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NBC scores big with NASCAR ratings for Xfinity race at Chicago

Brian Jones Profile Picby:Brian Jones•07/09/24•

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Xfinity Series
Jul 6, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Xfinity Series driver Shane Van Gisberaen (97) and driver Kyle Larson (17) race side by side during The Loop 121 at the Chicago Street Race. Mandatory Credit: Mike Dinovo-USA TODAY Sports

The Xfinity Series Chicago Street race was a big hit with NASCAR fans and NBC. On Tuesday, NBC Sports announced that Saturday’s race averaged a total audience delivery (TAD) of 1.8 million viewers on NBC and Peacock. The race is NBC Sports’ most-watched Xfinity Series race since the 2015 Homestead and is the fourth-most-watched Xfinity Series race on record.

Saturday’s race was one of the more exciting races of the season as Shane van Gisbergen got past Ty Gibbs and Kyle Larson to win The Loop 110. Van Gisbergen has now won three Xfinity Series races this season and claimed three Chicago Street Race victories since last year.

“That’s awesome, what a great race,” van Gisbergen said after the race. “It was pretty wild there at the end, but I can’t thank the Kaulig Racing guys enough. It was great racing to start with Kyle [Larson]. He was really good on the restarts and we made our car better with the second set of tires, but whooo, that was fun at the end passing all those guys. Had some great racing with everyone.”

Larson, who has won three Cup Series races this year, competed in his second Xfinity Series race of the season on Saturday and finished third. After the race, Larson said he enjoyed racing against van Gisbergen.

Kyle Larson talks competing in Xfinity Series Chicago Street Race

“I was having a blast,” Larson said. “Obviously, I wanted to win today but I wanted to learn more than anything. I wanted to get to battle with him because he’s just really good at creating shapes and angles and passing. That was an objective of mine and the first opportunity I got, I wanted to get racing because I just didn’t know if I’d have another opportunity to race with him. My car seemed to be a little better than his for a lap or two which helped me get by him and was able to protect and stuff but he was so much better than me.”

The 2024 Xfinity Series season has been anchored by drivers like van Gisbergen, Chandler Smith, Austin Hill and Cole Custer. The four drivers mentioned have qualified for the playoffs, but van Gisbergen is the only driver in the Xfinity series to win three races. The Xfinity Series has eight more races before the playoffs begin on Sept. 28 at Kansas Speedway.