What to watch for in today's NASCAR Cup race on the streets of Chicago

NASCAR holds back-to-back weekends of racing on courses that turn right and left. Today it is the streets of Chicago. Next weekend it will be the road course in Sonoma, California.

Much can change over the next two races — and particularly today’s race with the possibility of rain in the forecast.

Here’s a look at what to watch for in today’s Chicago Street Race:

A game of chicken …

Unlike road courses, the Chicago street course has walls and barriers. Make a mistake and the penalty could be significant damage to the car.

Drivers have to be daring but measured in their moves.

“If you go in (to a corner) side-by-side, even if you’re the guy trying to make a pass and you make a mistake going into a 90-degree corner, if you lock up the inside tire, you could easily stuff yourself and the guy you’re trying to pass in the tire barrier,” said Todd Gilliland, who finished seventh in last year’s Chicago Street Race.

“You just really, really have to balance it – risk versus reward. It’s definitely a tougher place to pass. There are obviously a lot of really good braking zones, but it’s almost like playing a game of chicken with yourself.”

Shane van Gisbergen won in Mexico in the most recent Cup road course race.

Three-time Cup champion Joey Logano was asked this weekend what his favorite part of the track is.

“It’s probably Victory Lane, I just haven’t seen it yet,” he said laughing. “Up to this moment, it’s been the ride home. Hopefully, it’s not like that this time.

“This track is very challenging in its own way. When you look at Turns 1 and 6, you have no run-off, so there aren’t many street courses that I know of at least, where you have long straightaways with literally no run-off, so the risk is huge here.

“When you go to push it, you send it in there a little bit too far, and we’ve seen that where a car goes straight right into the tire barrier. You don’t have the ability to make mistakes and just turn around and get back going again.”

Watch the points race

Bubba Wallace, who starts 37th, enters today’s race holding the final playoff spot. He has a 23-point lead on Ryan Preece, who starts seventh. Erik Jones, who starts 34th, is 49 points behind Wallace. Eight races remain in the regular season.

Those just above Wallace also have to be worried. Alex Bowman is 39 points above the cutline. Chris Buescher is 52 points above the cutline.

Bowman entered this race a year ago holding the final playoff spot. He won the event to secure a playoff spot.

With AJ Allmendinger (three Cup road course wins), Michael McDowell (one Cup road course win) and Daniel Suarez (one Cup road course win) all outside the cutline, a win by them would take a playoff spot and move the cutline up. McDowell starts second, Allmendinger 16th and Suarez 18th.

Bubba Wallace leads Ryan Preece by 23 points for the final playoff spot heading into Sunday’s Chicago Street Race.

Buescher says he’s focused on wins because of the likelihood the cutline will move up before the regular season ends.

“It’s a must-win,” said Buescher, who starts eighth. “I don’t think you can look at it and say it’s not. I think we need to go to the racetrack and we need to take chances and be fast. All of that brings points with it and if that’s what we have to fall back to, then I hope we fall back and say that it was enough and we were proud that we were fast enough to earn those points in these stretches.

“I know over the last five weeks I saw a stat where our team has put more points on the board (183) than anybody else in the garage, so that’s not because we’re points racing. That’s because we are bringing fast Mustangs to the racetrack.

“We’re executing at a high level across the board and we’re working on just getting these small details, fine-tuning this last little bit to where we can be in contention to win or put a trophy up on the shelf and that ultimately is the lock in.”

Will rain impact the race (again)?

Rain has played a key role in the previous two editions of this race. The forecast for today’s race does call for a chance of rain.

A race that is partly in wet and dry conditions could prove challenging for teams.

Shane van Gisbergen scores his third career NASCAR Cup pole.

“I feel like most things that you would do for the car in the rain, are really going to hurt the car in the dry so trying to manage that the best you can and understand what those things are and what the weather is really going to do” Alex Bowman said. “There have been so many times that we’re sure it’s going to rain and it doesn’t rain and sure it’s not going to rain it does rain, so I wish I could be wrong about my job as much as the weatherman.

“But yeah, I mean, I think it’s continued to look like more rain (Sunday), so certainly have to be cognizant of it and, kind of know where we need to be with the race car to capitalize on that.”

Said Brad Keselowski about the possibility of rain for the race: “I hope it doesn’t rain, not just for the competitors but for the fans. I hate it for them when it rains. This is such a unique experience and I just want it to be a perfect day for everybody.”

Watch the back of the pack

Three of the top four drivers in the points will start at the back of the pack and the driver holding the final playoff spot also will be starting in the back with them.

William Byron (points leader), Chase Elliott (second in points) and Denny Hamlin (fourth in points) all will start at the back of the field.

Alex Bowman is the defending winner of the Chicago Street Race.

Byron and Elliott did not make qualifying attempts after contact with the wall in separate incidents in practice. Hamlin suffered a blown engine in practice.

Byron is scheduled to start 38th, Elliott 39th and Hamlin 40th in the 40-car field.

Also, Alex Bowman (qualified 11th) and Kyle Larson (14th) will move to the rear of the field after repairs to both cars, meaning all four Hendrick Motorsports cars will start at the back of the field.

Starting 37th will be Bubba Wallace, who holds the final playoff spot by 23 points on Ryan Preece. Wallace had contact on his qualifying run.