Kevin Harvick reveals what needs to be done not to make Chicago Street Race a ‘complete joke’ and drivers seen as ‘complete fools’

The Chicago Street Race will be one of the biggest projects NASCAR has undertaken since the Next—Gen car.

Kevin Harvick reveals what needs to be done not to make Chicago Street Race a ‘complete joke’ and drivers seen as ‘complete fools’

Kevin Harvick at North Wilkesboro (Credits: @ejorourke41/Twitter)

The NASCAR Cup garage, after one of the best races of not making the 2023 season, is readying itself for one of the biggest mysteries of 2023. Chicago downtown will host the first-ever Street course race in the history of the sport, and it will be the street course debut of a majority of Cup drivers. Those who have experienced such events have never done it in Next-Gen cars.

NASCAR is entering Chicago, one of the most rewarding sports markets in the US, aiming to attract a new set of fans to the sport. 2014 NASCAR Cup champion Kevin Harvick has given his thoughts about the race next weekend. Harvick is one of the few who has actual street course experience. He has driven in NASCAR regional tour LA Street Course race in the late 90s before making it to the Cup.

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The sanctioning body wants this race weekend to be a success, and for it to be one, Harvick believes they need to organize a better event than a better race. He pointed out that it’s extremely important to put on a good show, exclusively in a city like Chicago, to leave a long-lasting impression on the fans.

“Chicago’s obviously a huge market for anything with all the people and eyeballs, and I’m all for events, great events – I love great events – and Chicago is going to be an event. It’s in a great setting,” Kevin Harvick said.

https://twitter.com/NASCARChicago/status/1673348192161652737

“I think everybody’s looking forward to the challenge of the course and trying to do everything we need to do to put on a good show. Whether you have a good race or not, the event is almost made before you get started,” Kevin Harvick added.

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Kevin Harvick at NWBS
Kevin Harvick at North Wilkesboro Speedway (Credits: @StewartHaasRcng)

NASCAR’s most recent decision involves introducing a new track, the 2022 LA Clash at the Colosseum. It was one of the most entertaining events of the 2022 season and has a decent second stint in 2023 as well. Harvick pointed out that many predicted it would be a joke, but NASCAR pulled it off. He wants the same thing to happen in the controversial Cup event in Chicago.

“I look back at the Busch Clash last year at the L.A. Coliseum, and before we left for that race, everybody thought it was going to be a complete joke, and we thought we were going to look like complete fools, but it was probably the best event of last year,” Harvick said.

“When you look back at that, and you remember how much fun you had in the car, and you see the way it was perceived and the way the racing was and everything that happened, it was a phenomenal way to kick off our season,” Harvick added.

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