For three years, NASCAR has come to Chicago in early July and shut down streets in the heart of downtown in order to stage two races on those same streets.
For three years, rain cast a literal and figurative cloud over the event. For three years, I was there to take it all in.
I hope that this was just the third year, and not the final year.
NASCAR’s deal with the city of Chicago has mutual options for two more years, and a decision on the race’s return has to be made within 90 days.
As I wrote yesterday, a plethora of options are on the table. Here’s what I wrote:
“There are several options that seem to be, from the outside looking in, on the table. One is continuing the race as is. Another is returning to Chicagoland Speedway in far-suburban Joliet. Or perhaps returning to the Road America road course two-and-half hours north in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. Perhaps there could be a Chicago Street Race and a race at Chicagoland, but that would require adjustments to the schedule. Yet another option is keeping the Chicago Street Race but changing weekends so it’s not so close to the busy Fourth of July holiday.
As for San Diego, there’s no reason the series can’t have two street races in a year, but that would also likely mean schedule changes — the calendar is already jam-packed.
Perhaps the Chicago race could be on a semi-annual timeline.”
What I didn’t get into was the economics of it all. Some powerful civic voices have complained that a race that costs $5 million to put on didn’t bring enough money in — or that NASCAR got the better end of the deal, financially speaking.
On the other hand, at least one business owner told local news that the race was a boost to the bottom line.
Simply put, if the race is making the city — and local businesses — money, that’s an obvious argument for its return.
From Block Club Chicago:
The 2024 race generated $128 million in total economic impact for the city and $9.6 million in state and local tax revenue, according to last year’s economic impact report.
This year, NASCAR is expected to pay the Park District $605,000, plus $2 per ticket sold and 25 percent of net sales from food, beverages and merchandise.
It’s too early to know what the 2025 race generated in economic impact and tax revenue.
Attendance did fall short of stated goals in 2023 and 2024, but weather clearly played a part. Record-setting rain drenched the city in 2023 and forced the cancellation of event-related concerts. That obviously kept people away. Last year, the sun shined on the Xfinity race and it appeared that Sunday would be dry before spot showers came out of nowhere right as the engines fired.
We’ll see how this year’s forecast affected attendance — the race was dry all the way through, but meteorologists were warning of rain when I tuned into the local news the night before.
I do think shortening the race distance and moving the start time up were smart moves — there was room for potential rain delays.
Local politicians say they have concerns about traffic disruption, noise, and quality-of-life issues, but Chicago politicians often just want a piece of the action. There’s a reason why the unofficial motto for the city is “Where’s mine?”
Perhaps compromise is in order — the race could return but on a different weekend that isn’t close to a holiday. Perhaps the course could change to keep Lake Shore Drive open to civilian traffic — and perhaps more run-off room can be added. That last bit would address the biggest complaint from drivers and also put the event more in line with the IndyCar street races in cities like Detroit.
The future may be uncertain, but the past is knowable, and there’s just something awesome about seeing race cars on public streets with Chicago’s beautiful skyline providing a backdrop. It’s a visual that no speedway can provide. Fans, at least those with deep pockets or the necessary connections to score a pit pass, can get incredibly close to the cars. And the dry weather meant that drivers in both series could push harder and drive faster.
The course also makes for incredible racing. Drivers must be spot-on to avoid a mistake that will send them into a wall. Passing is challenging so decision-making matters. And the surface is, at least according to winner Shane Van Gisbergen, still slick even when dry. The heat and humidity played a part, but there’s no doubt that painted lane lines and the fluids dropped by commuter cars also affect grip.
And then there’s the bumps. I haven’t yet watched the broadcast reply, so I don’t know if it showed on TV, but from the photo areas near Turn 6 I could see the left-front tires of most cars catching air as the drivers hit the apex.
I also spotted more than a few drivers locking their front-right brake as they approached Turn 7.
It all made for some incredible racing, even if Van Gisbergen’s street-racing experience made him standout from the field. And even if an early wreck caused by Carson Hocevar led to a red flag because the narrow track meant that both several cars would be collected in the crash and that cleanup would be difficult.
Chicago’s skyline is a happy accident of geography and urban planning. The lakefront location frames the downtown scene beautifully, and the work of Daniel Burnham and others to make sure that most of the land closest to the water was set aside for parks means the high-rise hotels, offices, and apartment buildings rise like a wall over the area. A wall full of beautiful architecture. Add in the El chugging away in the background and NASCAR rarely looks so good.
I am biased — I’ve lived 99 percent of my life in or near Chicago. And I live far enough from the temporary track that my life would’ve been undisturbed by the road closures. So my perspective isn’t exactly neutral. But now that we’ve seen the Cup cars get to race in the dry, I am more sold than ever on the idea of the street race. I had my doubts in 2023, but it soon became clear that NASCAR could run the event well. And lessons have been learned each year — lessons that improve the fan experience and reduce the inconvenience for residents.
My vote doesn’t matter. But if it did, I’d make the Chicago Street Race a permanent fixture on the calendar.
NASCAR would find Chicago to be a sweet home.
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