NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt Jr. visited the Chicago Street Race track and opinionated that the track would be a big challenge to overcome for the drivers. It will be one of the first-ever such events in the history of the sport. The political and other tension surrounding the event makes it one of the much-anticipated events in the 2023 schedule.
The two times Xfinity series champion recently visited the track and experienced the challenge the drivers will have in front of them. During an interview with CBS’s Marshall Harris, he revealed that the NASCAR race would be messy. He added that it would be good as the mistakes from drivers will help to assert the challenge of street course racing.
“In that first practice, there will be so many drivers making mistakes, having problems, hitting things… Yeah, and messy is good in this instance. So, it just really confirms the challenge of a street course or any new course,” Dale Jr said.
The richest NASCAR driver of all time shared his view on Street Course racing. he said that he had been waiting for the moment. He said, “I have long been excited about a street course race in NASCAR. I just didn’t know when or where it might happen or if it would ever happen,”.
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Dale Earnhardt Jr. discusses the speed drivers could reach in Chicago
The 12-turned 2.2 Miles track around Michigan, Columbus, and DuSable Lake Shore Drive to name a few streets, will be a huge challenge. Maintaining the optimum speed is vital for a better result. While discussing the optimal speed, Dale Jr. pointed out that the Next-Gen cars might race at speeds less than 50 while tackling the hard left and right corners of the temporary track.
“This should be anywhere from 70 to 90 miles an hour through the turn. They’ll be some breaking zones where they’ll get below 50, maybe? But for the most part, like there are some very fast turns,” Dale Jr. said.
“Drivers are gonna force each other into barriers. They’re not going to move over and allow each other the room they’re going to need. There’s gonna be a lot of contested spots where drivers are gonna push each other into walls even unintentionally,” Dale Jr. added.
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