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NASCAR’s first Street Race in Chicago was plagued by bad weather but could it be that it was a smashing success anyway?
What worked, what didn’t, and where NASCAR goes from here
Over a year ago, NASCAR announced something bold. The Cup Series wouldn’t return to Road America in 2023. Instead of tackling that world-famous road course, the Cup Series field would take their show on to the roads of Chicago for what was dubbed a Street Race. At the time it seemed like a marketing stunt. A gimmick that would go over about as well as most NASCAR drivers seem to handle a road course… not well. What we ended up getting was a weekend full of surprises both from nature and from NASCAR.
The Setup
The Chicago Street Race was born out of the pandemic. When things came to a halt, NASCAR kept fans’ attention by broadcasting virtual events on a platform called iRacing. In November of 2020, the folks at iRacing took the time to go and scan the real streets of Chicago so that they could hold a virtual event there. What surprised the powers that be at NASCAR though was the fact that the virtual track seemed like one that they could race on in real life if given the chance.
Fast forward to 2023 and that’s exactly what we got. An over 2.2-mile, 12-turn course that raced through the heart of downtown Chicago and Grant Park. It’s an iconic city with a rich history but very little in the way of motorsports. A surefire success it wasn’t as Mother Nature tried her best to put a damper on the street racing fun.
What Went Wrong
When historians look back on the weekend of July 1st and 2nd, 2023, they’ll have two notable things to consider that happened in Chicago. The NASCAR Street Race is one, and record rainfall is the other. The downpour was so bad that some parts of the city experienced flooding which led to a slew of calls for emergency workers to assist.
In case those real human needs weren’t enough, the skies weren’t only filled with rain but also with lightning. To that end, the grandstands had to be evacuated from time to time to keep fans safe. The precipitation was so bad that the Xfinity race on Saturday was cut short by a little more than half of the scheduled distance. In an attempt to avoid a similar fate, NASCAR officials shortened the Cup Series race on Sunday down to 75 laps instead of 100 before it even began.
What Went Right
Despite the poor weather, a lot went right in Chicago. Most of all, the racing itself was outstanding. Many feared that the tight corners would end up being too much for the NASCAR drivers to manage without a bevy of crashes, cautions, and as a result, very little actual racing. That simply wasn’t the case despite the subpar grip on the track.
Cole Custer won on Saturday as he continues to fight for the Xfinity Championship and a New Zealander from Australian V8 Supercar fame, Shane van Gisbergen, won in his NASCAR debut at Sunday’s Cup Series event in the Trackhouse Racing Team’s number 91 Chevrolet Camaro. What’s more, is that fans across the city still came out in droves to enjoy what parts of the event they could. Many enjoyed the race from buildings throughout downtown too all while staying dry, comfortable, and safe.
Where NASCAR Goes From Here
Considering all that the NASCAR Street Race proved to be in 2023 it’s a full-on lock for 2024. As we’ve mentioned, the weather tried but failed to put a damper on a pair of exciting races. Just imagine how the weekend would’ve looked had the weather cooperated and fans had the chance to get the full experience that NASCAR had planned. We bet the powers that be are licking their chops at the chance to do this same event again next year.
What’s even more promising though is what it means for the rest of the nation. NASCAR is traditionally an oval-track racing sport with only a few road courses scattered throughout the season. The success of the Chicago Street Race opens up the possibility, really the inevitability, that NASCAR will bring a similar style of racing to multiple cities around the country. While road and street courses aren’t as easy to view in their entirety from a spectator standpoint, they’re often far more exciting.
Now, NASCAR has a chance to increase not only its own fan base through directly racing in cityscapes but also to elevate its position in the world of motorsports. Other racing series that are considered closer to the bleeding edge of automotive technology like WEC, IMSA, and Formula 1 might have a serious new contender for fans’ attention and it’s all because NASCAR was willing to take this fight to the streets.
