NASCAR Coming to Chicago
On the Nascar website, Nascar will hold “Chicago Street Race Weekend” at the beginning of July 2023.
This street race will be the first of a kind involving the NASCAR Cup Series. Stock car racing has definitely been in oval paces with banked turns. The street courses are way much more basic inside open-wheel racing, like Formula 1.
“Like the Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum, we seized an incredible opportunity to add an unprecedented element to our schedule. And take center stage in the heart of another major metropolitan market,” said Ben Kennedy. He is a senior vice president of the actual racing development and strategy in communication.
Another person stated, “This is the ideal setting for the first-ever NASCAR Cup Series Next Gen cars and the IMSA machines will race along the shores of Lake Michigan in downtown Chicago, marking a truly historic moment for our sport.”
NASCAR is going to be located inside Chicagoland Speedway and will be its first race in a while.
Street Racing Technical Parts
The street race course incorporated technical parts of a few iconic downtowns. Scenes include Michigan Avenue, Lake Shore Drive, and even Grand Park and Buckingham Fountain.
It’s been informed that “Chicago’s streets are as iconic as our skyline and our reputation as a world-class sports city is indisputable,” said former Chicago Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot in a statement. “Chicago’s world-class entertainment and hospitality industries. Coupled with our city’s history as a conduit for sports talent, make us perfect hosts for this unique event.”
Traffic Plans for the Street Race
Chicago’s NASCAR street racing is coming closer than before. Also, the city is announcing many plans to navigate the traffic during the first-ever event. NASCAR announced some plans for the city’s first-ever street race last summer.
It was partially preceded by an International Motor Sports Association race on July 1, 2023. The CBS had proven the 12-turn, 2.2-mile course where the top NASCAR drivers will push through the park on closed-off streets lined with some grandstands.
“Tourists of the City of ChicagoOne of the big initiatives is to drive tourism to the City of Chicago,” said Julie Giese, Chicago Street Race president, “Looking at our sales currently, we have representation from 48 states in 12 different countries. With obviously 80-some days left to go, we anticipate those numbers just to continue to grow.”
Therefore, changes start weeks before the actual race. The city is definitely preparing many drivers to get more comfortable with the potential for such a traffic mess. Which will most likely include road closures and parking restrictions.
NASCAR 2023 Cup Series
Written by: Isaiah Grissett
Sources:
NBC Sports: NASCAR street race coming to Chicago in July 2023
CBS News: City announces traffic plans ahead of Chicago’s first-ever NASCAR street race
NASCAR: NASCAR reveals Chicago Street Race on tap for 2023 Cup Series season’s July 1-2 weekend
Top and Featured Image Courtesy of Charles & Hudson‘s Flickr Page – Creative Commons license
Insert image Courtesy of Meagan‘s Flickr Page – Creative Commons license
