhile, Bubba Wallace struggled during qualifying, spinning out twice and ultimately settling for a 37th-place start.

Of the five non-chartered teams fighting for four spots, Corey Heim was the odd man out. After bending a toe link during his run, the No. 67 23XI Racing Toyota failed to qualify for the race.

Starting Lineup Highlights: Grant Park 165

Weather and Strategy Will Be Key

With temperatures in the 90s and a 40% chance of rain on Sunday, conditions could once again shape the outcome of NASCAR’s only street race. Rain played a critical role in van Gisbergen’s 2023 Cup debut win and contributed to last year’s shortened race, won by Alex Bowman.

If rain returns, SVG’s wet-racing expertise from his Supercars background will make him an even more dangerous threat.

News in Brief: 2025 Grant Park 165 Starting Order

With a win already in hand and a pole position secured, Shane van Gisbergen is on the verge of making history in Chicago. Sunday’s Grant Park 165 offers the chance to complete a weekend sweep no one has achieved before — and from the looks of it, the streets of Chicago may once again bow to the street-racing king from New Zealand.

The race goes green Sunday, July 7 at 2:00 p.m. ET on TNT, with radio coverage on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

ALSO READ: Shane van Gisbergen on Pole: Full Xfinity Series Chicago Street Race Lineup Revealed for The Loop 110