The 2025 Grant Park 165 kicked off under tense skies as scattered thunderstorms threatened the unique 2.2-mile street circuit weaving past iconic landmarks like Buckingham Fountain and Michigan Avenue. A late-race spectator medical caution on Lap 61 briefly halted the action, adding to the unpredictable nature of the street layout. Meanwhile, penalty announcements relegating all four Hendrick Motorsports’ entries and Denny Hamlin to the back for post-qualifying changes only intensified strategy shifts, forcing teams into a game of recovery on concrete walls and tight turns.

With their grid positions scrambled, top contenders like Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott, and Alex Bowman found themselves navigating the unforgiving urban track without the luxury of clean air or early drafting opportunities. Meanwhile, Chase Elliott, who acknowledged both the unique atmosphere and local frustrations, suggested that keeping the event fresh might mean rotating host cities in the future. With the event serving as Round 2 for the In-Season Challenge, every restart, caution, and pit call carried double impact, therefore leading to on-track skirmishes. One such upheaval between Joey Logano and Ross Chastain grew to an extent of cursing into the radio itself.

Logano explodes on Chastain as the Chicago race turns ugly

What began as a tactical battle through the course escalated into outright frustration by Lap 64. The field was bunched under caution after Austin Cindric came to a stall in Turn 6, prompting a tight restart that quickly unraveled. Ross Chastain, Joey Logano, and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. all became embroiled in the melee. Stenhouse took the hardest hit, suffering heavy damage after being pushed into the barriers, while several trailing cars were forced into evasive maneuvers to avoid the pile-up.

Moments after the chaos, Logano’s radio crackled with frustration, and as Jordan Bianchi from the Athletic noted, “Ross (Chastain) better get the f—ing information right before he goes and wrecks somebody. And there’s f—ing six cars behind me wrecking into me, and then he destroys me from four back. That motherf——.” His explosive language underscored how significantly he blamed Chastain for the central collision that disrupted half the field.

Throughout the weekend, drivers frequently raised alarms about the treacherous conditions at Turn 10 on Chicago’s Grant Park circuit, a notorious bump followed by a rapid downhill entry. Logano himself warned in a pre-race interview, saying, “I mean, it’s sketch. You’re kind of booking around the waterfall there, and then you’re switching directions.” That unstable surface set the stage for the chaos that erupted on Lap 64.

Joey Logano was coming in hot on the corner entry and bumped into the #1 Chevy, but Kyle Larson on the outside lane didn’t cut Chastain any slack and spun him. The Melon man quickly fired his car back up and took the #22 Ford of Joey Logano and Ricky Stenhouse with a slide job. Things were heating up as the checkered flag was coming closer by every lap. But, it seems like Ross Chastain might have made an enemy or two after his shenanigans in the streets of Chicago.

As tensions simmer after the dust-up in Chicago, the incident between Joey Logano and Ross Chastain may prove to be more than just a mid-race clash; it could be the catalyst for a larger rivalry brewing in the final stretch of the 2025 season. With playoff positions tightening and tempers nearing a boil on these unforgiving street circuits, the line between hard racing and reckless aggression grows even thinner. With multiple wrecks, be it from Carson Hocevar, Austin Cindric, or Ross Chastain, the race has been a bumpy ride for drivers and fans alike.

Joey Logano confronts Ross Chastain after the race

Well, the three-time champion isn’t one to shy away from a fight. Be it throwing hands at Rowdy Buch or going face-to-face against Denny Hamlin. After the race, Bob Pockrass asked the Penske driver about the incident and he didn’t mince words in calling out Chastain.

“I think he, he admitted that he wrecked me on purpose. It should mean, he should get fined. If you admittedly wreck someone on purpose, that’s not okay. Yeah, typical Ross, he just sees red and does dumb stuff. It’s twice this year on road-courses at the end that I’ve been crossed by Ross,” Logano argued.

This came after the two drivers exchanged words, and Logano seemed visibly frustrated while having a chat with the Trackhouse Racing driver. Clearly, Logano has had enough of the rough treatment from his rival and with the season heading into playoffs, we might want to keep a tab on this. All in all, it was a good day for Trackhouse Racing as SVG won the race and Chastain, despite the controversy, managed a top 10 finish.