Reports: NASCAR in talks to make Chicago Street race possible as soon as 2023

Reports: NASCAR in talks to make Chicago Street race possible as soon as 2023

NASCAR plans to introduce Street track at Chicago

NASCAR has been going through a systematic overhaul for a couple of years in its efforts to attract more fans to the sports as the sports have been seeing a decline in interest from the young demography. The introduction of Next-Gen cars, diversity initiatives. Etc were NASCAR plans to stay in relevance.

NASCAR has been planning to follow Formula 1 and IndyCar by introducing a street circuit to its colander soon. Street races are massive logistical and financial undertakings, but the interest they generate from fans is forcing NASCAR to check out the feasibility.

Now newly emerged reports from Sports Business Journal Suggest that NASCAR is planning to introduce a street race in the city of Chicago by the upcoming season.

What is the current status of the possible Chicago Street race?

NASCAR
Chicagoland Superspeedway

Newly emerged reports suggest that NASCAR is in active discussions with the city governess, Mayor, and Chicago Sports Commission Exec Dir Kara Bachman to work out a way to hold the race event next year. The deal is still to materialize completely and it may also see a further delay to 2024.

NASCAR had its presence in Chicago for a long time until it was replaced from the NASCAR schedules, at the Chicagoland Superspeedway situated at the Chicago Suburbs. The track hosted its last race in 2019 and is been shut since which see NASCAR missing out on the Midwest market.

But moving a race from the suburb to a downtown City Center would fit with NASCAR’s ambitions to expand as NASCAR revealed their plans to concentrate their races more on urban locations. NASCAR’s plan to move from the traditional rural or suburban tracks to Urban tracks successfully experimented on L.A. Coliseum this year and NASCAR clearly wants more share of that pie.

Also read: Penske President Tim Cindric cautions NASCAR of more ‘teething issues,’ with Next-Gen car