Just a few months after the historic 2023 NASCAR Chicago Street Race, organizers announced that the race will return for its second year next summer, albeit with a few changes.
The NASCAR Chicago Street Race was included as part of NASCAR's 2024 race schedule, with next year's event slated for the weekend of July 6-7.
According to NASCAR, the Xfinity Series race will take place at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 6, and the NASCAR Cup Series race will be contested at 3:30 p.m. Central on Sunday, July 7.
Shortly following the 2023 event, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson's administration began talks with NASCAR aiming to address the many concerns voiced by residents and City Council members.
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Among the changes coming is a shortened window for the set-up and tear down of the event, addressing one of the 2023 event's chief concerns as it closed off access to parts of the downtown lakefront for weeks at a time.
Johnson's administration said that NASCAR agreed to expanding investments in Chicago communities along with "expanding opportunities for small-, minority- and women-owned businesses to participate as vendors in 2024."
Organizers are also evaluating changes to the financial burden for the city, which Johnson called a "win" for the city.
NASCAR Chicago Street Race
The return to Chicago was welcomed by NASCAR.
“From the very beginning, our objective was to drive global attention and tourism to Chicago, while introducing motorsports to an entirely new fan base, and by both measures, 2023 was a resounding success,” Chicago Street Race President Julie Giese said. “NASCAR is honored to be a part of the Chicago community 365 days a year, and we look forward to building upon the incredible foundation we established this year.”
According to officials, the race brought in more than $8.3 million in state and local tax revenues in 2023, with 52% of attendees visiting from out-of-state for the event.
The broadcast was NBC’s most-watched NASCAR race since 2017, and the most-streamed race in NBC’s history.
The event was hampered by heavy rains, which washed out the conclusion of the Xfinity Series race and caused the Cup Series race to be shortened due to darkness. Despite receiving nine inches of rain in a two-day span, the race was contested, with Shane Van Gisbergen winning his NASCAR debut on the streets of Chicago.
The race, which shut down large swaths of Grant Park and portions of several key roadways including Michigan Avenue and DuSable Lake Shore Drive, was a unique spectacle, one that the racing circuit had never seen, but Mayor Brandon Johnson had pledged to reevaluate the event due to disruptions to traffic and other factors.
The process behind agreeing to the three-year contract, orchestrated by former Mayor Lori Lightfoot, was roundly blasted by activists, members of the Chicago City Council and some residents, who said the secretive dealings left the city with a bad contract that adversely impacted the community.
Under the agreed-upon deal, NASCAR agreed to pay the city a rate of $2 per ticket sold, as well as a percentage of net commissions on food and beverage sales. An annual permit fee of $500,000 was also agreed upon.
In exchange, the city gave NASCAR control over large portions of Grant Park for concert spaces, a fan fair and more.
The racecourse required the closure not just of DuSable Lake Shore Drive and Michigan Avenue, but also Columbus Drive, Jackson Boulevard and more.
