Everything You Need to Know About Chicagoland Speedway

For the first time since 2019, NASCAR is heading back to Chicagoland Speedway.

The 1.5-mile oval in Joliet, Illinois, returns to the NASCAR Cup Series schedule as part of Fourth of July weekend after several years away, bringing one of the sport’s most popular intermediate tracks back into the spotlight.

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Whether you’re watching the race from home or planning a trip to the track, here’s everything you need to know about Chicagoland Speedway before NASCAR’s return.

Where is Chicagoland Speedway?

Chicagoland Speedway is located in Joliet, Illinois, about 45 miles southwest of downtown Chicago.

The facility opened in 2001 and sits just off Interstate 80 alongside Route 66 Raceway. While the track carries the “Chicagoland” name, it is actually located in Will County rather than within Chicago city limits.

How long is Chicagoland Speedway?

Chicagoland Speedway is a 1.5-mile D-shaped tri-oval.

The layout is similar to several other NASCAR intermediate tracks but features progressive banking that allows drivers to search for multiple racing grooves as tires wear throughout a run.

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Track facts

• Length: 1.5 miles (2.414 km)

• Banking (Turns 1-4): 18 degrees

• Frontstretch banking: 11 degrees

• Backstretch banking: 5 degrees

When did Chicagoland Speedway open?

Construction on Chicagoland Speedway was completed in 2001.

The speedway was built on approximately 930 acres at a reported cost of about $130 million, becoming one of NASCAR’s newest premier facilities during the sport’s rapid expansion in the early 2000s.

Since opening, the venue has hosted NASCAR, IndyCar, ARCA and several other major racing series.

Why did NASCAR stop racing at Chicagoland?

The NASCAR Cup Series last raced at Chicagoland Speedway in 2019.

The speedway lost its Cup date during NASCAR’s schedule realignment before the 2020 season. The COVID-19 pandemic and changing scheduling priorities kept the track off the Cup calendar for several years. The NASCAR circuit also pivoted from the track to the Chicago Street Race for the last few years.

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After a lengthy absence, NASCAR announced Chicagoland’s return to the Cup Series schedule for the 2026 season.

Who has won the most NASCAR Cup races at Chicagoland?

Tony Stewart owns the record for the most NASCAR Cup Series victories at Chicagoland Speedway with three.

Other multiple Cup winners at the track include:

The final Cup race before the track’s hiatus was won by Alex Bowman, who captured the first victory of his NASCAR Cup Series career in 2019.

What makes Chicagoland Speedway unique?

Although Chicagoland is classified as a 1.5-mile intermediate oval, drivers have long praised it for producing multiple racing lines as the surface ages.

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As tires wear, competitors can move from the bottom groove to the wall, creating side-by-side racing and long green-flag battles. The speedway has also produced several memorable finishes over the years, including Kyle Busch’s dramatic victory over Kyle Larson in 2018 by just 0.001 seconds, one of the closest finishes in NASCAR history.

Chicagoland Speedway by the numbers

• Location: Joliet, Illinois

• Cup Series races held: 19 (through 2019)

• Last Cup winner: Alex Bowman (2019)

• Most Cup wins: Tony Stewart (3)

• Seating capacity: Approximately 47,000

NASCAR returns to Chicagoland in 2026

After nearly seven years away, Chicagoland Speedway once again becomes part of the NASCAR Cup Series schedule.

Its return restores one of NASCAR’s most popular intermediate tracks and gives fans another opportunity to watch racing at a venue that has produced first-time winners, championship battles and some of the closest finishes the sport has ever seen.