When the NASCAR Cup Series returns to Chicagoland Speedway this weekend, it will mark the track’s first Cup race in seven years.
The last Cup Series event at the 1.5-mile Illinois oval came on June 30, 2019, when Alex Bowman finally broke through for his first career Cup victory after one of the most memorable finishes of the season.
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Bowman held off Kyle Larson over the closing laps to win the Camping World 400 by just 0.546 seconds, earning the first of what has since become multiple Cup Series victories.
Alex Bowman survived a late charge from Kyle Larson
The race looked like it might belong to Larson after he erased a sizable deficit during the final green-flag run.
Larson briefly took the lead with 10 laps remaining, but Bowman battled back and reclaimed the top spot just two laps later. From there, Bowman held on despite constant pressure from the No. 42 Chevrolet.
The victory was especially emotional for the Hendrick Motorsports driver, who had finished runner-up three times during the first half of the 2019 season before finally breaking through.
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After climbing from his car in Victory Lane, Bowman admitted the moment was everything he had worked toward.
“It’s all I’ve wanted my whole life.”
The celebration wasn’t exactly perfect, however.
Bowman accidentally drove his No. 88 Chevrolet into the muddy infield while trying to celebrate, leaving the car stuck before he could make it to Victory Lane.
Laughing afterward, he joked:
“I’m the dumb guy that won the race but got the car stuck in the mud.”
Final results from NASCAR’s last Chicagoland Cup race
The top 10 finishers in the 2019 Camping World 400 were:
Kevin Harvick dominated much of the afternoon, leading a race-high 132 laps, but faded to a 14th-place finish after making contact with the outside wall late in the race.
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Bowman’s victory also completed an impressive afternoon for Hendrick Motorsports, with Jimmie Johnson finishing fourth, William Byron eighth and Chase Elliott 11th.
Chicagoland finally returns to the Cup schedule
Following the 2019 race, Chicagoland Speedway disappeared from the NASCAR Cup Series schedule as the sport reshaped its calendar over the next several seasons.
Now, NASCAR returns to the Joliet oval with Sunday’s eero 400, ending one of the longest absences for a former Cup Series venue.
Alex Bowman remains the defending winner at Chicagoland Speedway, a distinction he has held since capturing his first career Cup victory nearly seven years ago.
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