Video: Take a lap around the NASCAR street race in Chicago
On July 1-2, 2023 the NASCAR Cup Series and IMSA will take the green flag on the streets of Chicago. It marks the first street race in the history of the NASCAR Cup Series.
The course runs famous streets in the Windy City. It stretches 12-turns over the 2.2-mile street course.
NASCAR has been stepping outside the box in recent years. At the start of this season, The Clash opened the season on a temporary built bullring oval inside the LA Coliseum.
The Chicago street race has been rumored for over a year. When NASCAR went racing online, the Chicago Street Course made it’s digital debut. That was hinted as the first test of the possibilities as iRacing scanned the streets of downtown Chicago to help form the best possible layout.
NASCAR Comments
“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, NASCAR senior vice president of racing development and strategy.
“This is the ideal setting for the first-ever NASCAR Cup Series street race. The 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. We are very appreciative of Mayor Lori Lightfoot and her team, along with the entire city of Chicago for working with us to make this concept a reality.”
Governor JB Pritzker
“Welcoming yet another NASCAR event to Illinois just weeks after the inaugural Enjoy Illinois 300 Cup Series race is a testament to the strength of our tourism industry from Chicago to Metro East,” Governor JB Pritzker said. “Illinois, with its longstanding tradition of innovation, is a fitting host for NASCAR’s first-ever street race, and we are thrilled to welcome this new series to America’s most iconic drive next summer.”
Kara Bachman
“Chicago is one of the world’s top sports and entertainment destinations. Year after year, fans from all over the world travel to our great city for high-profile sporting events,” said Kara Bachman, executive director, Chicago Sports Commission: “The 2023 NASCAR Chicago Street Race weekend will continue that legacy with another monumental sports moment and we look forward to welcoming fans to NASCAR’s first-ever street race.”
Chicago Track Map
