While NASCAR is bypassing the Chicago Street Race next summer, it is filling the void on the schedule with a Cup Series race during July Fourth weekend at the long-dormant Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet.
The announcement Wednesday marks the first return for NASCAR to the Joliet track since it was idled in 2019. It also seeks to keep NASCAR momentum alive in the Chicago area after three years of holding the nationally televised street race in Grant Park.
“There is a history and tradition of great NASCAR racing at Chicagoland Speedway, so we look forward to building on the tremendous fan momentum throughout the entire state of Illinois,” Pat Warren, regional vice president of NASCAR, said in a news release.
Last month, NASCAR put the Chicago Street Race on hold for 2026 after completing a three-year agreement with the city to turn Grant Park into a temporary urban racetrack, leaving open the door to return on a different date down the road.
At the same time, NASCAR announced it would move the street race next summer to San Diego, holding a three-day event at Naval Base Coronado in June.
NASCAR said it paused the Chicago Street Race because it needs more time to explore rescheduling the event away from Independence Day and finding ways to speed up the build-out and breakdown of the pop-up racecourse, in response to concerns from the city.
That left a gaping July Fourth hole on the racing schedule, which Joliet will now fill, at least in 2026.
Launched in 2001, Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet hosted NASCAR’s premier racing series for 18 years. But the 1.5-mile oval has essentially been idled since it was acquired in 2019 by NASCAR as part of a $2 billion merger agreement with International Speedway Corp.
In 2022, the Joliet track was used as a parking lot for thousands of Ford SUVs built at the Chicago Assembly Plant and awaiting computer chips during the pandemic-era global semiconductor shortage that disrupted auto production.
The track was rented out for a motocross event in 2023, but hasn’t seen a NASCAR race in six years. That will change next summer.
“This is a fantastic homecoming for Joliet and the entire region,” Joliet Mayor Terry D’Arcy said in the news release. “Chicagoland Speedway has been a cornerstone of our community for more than two decades, and we couldn’t be more excited to welcome NASCAR’s top stars back to our backyard.”
NASCAR will need to do some work to get the Chicagoland Speedway ready for the Cup Series next summer, but said the track remains in pretty good shape, despite enduring six Chicago winters since its last race. The oval track will represent a sharp departure from the downtown Chicago event.
The Chicago Street Race — the first street course event ever produced by NASCAR — featured a 12-turn, 2.2-mile circuit through Grant Park, down DuSable Lake Shore Drive and up Michigan Avenue. During its three-year run, it weathered challenging conditions, including significant rain delays the first two years, and ongoing debates about the benefits for the city.
In 2024, the street race generated $128 million in total economic impact and drew 53,036 unique visitors, according to a study commissioned by Choose Chicago, the city’s tourism arm. The nationally televised Cup Series race also generated $43.6 million in media value for Chicago, according to a companion report.
An economic impact study for 2025 is forthcoming, according to NASCAR
While attendance figures for the 2025 event have yet to be released, TV ratings for the Cup Series Grant Park 165 on July 6 were down for the third consecutive year, averaging 2.1 million viewers on cable channel TNT, according to Nielsen.
Next summer’s nationally televised Cup Series race on TNT will put that spotlight back on Joliet.
“The economic impact and excitement this brings to our city is tremendous, and celebrating America’s birthday with some of the best racing in the world right here in Joliet is something special that our residents and visitors will never forget,” D’Arcy said in the news release.
rchannick@chicagotribune.com
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