NASCAR Hits The Streets Of Chicago

Kerry Tharp, Darlington Raceway President, has a message.

Throughout its 75-history, NASCAR has been known to step outside its comfort zone and try something different. That’s been particularly true the past couple of decades.

For example, when NASCAR introduced the playoff system in 2004, it was considered both dramatic and revolutionary. Having a dirt race with stock cars at Bristol Motor Speedway? Unheard of. Or how about transforming the iconic Los Angeles Coliseum into a quarter-mile short track for the Busch Clash? That’s impossible. This weekend’s event in Chicago likely tops them all in terms of innovation and originality.

For the first time ever, the sights, sounds, and speed of NASCAR are coming to the streets of downtown Chicago. The Windy City, long known for its illustrious sports history, likely hasn’t experienced anything like what is going to take place with the running of the Chicago Street Race. The unprecedented 12-turn, 2.2-mile street race will take the NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR XFINITY Series past and through many of Chicago’s most well-known downtown landmarks, including Grant Park, Buckingham Fountain, and the northern edge of Soldier Field, the home of the Chicago Bears. The Chicago Street Race will become the 177th different track the Cup Series has competed on in its 75-year history. Needless to say, the drivers are in store for quite a challenge as they look to navigate through what is truly unchartered territory.

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