(Photo: Kevin Bowman | The Podium Finish)
CHICAGO — Justin Haley hit the wall in practice and started Sunday’s Grant Park 220 back in 37th — dead last.
But he didn’t let that derail the weekend for his No. 31 Kaulig Racing team.
Haley fought through the field and pitted early for service, a move that eventually gave him the lead and an opportunity to win the inaugural Chicago Street Race.
Instead, the 24-year-old from Winamac, Indiana got bested in the closing laps by Supercars ace Shane van Gisbergen.
“I put the team behind [Saturday],” Haley said about his practice incident. “We really were struggling at some of the braking zones and I got in the wall and had to stay late last night, didn’t get a chance to qualify. We repaired it, and I wrapped like half the car myself.
“I don’t feel like it was a complete loss. We still finished second. But definitely wish I would have been better. But that just comes down to being in that position more often.”
Haley spent the first part of the race working on the car, essentially pitting at every possible opportunity. As Stage 2 progressed, teams came to the realization that they could be racing against darkness and not until Lap 100 as anticipated.
Haley and crew chief Trent Owens pounced, surrendering track position during a Lap 30 yellow for service. When Stage 2 ended under caution on Lap 45, NASCAR announced that the race would end on Lap 75.
The teams that stayed out and kept their track position had no choice but to pit, and Haley, who had already improved 10 spots, was gifted the lead.
But at that point, Haley had lost his tire advantage. Kyle Larson, Michael McDowell, van Gisbergen and others who had just pitted started to drive through the field on fresh Goodyears, putting Haley in a vulnerable position.
Van Gisbergen, however, had the most pace. He got to Haley with eight laps to go and was mere feet away from taking the lead before a caution came out.
On the following restart, van Gisbergen took the lead entering Turn 2, but Haley fought back. He side drafted van Gisbergen down Dusable Lake Shore Drive, but the New Zealander dove it deep into Turn 4 and cleared Haley.
Just seconds before van Gisbergen took the white, a caution came out to give Haley one more opportunity in NASCAR Overtime. However, Van Gisbergen drove away on the restart to a historic victory while Haley settled for runner-up.
(Photo: Trish McCormack | The Podium Finish)
“It wasn’t much of a battle,” Haley said of the closing laps. “You’re just trying to do everything you can. I was really struggling into Turn 4. That’s where I wrecked yesterday, and our car was just so rough in the braking zone and I was really struggling there, trying to adjust my brake bias to be better there, and I just couldn’t. [Van Gisbergen’s] car was just smoother through there and could out-brake me.
“I don’t feel like he pulled away from me. I felt like I held my own there on the green-white-checkered especially, but was that just him only needing that five-car-length gap, knowing that it was his race to lose.
“I’ve never found myself in that situation in the Cup Series. Obviously, I have in the Truck and Xfinity Series, but the level of talent — I had Chase Elliott behind me and Kyle Larson and Shane and Austin Dillon for a little bit, all champions and multi-race winners. Big confidence boost for me.”
Haley’s mindset, though, is big picture. The team doesn’t have same support as some of the other Chevrolet teams, he said. Haley explained that he got just 20 minutes in the simulator for Chicago at 9 p.m. the Thursday before the race.
So when it’s all said and done, barring the circumstances, Haley can leave Chicago with pride.
“When you sit back at the end of the night and think about what we don’t have compared to the other teams and that we’re just at our — we’re just starting to blossom as a race team, it’s just incredible,” Haley said. “I feel like we’re realistic of where we need to be. AJ (Allmendinger, teammate) has put together some great runs. But it’s a fight.
“This is a tough race series, and every week it’s tough. Definitely enjoy it when we do run up front. That doesn’t mean that we can take tomorrow off, though.”
