CHICAGO – Mayor Brandon Johnson signaled openness to having the NASCAR Chicago Street Race return to the city’s downtown next year, but perhaps not on the Fourth of July weekend.

While the city touts the two-day event of racing as a boon to the local economy by bringing thousands of spectators to the area around Grant Park, it also causes headaches for locals.

Local perspective:

Weeks of street closures have been a frustration since the first downtown race in 2023, although organizers have reduced the preparation time from 43 days in the first year to just 25 days this year.

But Johnson appeared to question on Tuesday whether holding the race on the Fourth of July weekend was the most optimal time slot.

“The Fourth of July is already, quite frankly, it’s a heavier burden for our law enforcement because of so much activity that happens in Chicago and as tourism continues to increase and more and more people continue to visit our city, the expectation of law enforcement and our first responders continue to grow,” Johnson said.

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – JULY 07: Kyle Larson, driver of the #5 Valvoline Chevrolet, and Ty Gibbs, driver of the #54 Monster Energy Toyota, lead the field on a pace lap prior to the NASCAR Cup Series Grant Park 165 at Chicago Street Course on July 07, 202

City Council members representing the downtown area have expressed similar concerns.

“They have also brought noise, disruption, and road closures, some of which will continue from this year’s event for many days to come,” wrote Ald. Brian Hopkins (2nd Ward) in a newsletter to constituents. “This past year alone, I heard from numerous 2nd Ward residents whose commutes and daily lives are altered drastically by these closures, a matter I take very seriously. Given the multiple other downtown large-scale events whose economic impacts are as much or greater than this event’s, with less disruption, I still have concerns.”

RELATED: Future of NASCAR’s downtown Chicago weekend is unclear going into the third year of contract

Under former Mayor Lori Lightfoot, the city entered into a three-year agreement with NASCAR to host the race, with an option for a two-year extension.

What’s next:

Five downtown aldermen, including Hopkins, sent a letter to Julie Giese, the president of NASCAR Chicago Street Race, requesting a meeting to “discuss the event’s future in Chicago.”

In a statement, NASCAR said that they’ve “had good conversations with the city and following another tremendously successful event that helped support Chicago’s economy by driving tourism from 35 countries.”

One of the more controversial moments of the Chicago street race came when a big pileup on the track collected Ross Chastain. Chastain would retaliate, taking out Joey Logano with a spin, though it was unclear what role Logano had played in the earlier fracas.

After the race, Logano claimed that Chastain had admitted to wrecking him intentionally. Logano called on NASCAR to fine Chastain for his actions.

“Joey Logano definitely thinks, according to Frontstretch and Bob Pockrass, who went and talked to him, that Ross Chastain wrecked him on purpose,” Jeff Gluck of The Athletic explained on The Teardown podcast. “And he did. I went and saw his in-car camera for Chastain.”

Gluck went through and reviewed the footage from the entire incident, including the in-car cameras of the key players. What he found he laid out on The Teardown.

“So Chastain gets dumped in Turn 1,” Gluck began. “And he gets going again, he spins, he gets going again or whatever and he re-enters and Logano’s like the first car in front of him and the very next corner, in Turn 2, he just dumps Logano.

“And Logano was like furious about it, rightfully so. And he ends up confronting Chastain afterwards and says that Chastain admitted that he dumped him on purpose. And Logano thinks he should be penalized for that.”

Joey Logano was clearly upset with the decision from Chastain. After the race, he went straight over to Chastain’s car on pit road and had an angry word with the driver of the No. 1 car.

Still, it remains unclear why Chastain targeted Logano. Was there prior beef?

“So I went back and I was like, ‘Why was Ross mad at Joey?’ Joey didn’t do that, first of all,” Gluck said. “And it wasn’t like Brandon McReynolds, Ross’ spotter, came on and said, ‘The 22 just got you!’ He didn’t, I went back and listened.

“So finally like five minutes later they’re like, after that had already happened, they’re like, Brandon McReynolds is like, ‘Hey, just to let you know, that was the 2 who jacked up everybody there and did a kamikaze move.’ But too late then, because Ross had already dumped Logano. And that’s when (Ricky) Stenhouse got his damage too. And then Stenhouse has a smashing watermelons gif on X afterwards.”

Bottom line: Chastain managed to collect Joey Logano and irk another driver in the process. It’ll be interesting to see how those drivers react the next time they’re around Chastain in a race.

CHICAGO — After Chicago, the NASCAR Cup Series in-season tournament bracket is down to eight drivers set for the third round of matchups in Sonoma.

Here are the matchups and how they got there:

Ty Dillon (No. 32) vs. Alex Bowman (No. 8)

Dillon easily defeated Brad Keselowski after a big wreck took Keselowski out of the race early on in Chicago. Dillon finished 20th of 40 drivers while Keselowski finished 37th.

Brad Keselowski (No. 17) vs. Ty Dillon (No. 32)

Alex Bowman didn’t have it as easy. With less than 10 laps to go, he battled with No. 9 seed Bubba Wallace who bumped him multiple times to get him out of the way – and then finished himself with a block gone wrong exiting turn two. Bowman cruised to an eighth-place finish while Wallace languished in 28th.

John Hunter Nemechek (No. 12) vs. Erik Jones (No. 20)

John Hunter Nemechek finished 15th, one position and one second ahead of Chase Elliott to advance in the tournament. Nemechek took advantage of fresh tires put on his No. 42 car with 30 laps to go. Elliott had issues late that shuffled him behind Nemechek and eliminated him from the tournament.

Nemechek will face Legacy Motor Club teammate Erik Jones in the third round of the NASCAR in-season tournament. Although Jones finished 25th, one lap down, he benefitted from Ricky Stenhouse Jr. hitting the tire barrier late in the race. Stenhouse finished 31st, 13 laps down.

Ryan Preece (No. 15) vs. Noah Gragson (No. 31)

Ryan Preece had another great run on a road course, finishing seventh and advancing in the tournament. Meanwhile, No. 31 seed Noah Gragson found trouble and finished 30th, seven laps down.

Preece will face Tyler Reddick, who easily eliminated No. 26 seed Carson Hocevar after he set off a massive crash on lap three that wiped out himself, Keselowski and others.

Ty Gibbs (No. 6) vs. Zane Smith (No. 14)

A slow stop for No. 22 seed A.J. Allmendinger on lap 41 helped move Gibbs forward in the NASCAR in-season tournament. Gibbs finished second while drivers on newer tires pushed Allmendinger back to finish sixth.

Gibbs will face Zane Smith, who benefitted from No. 3 seed Chris Buescher having engine issues early on in the race. Buescher showed top five pace early on – until engine issues hit and didn’t allow him to even hang with the pack. Smith finished 14th, 12 seconds ahead of Buescher – who finished 18th.

Jonathan Fjeld is the co-owner of the The Racing Experts, LLC. He has been with TRE since 2010.

A Twin Valley, MN, native, Fjeld became a motorsports fan at just three years old (first race was the 2002 Pennsylvania 500). He worked as a contributor and writer for TRE from 2010-18. Since then, he has stepped up and covered 24 NASCAR race weekends and taken on a larger role with TRE. He became the co-owner and managing editor in 2023 and has guided the site to massive growth in that time.

Fjeld has covered a wide array of stories and moments over the years, including Kevin Harvick’s final Cup Series season, the first NASCAR national series disqualification in over 50 years, Shane van Gisbergen’s stunning win in Chicago and the first Cup Series race at Road America in 66 years – as well as up-and-coming drivers’ stories and stories from inside the sport, like the tech it takes for Hendrick Motorsports to remain a top-tier team.

Currently, he resides in Albuquerque, N.M., where he works for KOB 4, an NBC station. He works as a digital producer and does on-air reports. He loves spending time with friends and family, playing and listening to music, exploring new places, being outdoors, reading books and writing among other activities. You can email him at fjeldjonathan@gmail.com

• Online and live auctions, featuring a one-of-a-kind custom surfboard, 50/50 offerings, Laps for Charity, Monster Mile After Dark tours, and more coming to the Monster Mile.
• All proceeds benefit children in need in Delaware and the region.
• Visit DoverMotorSpeedway.com to order NASCAR tickets, camping and parking.

DOVER, Del. (July 8, 2025) – Dover Motor Speedway fans have several opportunities to help children in need and enjoy unique Monster Mile experiences during the upcoming July 18-20 NASCAR weekend with Speedway Children’s Charities events.

“In only our fourth year, Speedway Children’s Charities here at Dover Motor Speedway has already made a significant impact in our community,” said Gary Camp, SCC-Dover’s executive director. “We have a full slate of events that will add to the fan experience on race weekend while helping us raise funds and awareness for children in need. Through exclusive track tours, laps around the Monster Mile, online and live auctions and a 50/50 raffle, presented by BetRivers, fans can join us and participate across race weekend to help us make a difference.”

The following events are planned by the Speedway Children’s Charities, Dover Motor Speedway chapter for race weekend:

• SCC Dover Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400Online Auction
  • The SCC Online Auction gives you the opportunity to support children by bidding on one-of-a-kind items, including autographed memorabilia! Visit DoverMotorSpeedway.com to view the items as they are placed and place your bids for unique items! Items include:
    • One-of-a-kind surfboard designed by renowned surf artist and photographer Brian White of Lewes, Del. The one-of-one design celebrates the track’s “Monster Mile Summer ‘25” and includes a space for the Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 NASCAR Cup Series race winner to commemorate it with his autograph following the race.
    • Other items include a helmet signed by the Hendrick Motorsports drivers (Chase Elliott, Alex Bowman, Kyle Larson and William Byron), an opportunity to be in Victory Lane for the Saturday and Sunday races including a photo with the race winner, and more!
• SCC Dover Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400Live Auction, Sunday, July 20
  • Signed items and once-in-a-lifetime NASCAR experiences will be auctioned off Sunday at the Monster Monument at Victory Plaza.
• 50/50 Raffle, presented by BetRivers: Try your luck throughout the weekend and help area children with this Speedway Children’s Charities, Dover Motor Speedway chapter The winning ticket will be drawn and announced on Monday, July 21.
  • Rules:
    • You must claim prize within 30 days of draw date.
    • 50 percent of the proceeds will go to help local children; the other 50 percent will be YOURS!
  • Purchase Options:
    • 2 tickets for $10
    • 20 tickets for $20
    • 80 tickets for $40
    • BONUS BUY: 400 tickets for $100

Purchase near the Track Treasures Trailer adjacent to the Monster Monument, or from teams selling raffle tickets in BetRivers gear, who will be positioned throughout the Speedway on race weekend.

• Laps for Charity, Thursday, July 17, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
  • Drive your personal vehicle on the high banks of the Monster Mile’s concrete oval. There are two ways you can take on the World’s Fastest One-Mile Oval:
  • REGULAR SESSION: For $75 per vehicle, participants will take five laps around the track behind a Dover track vehicle.
  • PACE CAR RIDE: For $50, take a spin as a passenger for five laps in Dover’s Ford Mustang Pace Car.
  • REGISTER: speedwaycharities.org/events/dover/laps-for-charity-july/

Additional opportunities for fans to drive the Monster Mile will be available after race weekend, including Saturday, Oct. 4.

• Monster Mile After Dark Tours
  • The perfect opportunity to see a NASCAR weekend at Dover from an entirely different perspective. Monster Mile After Dark tours, led by experienced, full-time track personnel, start as our team picks you up at your campsite (or designated location) and visits rarely seen areas of the Monster Mile. Your group can see the following exclusive locations:
    • Inside, and on, the Monster Monument
    • Walk the banking of the Monster Mile
    • Victory Lane
    • Infield Media Center
    • Monster Bridge overlooking the backstretch and the Turn 3 entrance.
    • The spotters stand over the frontstretch
    • And more!

Cost for this unique experience is $300 per person. Email [email protected] to register or to receive more information.

• Track Treasures Trailer, Thursday, July 17 through Sunday, July 20
  • Featuring mementos, NASCAR collectibles, one-of-a-kind autographed items, clothing, advertising banners and more for sale, with all proceeds benefiting SCC-Dover. Look for the trailer near the Monster Monument at Victory Plaza throughout race weekend.
  • For more information, visit www.SpeedwayCharities.org/Dover.

Dover Motor Speedway’s ownership group, Speedway Motorsports, established the first Speedway Children’s Charities (SCC) chapter in 1982. Since then, SCC chapters across the United States have raised more than $72 million in grants for organizations that assist children.

NASCAR TICKETS:

Dover Motor Speedway’s full 2025 race schedule includes:

• Friday, July 18: General Tire 150 ARCA Menards Series race (5 p.m., FS1)
• Saturday, July 19: BetRivers 200 NASCAR Xfinity Series race (4:30 p.m., The CW, Performance Racing Network)
• Sunday, July 20: Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 NASCAR Cup Series race (2 p.m., TNT, Performance Racing Network)

Visit DoverMotorSpeedway.com to buy tickets or register for the Speedway’s email list to receive updates and announcements.

The Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 NASCAR Cup Series race is race No. 4 in NASCAR on TNT’s debut five-race in-season tournament, which runs five consecutive weeks from June 28 (Atlanta) through July 27 (Indianapolis).

2025 marks 56 consecutive years that Dover Motor Speedway has hosted a NASCAR Cup Series race. The Monster Mile is one of only 10 tracks in the country to host 100 or more NASCAR Cup Series races.

FOLLOW US:
Keep track of all of Dover Motor Speedway’s events by following on Facebook, X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, Instagram and TikTok (@MonsterMile). Keep up with all the latest information on DoverMotorSpeedway.com and our mobile app.

Source: Dover Motor Speedway

In five NASCAR Cup Series appearances at Sonoma Raceway, Spire Motorsports has logged one top-15 and five top-20 finishes. Corey LaJoie earned a team-best 11th-place finish in last season’s 350-kilometer race. Spire Motorsports fields the Nos. 7, 71 and 77 Chevrolet ZL1s in the Cup Series for Justin Haley, Michael McDowell and Carson Hocevar, respectively.
The 20th of 36 points-paying races on the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series calendar will be televised live on TNT and streamed on MAX, Sunday, July 13 beginning at 3:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). The radio broadcast will be transmitted live on the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

Justin Haley – Driver, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet ZL1

Justin Haley will pilot Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 NationsGuard Chevrolet ZL1 in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Sonoma Raceway.
Haley has made four NASCAR Cup Series starts at Sonoma Raceway, highlighted by a 12th-place finish in June 2022. The 26-year-old racer has recorded one top-15 and one top-25 result at the 1.99-mile Sonoma County road course. He holds an average starting position of 25.3 and an average finish of 25.0.
Sonoma marks the fourth of six road-course events on the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series schedule. Haley opened the year with a 16th-place finish at Circuit of the Americas followed by a 17th-place result at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City.
Last weekend, Haley finished 22nd in the Grant Park 165. He raced as high as 15th in the running order before late-race contact with another competitor damaged the rear suspension of his Gainbridge Chevy, stalling his bid for a top-20 finish on the streets of downtown Chicago.
NationsGuard is an innovator in the Automotive F&I space. Its programs are designed to maximize sales, profit, CSI and customer retention. NationsGuard delivers consistent, measurable results through disciplined monitoring and continuous improvement. The process measures every key element of a dealer’s program – from vehicle inspection efficiency to service advisor performance. NationsGuard targets and eliminates waste and inefficiency wherever it’s found while maintaining process improvements, making changes where necessary and relentlessly pursuing perfection.
Haley’s best Cup Series result at Sonoma Raceway came in the 2022 edition of the division’s annual visit to California wine country where he finished 12th. He earned seven stage points by finishing fourth in Stage One and was competitive throughout the 110-lap event.
Haley is one of just 41 drivers to have won races in all three of NASCAR’s national touring series. The driver of Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 Chevy has collected one win in the NASCAR Cup Series, four in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and three in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series.
The Indiana native is a veteran of 163 Cup Series starts and has notched one win, five top fives, 16 top 10s and led 103 laps in NASCAR’s premier division.
In total, Haley has made 62 Cup Series starts for Spire Motorsports, including his first start in NASCAR’s premier division at Talladega Superspeedway on his 20th birthday.

Justin Haley Quote
What are your thoughts heading to Sonoma?
“I feel like Sonoma is a good road course for me. We need to execute on Saturday during qualifying. That race is always about track position. We’ve had good cars at all the road races this season and I think if we can do a good job in qualifying on Saturday, we can be competitive and pick up a good finish on Sunday. The trip to Sonoma is always a lot of fun and it’s a track I enjoy.”
Atop the No. 7 Box – Crew Chief Ryan Sparks

Ryan Sparks serves in a dual role as both Spire Motorsports Competition Director and crew chief for driver Justin Haley and the team’s No. 7 Chevrolet ZL1. He was first paired with Haley at Bristol Motor Speedway in September 2024.
The Winston Salem, N.C., native has called 185 NASCAR Cup Series races where he’s earned three top-five and nine top-10 finishes.
In total, Sparks has called four Sonoma races and collected three top-20 finishes. His best finish came last season when he guided Corey LaJoie to an 11th-place showing.

Michael McDowell – Driver, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet ZL1

Michael McDowell will pilot Spire Motorsports’ No. 71 Gainbridge Project Zin Chevrolet ZL1 in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series event at Sonoma Raceway.
As part of its continuing efforts to support impactful cultural and community initiatives across the nation, Gainbridge will partner with Project Zin to serve as co-primary sponsors aboard Michael McDowell’s No. 71 Chevrolet ZL1 for the NASCAR Cup Series annual visit to Sonoma (Calif.) County.
Project Zin, now in its 15th year, takes place August 15-16 in Sonoma County at Bricoleur Vineyards and offers a series of dining events hosted by Chef Charlie Palmer, Clay Mauritson and some of the industry’s most elite winemakers.
The two-day celebration will feature dishes and wine pairings from some of the most illustrious chefs and eclectic vintners in the Bay Area with all proceeds benefiting the Down Syndrome Connection of the Bay Area and its mission to empower, inspire, and support individuals and families in the Down Syndrome community.
McDowell’s No. 71 Chevrolet will have Brady Mauritson’s name displayed above the passenger side door of the Gainbridge/Project Zin machine to continue the mission of raising awareness of children and families affected by Down Syndrome.
The Glendale, Ariz., native owns 12 starts at the 10-turn, 1.99-mile road course, where he’s earned two top-five and three top-10 finishes in NASCAR Cup Series competition.
In his last three qualifying attempts at the famed venue, the 2023 Verizon 200 at the Brickyard Champion posted an average starting position of 6.3 with only one start outside of the top-five, when he qualified 12th for the 2024 contest.
Over his past three attempts at the picturesque track, the Cup Series veteran has an average finish of 4.0, including three consecutive top-10 results.
Before making the move to the Charlotte, N.C., area, the father-of-five spent a good portion of his young career in Sonoma and Northern California building his racing resume while in local race shops outside of Sonoma Raceway, looking to make the next big step in his racing career.
No. 71 Tire Specialist and Third Engineer, Colin Markle grew up a few hours away from the track in Hanford, Calif. The Indiana State University graduate returns to the 10-turn asphalt track looking for a win in his home state.
The 2021 Daytona 500 Champion will have a familiar voice on the spotter stand this week where McDowell’s cousin, Jason Noll, will assist primary spotter Michael Fisher during the Cup Series’ visit to the newly repaved road course.
McDowell qualified second, and led 31 laps in last weekend’s Grant Park 165 before the Spire Motorsports team suffered a broken throttle cable on lap 31, essentially ending the day for the No. 71 DePaul University Chevrolet.
The 31 laps led last weekend by the No. 71 team marked the most in a single race of the 2025 season.
While the No. 71 Chevrolet dominated the opening Stage in Chicago, the team also picked up Spire Motorsports’ first Stage win in the team’s young history
The two-time NASCAR Cup Series race winner has 47 road-course starts over 18 seasons and has logged a 17.7 average start and a 20.4 average finish, a career-best at any track configuration.
McDowell collected the 2016 NASCAR Xfinity Series win at Road America, where he led 24 of 48 laps on an overcast Saturday afternoon, before securing the win in his lone start behind the wheel of Richard Childress Racing’s No. 2 Chevrolet.
The No. 71 team earned a $100,000 payday and a trip to Victory Lane after winning the Mechanix Wear Pit Crew Challenge during NASCAR’s All-Star Weekend at North Wilkesboro (N.C.) Speedway. The crew’s blazing 12.587-second stop topped all entries for both the NASCAR All-Star Open and NASCAR All-Star Race, earning the title of the fastest team on pit road.
McDowell has claimed three Xfinity Fastest Lap awards this season, clocking the fastest lap in the Daytona 500, Phoenix Raceway and Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway.
McDowell secured Spire Motorsports’ first Busch Light Pole Award at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in March. His 28.833-second lap marks the fastest lap in NASCAR’s seventh-generation Cup Series car (2022-present) at the 1.5-mile Nevada oval.

Michael McDowell Quote
What are the keys to getting around Sonoma?
“Sonoma is a lot of fun. It’s one of those tracks where I have a lot of seat time and spent a lot of time there. Before going NASCAR racing, my wife and I actually lived not too far from there for a season of life. When I was young and kind of coming up through formula cars, I worked outside of Turn 11. For me, the track is super straightforward. It’s one line, there’s not a lot of tricks, You have to manage your tires and be technical to be fast. So, I enjoy it, and it’s been good for us the last couple of years. I think we finished second and third the last few years. I think we are close. So, it’s just a place that I am comfortable with. I know my marks, I know my rhythm, and it all comes together well. I do think it’s still one of the tracks if you save your tires, it will pay off. At Watkins Glen now, every lap is like qualifying, just hammer down, which is fun, too. Sonoma is its own fun where you still have that technical aspect where you have to manage everything pretty well to have a shot at the end.”
Atop the No. 71 Box – Crew Chief Travis Peterson

Travis Peterson has two starts as a crew chief at Sonoma Raceway, where he earned a second-place finish in 2024 and a seventh-place result in 2023.
In addition to calling McDowell’s second-place finish last season, Peterson played a key role in Chris Buescher’s 2022 runner-up effort while serving as a race engineer for RFK Racing.
In 12 road course starts, the Wisconsin native has participated in one win, three top-five and six top-10 finishes across his young career.
Peterson called McDowell’s win in the 2023 Verizon 200 at the Brickyard on the road course at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The 34-year-old Cup Series topkick has earned a 14.7 average finish at road courses, his best average finish at any track type with a minimum of 10 attempts.

Carson Hocevar – Driver, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet ZL1

Carson Hocevar will make his second start on the 1.99-mile, 10-turn Sonoma Raceway. In last year’s race, Hocevar started 13th and finished 17th to capture his best road-course finish to date, prior to his third-place finish at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International last September.
The Portage, Michigan native owns one prior NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series start at Sonoma. He qualified on the pole one week after sustaining a leg injury at World Wide Technology Raceway near St. Louis. He was credited with a sixth-place result.
Hocevar earned the third starting spot for last weekend’s Grant Park 165 in Chicago. It was his best Cup Series qualifying effort on a road course.
In three road course starts this season, Hocevar has a best finish of 13th at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas.
With 19 races complete on the 2025 campaign, Hocevar has earned two top-five and four top-10 finishes. He also earned his career-first Cup Series pole at Texas Motor Speedway on May 3.

Carson Hocevar Quote
Sonoma was repaved prior to last season’s visit. Does the newer surface make you adjust your approach?
”It is different than what it used to be, but I thought it was fun last year with how much grip there was. I do miss how worn out it was before. I think it has its own challenges. You are going faster and have to be more aggressive to be on the limit with that speed, but have to avoid overdriving the corner.”
Atop the No. 77 Box – Crew Chief Luke Lambert

Crew chief Luke Lambert will call his 40th Cup Series road course race from atop the ‘war wagon,’ nine of which have come in Napa Valley. He and driver Ryan Newman secured a venue-best eighth-place finish in 2016.
While the Mount Airy, N.C., native has yet to visit Victory Lane as the winning crew chief on a road course, he’s collected a total of two top-five and four top-10 finishes in the Cup Series and four top fives and seven top 10s in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

Spire Motorsports PR

NASCAR’s time on the streets of Chicago could have come to an end, with the three-year deal between the organization and the city having expired following the recent Grant Park 165. However, 23XI Racing co-owner and Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin would sooner see a return to the Windy City over other remaining road courses.

Following the third and potentially final weekend of NASCAR action in downtown Chicago, which was swept by New Zealand’s Shane van Gisbergen who won from pole in both the Cup and Xfinity Series, Hamlin reflected on the importance of the city to his and Chicago Bulls icon Michael Jordan’s 23XI Racing.

“It’s a very important partner city,” Hamlin said on his ‘Actions Detrimental’ podcast. “So there were three main ones this weekend that, you know, this was a big deal for them. McDonald’s, obviously, is headquartered there. You have the Jordan brand for obvious reasons, and then it was an important one for Robinhood as well.”

Hamlin later added that Robinhood, which joined 23XI Racing as an official partner in January, “Had a bunch of people out” on Sunday, going on to explain, “So it matters to us, and in a world where you know, if we don’t sell sponsorship, we don’t have a business. It’s important, no doubt.”

A commercially crucial location for 23XI Racing, Hamlin also said he prefers the event to some of the other current road course offerings, citing it’s “important to exposing new fans.” Reflecting on the most recent race weekend in Chicago, he felt “it was a good weekend overall.”

“Seemed like still a lot of fans there. A lot of new fans. It seems like the area is starting to embrace it,” he said. “It seemed like the build wasn’t quite…it didn’t have quite the build-out that it had before. It was probably easier to, put up and take down.

“I thought NASCAR definitely tried to oversell the premium experience, maybe. Remember they had that big thing on the front straightaway, and they were trying to sell these packages, like an F1 race. It just didn’t have quite the demand that they had. So, they didn’t have that, that I saw, but there was quite a few hospitality trailers and whatnot on the back.

“I don’t know, it still felt really good to me. Walking down the front stretch, you still feel like you’re at a legit racetrack. I don’t know, hopefully, they’ve got a two-year option, I guess, on this. The city has that option.

DON’T MISS…

“They’ll need to talk about it, for sure, and see if it makes financial sense for everyone involved. I certainly hope that we go back.”

The future of the event remains unclear, with NASCAR seemingly unlikely to renew its deal with the city as it flirts with the potential of moving the street race to San Diego. 

However, as hinted at by Hamlin, Chicago still has the ability to trigger a two-year extension, which Mayor Brandon Johnson remains “open to,” as per CBS News. This would, in part, come down to whether or not any future races could be held on a different date, to avoid clashing with other events during the 4th of July weekend. Johnson would also want to ensure the event would be able to benefit not only the tourism industry but also the broader public interest, such as disadvantaged areas beyond downtown.