Three-time Australian Supercars champion Shane van Gisbergen had posted the fastest average speed as all 10 cars took to the track in the last minute of Saturday’s final round of qualifying.
Van Gisbergen actually improved on his speed but so did Reddick and Hamlin. Hamlin’s wicked fast lap at 89.557 mph – the fastest registered of the day so far – gave him the top starting position in Sunday’s race.
The pole is Hamlin’s third of the 2023 season and second consecutive on a road/street course (he won the pole at Sonoma. It’s also the 39th of his career.
Sunday’s race on the 2.2-mile, 12-turn course through the Grant Park area of downtown Chicago will be the first on a street course in the 75-year history of the Cup series.
“It’s such a testament to these guys,” Hamlin said of his No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing team. “They did such a great job preparing me for these things. I also have to give a lot of credit to 23XI (Racing) for helping me to get better.
“It’s a lot of fun when you can have days like today. Our car is super-strong.”
Hamlin called the course “very, very good and raceable.”
“I think there are going to be a ton of passing zones. I was skeptic, I really was,” he said. “Who knows how it races but I just feel like the town has been very welcoming to us. Everyone we’ve seen walking down the street has been excited about the race.”
Reddick ended up second-fastest (89.513 mph), van Gisbergen – who was fastest in practice on Saturday – third (89.403 mph), Christopher Bell fourth and Daniel Suarez fifth.
Completing the top-10 starting lineup are Michael McDowell, Kyle Larson, former Formula 1 World Champion Jenson Button, Joey Logano and A.J. Allmendinger.
Round 1 / Group A
A rash of last-mite fast lap in the 15-minute session shuffled the lineup as Suarez topped the speed chart with an average lap speed of 89.234 mph.
Larson ended up second-fastest (88.701 mph) and Reddick third (88.618 mph).
Button and Allmendinger – who took the green flag just as time expired – also advanced to the final round of qualifying.
Among those who failed to advance were Alex Bowman, Bubba Wallace, Kyle Busch, William Byron, and Nashville winner Ross Chastain.
Round 1 / Group B
Hamlin set the pace early in the second 15-minute session with an average lap speed of 89.624 mph.
Van Gisbergen ended up second-fastest (88.482 mph) in what turned out to be his only attempt in the final minutes and Bell was third (88.026 mph).
McDowell and Logano rounded out the top five and advanced to the final round.
Among those who failed to advance were Chase Elliott, Martin Truex Jr., Ty Gibbs, Kevin Harvick and Ryan Blaney.
With three minutes remaining in the session, Elliott wrecked hard in Turn 8 and did significant damage to his No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet.
With Elliott came to a halt on track, NASCAR had to display a red flag, which halted van Gisbergen’s first attempt at a hot lap, but he was able to get another one completed in the final 3½ minutes.
As time expired, Harvick slammed into the Turn 1 wall and did significant damage to his No. 4 Ford.
Both Harvick and Elliott will move to back up cars and will have to start Sunday’s race from the rear of the field.
Chase Elliott SLAMS the wall!
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) July 1, 2023
He's out of qualifying in Chicago. #NASCARChicago
📺 : @USANetwork pic.twitter.com/M2Dh4Jj4bM
