Entering the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season, Hendrick Motorsports has been the benchmark of consistency up until the Grant Park 165. All four HMS drivers currently sit in the Top 10, including William Byron leading the standings, followed by Kyle Larson in the 3rd position, Chase Elliott in the 4th, and Alex Bowman in the 10th. The groups have combined for multiple victories, including Larson’s wins at Kansas and Bristol, and Byron’s triumph in the Daytona 500, marking a narrative of both dominance and depth across diverse tracks. With road-course prowess especially strong in 202, Hendrick cars have accrued 5 of the last 9 wins, and expectations were sky-high for today’s Chicago event.

The Grant Park 165 remains one of NASCAR’s most unpredictable spectacles, weaving through gridlocked streets and weather-prone microclimates. Forecasts predicted scattered thunderstorms midday, complicating rubber management on the heat-stressed circuit. While Shane van Gisbergen took to the victory lane in Xfinity, the nail-biter will be Sunday’s Cup race. Pit crew strategies were already in overdrive, as the qualifying session saw major setbacks for Denny Hamlin with his blown-out engine and Kyle Larson and Michael McDowell making their selections, but a dramatic twist has shuffled the deck once again, as major teams have been hit with a huge roadblock ahead of the final showdown.

NASCAR rulebook scrambles starting grid with last-minute setbacks

Just hours before the green flag of Chicago’s Grant Park 165, NASCAR’s official dropped a bombshell, as nine Cup Series entries, including Nos. 4, 5, 9, 10, 23, 47, 48, and 78, will drop to the rear of the field due to unapproved post-qualifying adjustments that blatantly violated NASCAR’s impound rules. Additionally, Denny Hamlin’s #11 Toyota is penalized to the back following a last-minute engine change, completely upending the original starting grid in what the officials described as a serious breach of chassis-and-engine regulations. NASCAR reporter Chris Knight wrote on X, “Whopping list. Probably the biggest of the year.”

The penalty wave hits Rick Hendrick‘s team the hardest. All four of HMS’ Cup cars, including #24 driven by William Byron, are affected. Byron crashed heavily during Saturday’s practice, breaking a left-rear toe-link, forcing repairs that ruled him out of the qualifying. “I had just pitted, so my tires were probably just coming up to temp again. I took it easy the first half of the lap and I was starting to push, being close to the alternate start/finish (line) and just lost traction,” said Byron. The team later decided to fix the damage to both Alex Bowman’s and Kyle Larson’s cars, resulting in penalties for all 4 entries.

On the other hand, Hamlin’s qualifying hopes in Chicago unraveled before he even hit top speed, when his #11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota erupted past Turn 4 during practice. “I hadn’t even hit the gas yet,” Hamlin told TNT Sports after the bottom of the engine catastrophically let loose, spewing oil and bringing the session to a halt. The unexpected failure forced an immediate engine swap, relegating him to the rear of the field for Sunday’s race despite leading in the early-season wins, including triumphs at Martinsville and Darlington. But the penalties that hit next shattered all his hopes for running smoothly in the final showdown.

Hamlin’s car was hit with a rear drop for changing his engine after it failed in practice, adding him to the growing list of sanctioned cars. Meanwhile, 23XI Racing‘s #23, driven by Bubba Wallace, #4, driven by Noah Gragson, and #10, driven by Ty Dillon, also had to undergo unapproved post-qualifying adjustments, earning them the same penalty.

According to NASCAR regulations, once qualifying concludes, teams are prohibited from performing any mechanical or chassis adjustments unless under direct oversight, which includes modifications to suspension, body panels, or drivetrain components. This could be a huge loss for the teams just ahead of the NASCAR Cup Series’ most challenging street-course race.

Amid the penalty shuffle, Shane van Gisbergen will still start from pole, having posted an impressive 88.338 mph lap in qualifying on Saturday. “Thought it was going to be a lost cause when the strategy went wrong, but it worked out well. Thanks to JRM, the car was a rocket,” Gisbergen said, reflecting on strategy and the team’s performance. Following him are Michael McDowell and Carson Hocevar, who will begin P2 and P3, respectively. SVG now stands in sharp contrast to the penalized cars trailing behind after already securing a glorified win at the Xfinity race at The Loop 110.

With the narrow 2.2-mile Grant Park street course offering limited overtaking opportunities, beginning at the back could drastically hinder chances for title contenders. Those penalized, especially Byron, Bowman, Larson, Hamlin, and Wallace, must rely heavily on clean strategy, flawless pit work, and caution flags to climb the field. As NASCAR enthusiasts prepare for a high-stakes Sunday, all eyes are on how these drivers will fight back from a grid full of chaos.

How Hendrick and Gibbs built a powerhouse

Rick Hendrick isn’t known to hand out praise easily, but when asked about Joe Gibbs during a Zoom panel two years ago, his admiration was unmistakable. He called the first time they met on the sidelines of a freezing Washington Redskins game. “He almost froze to death,” Gibbs joked. But Hendrick didn’t show up as a fan. That moment turned into a lasting mentorship that helped Gibbs build Joe Gibbs Racing into a future NASCAR dynasty. As Hendrick said, “We always text each other and congratulate each other after we win.”

Joe Gibbs‘ path to NASCAR wasn’t straightforward. “I loved all forms of racing. I had a motocross bike, raced some motocross stuff, some drag racing, and stuff. Loved it all and just kind of fell in love with cars, period. Watched NASCAR, of course. Never dreamed I would have a chance, you know, to get in it,” he said on Kevin Harvick’s ‘Happy Hour’ podcast. It was Hendrick, Gibbs was told, who could make that dream happen. That advice led to a cold game-day invite, a friendship, and a breakthrough. “I found out he’s a Redskin big fan,” said Gibbs. “Invited him to a Redskins game. That’s a great story because he almost froze to death down on the sidelines. But Rick let Jimmy Johnson—at that point was his GM—help me, and that’s how we kind of got started.”

That bond grew into something far more impactful than an afternoon on the sidelines. Hendrick opened the doors for Gibbs, connecting him with GM support, engine resources, and even shop space on Harris Boulevard. With equipment from Darrell Waltrip’s crew and a steady supply of engines, Joe Gibbs Racing debuted in 1992 with the #18 Interstate Batteries car. In 1993, Dale Jarrett’s Daytona 500 win catapulted the team into relevance. And while JGR would eventually shift to Toyota in 2008, the foundation of Gibbs’ success is still rooted in Hendrick’s early support. Today, with 5 Cup Series titles and 4 in Xfinity, the respect between the two giants, born in the cold, remains as warm as ever.