Full Breakdown
NASCAR's Chicagoland Weekend Merges Rolling Stones Promotion, Young Talent, and In-Season Challenge Drama
7/7/2026, 6:43:33 AM
Rolling Stones Collaboration and Official Statements
NASCAR partnered with the Rolling Stones to promote the band’s 25th studio album *Foreign Tongues*. The partnership produced a music video for the single “In The Stars,” starring three of the sport’s youngest Cup drivers—Connor Zilisch (19), Carson Hocevar (23) and Jesse Love (21). A custom show car served as a listening lounge at Chicago’s Navy Pier and Plaza of the Americas, and two NASCAR-themed vinyl editions of the album were released.
NASCAR licensing vice-president Megan Malayter said the collaboration leverages the Stones’ multigenerational appeal to attract younger fans. Hocevar praised the chance to “keep throwing stuff at the dartboard,” while Zilisch noted the shoot gave him a fresh connection to the band’s music.
In-Season Challenge Upsets and Penalties
Round 2 of the NASCAR In-Season Challenge at Chicagoland produced five upsets, with lower-seeded drivers advancing: Alex Bowman (seed 32) over Austin Cindric (16); Todd Gilliland (25) over Carson Hocevar (9); Chase Briscoe (12) over Ty Gibbs (5); William Byron (11) over Kyle Larson (6); and Christopher Bell (10) over Chris Buescher (7). The top-four seeds—Denny Hamlin (2), Ryan Blaney (3) and Chase Elliott (4)—remain in contention.
Race officials recorded 21 penalties, the most common being pitting before pit road opened (14 instances). Kyle Larson received a tail-end penalty for an early pit on lap 96, and Tyler Reddick was penalized for a tire violation on lap 233; additional infractions involved pit-road speeding and excess crew presence.
Criticism & Opposition
The compiled sources provided no public criticism or dissent regarding the Rolling Stones partnership, the In-Season Challenge outcomes, or the penalty enforcement.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
All reported figures—driver ages, upset counts, and penalty numbers—are consistent across the sources; no contradictory information was identified.
Verbatim Quotes
- “No matter who you are or where you’re from or how old you are, you know who the Rolling Stones are,” — Connor Zilisch, NASCAR driver
- “The Rolling Stones, they’re iconic, they’ve been around since 1962, and so they appeal to that generation that was there, but they have just such history, folklore, and nostalgia around them that they appeal to the younger audiences of today,” — Megan Malayter, Vice President of Licensing and Consumer Products, NASCAR
- “It was cool. It was fun,” — Carson Hocevar, NASCAR driver
- “They made us dress up like we were in the 90s and wear leather and have all this jewelry on,” — Connor Zilisch, NASCAR driver
What’s Next
The In-Season Challenge resumes at EchoPark Speedway on July 12, where the remaining top seeds will vie for a championship berth. NASCAR’s Rolling Stones partnership also includes a merchandise collection and two NASCAR-themed vinyl editions, extending the collaboration beyond the Chicagoland weekend.
