NASCAR is coming back to Chicago — and this time, it’s going street racing.
The NASCAR Cup Series will compete on a street circuit in downtown Chicago in 2023, NASCAR announced July 19.
The series’ 2023 weekend will occur July 1-2, and IMSA will join the series at the course.
Cup will run the course on July 2, while IMSA will compete on July 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,” Ben Kennedy, NASCAR senior vice president of racing development and strategy, said in a release. “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.”
The course is planned as a 12-turn, 2.2-mile course. According to the release, Columbus Drive, Lake Shore Drive and Michigan Avenue are among the streets on which the course will be situated.
Here’s a graphic of the proposed track layout for #NASCAR‘s Chicago street course.
Courtesy of the NASCAR media site. pic.twitter.com/1evE9GwLzF
— Daniel McFadin (@danielmcfadin) July 19, 2022
With the move to Chicago, the status of the series’ event at Road America, which had run on that weekend the last two years, is unclear. The NASCAR Xfinity Series, which is not part of the Chicago street course weekend, has raced there since 2010.
The news comes after The Athletic reported earlier this month that city officials had endorsed a bid for the race.
“Chicago’s streets are as iconic as our skyline and our reputation as a world class sports city is indisputable,” Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot added. “I am thrilled to welcome our partners at NASCAR to Chicago for an event that will attract thousands of people to our city. Chicago’s world class entertainment and hospitality industries, coupled with our city’s history as a conduit for sports talent, make us the perfect hosts for this unique event.”
The Cup Series held a pair of races at Road America in the last two years. Chase Elliott won the 2021 edition, while Tyler Reddick nabbed his first series win at the track earlier this month.
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