Chicagoland Speedway has produced a massive variety of winners over the years. We've seen drivers like David Butterworth and Steven Spears rise to the top. We've seen Bill Werkheiser and Randy Dobbins consistently dominate in one-off performances. This year, expect more of the same.

Race Results

Points Standings

Race Recap

A stereotypical front row of Rick Jackson and Zach Michael led the field to the green flag. Matt Raboin stalled on the grid, with an ensuing accident just three laps in. Steven Spears barricaded the wall head-first after contact with Scott Deutsch entering turn-1. Spears would fail to continue, finishing a career-worst 46th place. Dalton Lucas was also involved in the crash. He and Deutsch would hobble past the attrition to a 27th and 29th place finish.

The worst accident of the season sent obliteration and horror into the heavens. Tony Long exterminated the outside wall after contact with rookie Trae Larkin. His car descended from 173 miles per hour on wheels to 64 mile per hour against the catchfence in a full second.

Trae got smashed in the driver-side a-frame by Aaron Cummings, while Long catapulted unconsciously over the field. He landed upside-down violently mid-track and cartwheeled like a top eleven times before coming to a stop on his roof. He laid in the infield grass for several minutes before the medical team transported him to the ambulance by handcart. There is no word on his condition.

The race finally resumed with green flag aspiration from below, and prayers to the Tony Long family and Extravaganza community from above. Dave Miller, who took the lead in a much overshadowed three-wide maneuver through the middle, blew up before taking the green. He would finish 39th. Zach Michael, Ken Pettit and Tony Pizzaro led the charge as the field finally took speed for good.

Zakk Miller led the field by nearly a full lap after short-pitting halfway through the run. The tire-wear was a miraculous twenty miles per hour off pace from the initial laps, giving Miller the privilege of putting Adam Crapser, Scott Jackson, Logan Sheets and Jonathan Skrabacz one lap down on the strategy. They would remain there after a Frank Womack and Randy Dobbins accident on lap 89. Neither driver would continue on.

From lap 93 to 187, Alex Crapser led the field, completely obliterating the competition. Zakk Miller cruised directly behind for the first run. After a Dakota Wilkins and Bink Lucas yellow, Crapser would pull away from the field after the restart, giving himself a miraculous seven-second advantage after the tire run.

Amazingly, Zach Michael erased the entire distance and led the way after coming in just a couple laps before Crapser. The two fiercely battled for the top-spot, swapping the lead several times while allowing Rick Jackson to gain on both. The rest of the field were nowhere to be found, leaving it a three-man race with 30 laps to go.

Zach Michael again had the advantage by 1.5 seconds over Crapser after the final green flag stop. Crapser and Jackson were catching before a Ken Joynt and Matt Raboin spin brought out the final caution. Joynt was in 9th place, ending his excellent run while enveloped in another bout of misfortune. Chauncey Redmond Jr. and Rob Scarberry attempted to fly through the crash to no avail. Both drivers and Raboin would fail to continue.

The final restart saw Timothy McDonnell and Donald Stewart suddenly in the fray. They would fail to be a contributor early into the final 15-lap shootout, but side-by-side action between Michael and Crapser with eight laps to go brought the #44 and #55 into the mix. Michael held him off the first time around, but a bonzai move on the outside of turn-2 catapulted the #04 barely against the quarter panel of the #20. The two side-drafted down the straightaway, entering turn-3 where Crapser's two-lap fresher tires proved advantagous. He would lead the field to the stripe with two laps to go and never look back.

It's been since Talladega in the fall of last season for anyone other than John Battista to win in a Lucas Racing chevrolet. Finally, Alex Crapser brings out the goods and finishes it off in grand style. Several times at Richmond, he has been involved in a crash while leading with less than 50 laps to go, handing the victory to Ryan Heuser each time. Last year the same thing happened at Michigan, involved in a devastating frontstretch accident, handing the win to Heuser again. This time, the #138 was nowhere in sight. Congrats to Alex, crew chief Cheato Jacobsen and the entire Lucas Racing organization for an excellent victory!

2023 Tropicana 400 Video