The winner of the 2024 NASCAR Chicago Street Race has crossed the finish line, with Alex Bowman claiming victory in another wet and crash-filled race.
Rain delays forced the race to end early, with NASCAR rules dictating racing must conclude by 8:20 p.m. CT. The time limit meant the race still fell short of the planned 75 laps.
Bowman was in the lead at the moment 8:20 p.m. CT struck. With that, the white flag was waved, followed by the coveted checkered flag.
Bowman, who broke an 80-race win drought and marked his first street race win, notably won the last NASCAR Cup Series race at Chicagoland Speedway.
“We have a trophy to take home and I know it means a lot to this team,” Bowman said. “They put me in position to win the race. And man, I broke my back, had a brain injury and we’ve kind of sucked ever since. And you start to second guess if you’re ever going to get a chance to win a race again and last one, we won.”
Racers navigated some wet conditions at the start, with the rainy weather posing an interesting challenge for drivers and crews as they were forced to decide which tires to use for the race. Rain initially only began in some parts of the course while other portions remained dry, but as the race went on, the wet weather worsened.
Bowman planned to enjoy the victory celebrations. “We’re going to drink so much bourbon tonight,” he said.