CHICAGO (WLS) — Shane van Gisbergen won the NASCAR Cup Series in Grant Park on Sunday afternoon.
After multiple weather delays, the race finally kicked off, but it was cut down to 75 laps from 100 laps. That race was supposed to begin at 4:05 p.m., but started just after 5:15 p.m.
“It was crazy seeing the rain. I was heartbroken, thinking I wasn’t gonna go,” said Caron Steele.
It was a long day of uncertainty, but fans finally heard that beloved sound.
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“It’s just so exciting to hear the sound of the cars rippling through the city,” said Stuart Llewellyn.
Pit crews did what they could to clear the track of standing water after hours-long deluge, using every resource available, including a leaf blower.
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“Once we saw it was tapering off, we saw they were drying the cars off, we got excited. We hit it, and got down here,” said John Llewellyn.
Elijah Williams helped sing the national anthem, which they moved inside the media room to usher in the race.
“I’ve been a racing fan pretty much my whole life, and this is actually my first NASCAR event. And, I got the opportunity to perform. It feels surreal,” Williams said.
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Fans were more than ready, especially since the weather kept drivers off the race past their scheduled start time.
“I feel like a soggy mess. My sweatshirt is soaked. My shoes, I feel like I’m walking on water, but it’s worth it,” said Amber Jeschke.
“We got absolutely soaked, but we had a fun time,” said Will Otter.
“I’m excited about it. I mean, it’s the first time anything like this has happened, so I’m very happy to be part of it,” said Malcolm Majors.
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