NASCAR remains in talks to bring a street race to Chicago, and the working goal is to hold the event for the first time in ’23, sources say. SBJ understands that NASCAR is in active discussions with the city, including Mayor Lori Lightfoot, about the possibility. Also involved is Chicago Sports Commission Exec Dir Kara Bachman. A source told SBJ that the sides are working toward holding the event next year, but that the talks are complicated and not yet near completion. So, they could still collapse without a deal or see a further delay to ‘24.
NASCAR had a longtime presence in the Chicago region, having raced at Chicagoland Superspeedway, roughly an hour drive from the city, from ’02-19. However, the venue has been shuttered since then, and NASCAR wants to get back to that important Midwest market. Moving a race from a far-flung suburb to a downtown city center would fit with NASCAR‘s goal to start racing in more urban locations.
