NASCAR is back in Chicago this weekend, and it brought a new broadcaster.

TNT takes over coverage of the Cup Series Chicago Street Race from NBC, which aired it the last two years. Before debuting last week in Atlanta, TNT hadn’t carried a NASCAR race since 2014. Now it has the herculean task of covering a 12-turn street race through a metropolitan area.

“This is more than a race,” TNT analyst Steve Letarte said. “It’s truly a spectacle.”

Letarte was an analyst for the race on NBC, which broadcast “radio style,” meaning commentators were positioned around the track. Letarte was part of the main booth, and that’s where he’ll be Sunday for TNT’s traditional broadcast with analyst Dale Earnhardt Jr. and play-by-play voice Adam Alexander.

“We’ll be in basically a production booth,” Letarte said. “There’s not really a location there that gives you a lot of overview, but that’s not anything new. Most road courses we call from a booth anyway.

“I think it’ll look different than NBC, as it should. I think NBC did a really nice job, but I think TNT proved at Atlanta that they also do a very nice job.”

The trio called Prime Video’s five-race package, which preceded TNT’s as part of NASCAR’s new media deal. NBC takes the baton in August.

Also new is the Cup Series’ in-season challenge, a head-to-head tournament that’s made up of TNT’s races. The Chicago race marks the Sweet 16, with drivers competing for a $1 million prize.

What isn’t changing is the course, which is a challenge for the production crew to cover.

“Our director, Steve Fiorello, is phenomenal in the prep work for each track: camera positions, blind spots,” said John O’Connor, TNT vice president and executive producer. “Talking to Dale about what can we expect, he said you’re going to have a lot of blind turns. The drivers come down, everything feels like they’re in a tunnel.

“The challenges are, can we make the viewers feel what the drivers are feeling? Can we get close enough in these areas and these corners, these blind turns with these cameras to make it feel like what the drivers are seeing and feeling.”

To do that, Fiorello will have almost 50 cameras at his disposal, including 20 manned and unmanned cameras around the track. Cranes of 55 and 60 feet will have a camera on the course. Six cars will have cameras inside, and four handheld cameras will roam the track and pits, following reporters Alan Cavanna, Danielle Trotta and Marty Snider. A helicopter, drone and the Goodyear Blimp will provide aerial coverage.

After two water-logged races, Chicago is due for a nice day. But rain is in the forecast Sunday.

“We talked about it,” O’Connor said. “We’re ready in terms of doing the broadcast because they’ll race in that rain. There’s an added excitement to it. You don’t see NASCAR cars driving in the rain very often. It’s a unique look.

“The cameras are fine, the technology is fine. There’s nothing that our tech teams can’t pull off and are prepared for in those areas. It’s just the racing and how we adapt to that.”

Like NBC did, TNT will lean into the race’s setting, showcasing the city and skyline. The pre- and post-race crew of host Shannon Spake and analysts Parker Kligerman and Jamie McMurray will appear on TNT’s set adjacent to Buckingham Fountain in Grant Park.

“As far as street courses go, the setting is as amazing as we all expected it to be, if not better,” Letarte said. “My family comes to this race. They don’t really come to any other races, but they’re coming here because it’s set in a city, you walk to the racetrack, it has concerts.

“The whole weekend is a true spectacle of sports and entertainment, and it’s our job at TNT — and I’m sure we will — to bring that event into the living room and make everybody know that they’re watching not only a race but a big event.”

Remote patrol

CW affiliate WGN 9 will carry the NASCAR Xfinity Series Chicago Street Race at 3:30 p.m. Saturday. Adam Alexander, Parker Kligerman and Jamie McMurray will call it. Pre-race coverage begins at 2:30. WGN also will air qualifying at 10:30 a.m.

• TNT Sports will air an alternate telecast of the Cup Series race on truTV that focuses on the in-season challenge. Larry McReynolds and Jeff Burton will co-host from the network’s Atlanta studio.

Here are four important things to keep in mind for your Thursday, July 3, 2025:

1. Electrek Formula Sun Grand Prix at NCM Motorsports Park!

• What: The Electrek Formula Sun Grand Prix returns to the National Corvette Museum Motorsports Park in Bowling Green! This is one of the best days for spectators to see solar-powered cars in action.
• When: Today, from 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM. The event runs through July 5th.
• Where: NCM Motorsports Park, 505 Kimberlee A. Fast Dr, Bowling Green, KY 42103.
• Details: Admission is free, offering a unique look into the future of automotive innovation and sustainable technology.

2. Red Cross Blood Drive in Bowling Green!

• What: Help save lives by donating blood at the Red Cross Blood Drive today.
• When: Today, from 10:30 AM to 4:30 PM.
• Where: Holiday Inn University Plaza & Sloan Convention Center, 1021 Wilkinson Trace, Bowling Green, KY 42103.
• Importance: Blood donations typically go down during the summer, so your contribution is especially important.
• Action: Register online at RedCrossBlood.org to secure your spot!

3. “Phantom of the Universe” at WKU Planetarium (Last Day!)

• What: Tonight is your last chance to catch “Phantom of the Universe” at the WKU Planetarium. The film, narrated by Tilda Swinton, explores the fascinating mystery of dark matter, immersing audiences in the search for this elusive part of our universe.
• When: Tonight at 7:00 PM.
• Where: WKU Planetarium, 1906 College Heights Blvd, Bowling Green, KY 42101 (located in Thompson Complex Center Wing).

4. Cave City Community Fireworks Celebration!

• What: Mark your calendars for the 2025 Cave City Community Fireworks Celebration! Enjoy food trucks, music, games, and, of course, a fantastic fireworks display.
• When: This evening, starting at 6:00 PM.
• Where: Mammoth Cave Street in Cave City (502 Mammoth Cave St, Cave City, KY 42127).
• Details: It’s the perfect way to get into the holiday spirit and spend a little time outdoors before the Fourth of July!

CHICAGO, July 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Rate, a leading fintech company, is hitting the track this weekend with Hyak Motorsports, sponsoring driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr at the Grant Park 165. As part of the growing Rate Racing initiative, the event marks another high-speed moment where Rate’s passion for excellence meets hometown pride.

“I’m excited to light up the streets of Chicago and represent Rate in front of their hometown crowd,” said Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

The Grant Park 165 is a key milestone in Rate’s broader push to connect with customers through partnerships that mirror its core values: speed, precision, and high performance. The Hyak Motorsports collaboration builds on that foundation, blending the excitement of racing with the company’s relentless drive to innovate and compete at the highest level.

“At Rate, we partner with people who play to win. They move fast, take smart risks, and stay locked in on performance,” said Victor Ciardelli, CEO of Rate. “That’s exactly what Ricky Stenhouse Jr and Hyak Motorsports bring to the track. This partnership is built on a shared mindset, whether it’s winning a race or helping someone win a home.”

All Eyes on Chicago This Weekend
This weekend’s Chicago Street Race, running July 5–6, brings together top-tier talent, high-performance engineering, and brand-backed momentum. As part of Hyak Motorsports’ race advance, fans can expect a dynamic showing from the team, fueled in part by Rate’s sponsorship and the driving force of Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

With deep experience and leadership from Hyak Motorsports VP of Sales & Marketing Todd Carte, the team is primed for a standout appearance on one of the most iconic road courses in the country. The partnership with Rate not only brings added visibility but also reinforces Hyak’s ongoing mission to build strategic alliances that elevate motorsport culture and fan engagement.

More information on Hyak Motorsports can be found at www.hyakmotorsports.com.

Event Overview
Event: Grant Park 165
Time/Date: 2 PM ET on Sunday, July 6
Location: Chicago Street Course
Layout: 2.2-mile, 12-turn street course
Format: 165 miles / 75 laps | Stages: 20 / 45 / 75
TV/Radio: TNT / MRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

About Rate

Rate Companies is a leader in mortgage lending and digital financial services. Headquartered in Chicago, Rate has over 850 branches across all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Since its launch in 2000, Rate has helped more than 2 million homeowners with home purchase loans, refinances, and home equity loans. The company has cemented itself as an industry leader by introducing innovative technology, offering low rates, and delivering unparalleled customer service. Recent honors and awards include: a Best Mortgage Lender of 2025 by Fortune; Best Mortgage Lender of 2025 for First-Time Homebuyers by Forbes; a Best Mortgage Lender of 2025 for FHA Loans, Home Equity Loans, and Lower Credit Scores by NerdWallet; Best Mortgage Lender of 2025 for Digital Experience and Down Payment Assistance by Motley Fool; Chicago Agent Magazine’s Lender of the Year for seven consecutive years. Visit rate.com for more information.

About Hyak

Hyak Motorsports is a race-winning NASCAR team co-owned by Gordon Smith, Ernie Cope, Mark Hughes, and Brad Daugherty as of Nov. 18, 2023. The Harrisburg, North Carolina-based organization won the 2023 Daytona 500 with driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr and has accumulated two other wins in the NASCAR Cup Series. For more information, please visit the newly rebranded team at HyakMotorsports.com and on social at Facebook, Instagram, X and LinkedIn.

Media Contact

press@rate.com

Paul Tracy engages in an in-depth conversation with Ray Evernham, a transformative figure in NASCAR’s history. From his early days as a modified racer to his innovative tenure as a crew chief and team owner, Evernham’s influence on the sport is profound.

Evernham’s partnership with Jeff Gordon at Hendrick Motorsports redefined success in the 1990s, yielding three NASCAR Cup Series championships and 47 race victories. His introduction of specialized pit crews, often comprising former athletes, revolutionized race-day strategies and set new standards for efficiency and performance.

Beyond the pit lane, Evernham played a pivotal role in bringing Dodge back to NASCAR, founding Evernham Motorsports and achieving 13 Cup Series wins as a team owner. His contributions were recognized with his induction into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2018.

In recent years, Evernham co-founded the Superstar Racing Experience (SRX), showcasing his continued commitment to innovation in motorsports.

Join Paul Tracy as he delves into Evernham’s remarkable journey, exploring the milestones and philosophies that have cemented his legacy as a pioneer in racing.

CHICAGO (AP) — When it comes to NASCAR’s upcoming return to downtown Chicago, Julie Giese has a long list of responsibilities. The track president is monitoring an ambitious construction schedule for the street course, to go along with everything else that goes into the busy weekend.

What happens next is going to have to wait.

The future of NASCAR in Chicago is murky going into its third edition on the first weekend in July. The three-year contract between the motorsports organization and the city that was announced in 2022 has two mutual options, and their fate is unclear.

Giese said there have been “good conversations” between NASCAR and the city, and there is time to work on the possibilities beyond the event.

“So really right now the focus is on let’s execute a really great 2025,” Giese said. “We’ll continue to have the conversations with the city. But right now, honestly, the more consistent conversations are the planning conversations.”

Jason Lee, a senior adviser to Mayor Brandon Johnson, praised NASCAR for its involvement in the community and its improvements with the event. He described almost parallel discussions going on inside of the organization and the city when it comes to the future of the partnership.

Johnson’s predecessor, Lori Lightfoot, was in charge when the original agreement for the weekend was finalized.

“We remain available to have any conversations about the future,” Lee said Monday. “I know they’ve been laser focused on executing this year’s event because there are lessons they’ve learned that they want to apply. And I think some of that, whether you successfully do that, will play a role in how they want to proceed.”

One possible change that could interest the city is moving to a different weekend, something it has discussed with NASCAR in the past.

“It may make more sense to move that event to a different weekend where we don’t have as many demands on our law enforcement and other emergency personnel,” Lee told the AP. “And so that’s definitely something that we’ve contemplated, but there is also some constraints in terms of other events in the city of Chicago and the NASCAR schedule.”

The Athletic reported on June 18 that NASCAR was nearing an agreement to put a street race in the San Diego area next year. An announcement could come as soon as July.

Asked if she had spoken with NASCAR or anyone in the San Diego area about a Southern California street race, Giese said her focus is on Chicago. She also said she feels there is room for multiple street courses on NASCAR’s calendar.

“We have multiple road course races on the schedule,” she said. “So I mean … I’ve not ever heard where it has to be one or the other. I mean there is room. This event, we went into it that first year knowing full well it was a proof of concept. And we showed that it is possible.”

The Xfinity and Cup Series races in Chicago — held on a 12-turn, 2.2-mile course against the backdrop of Lake Michigan and Grant Park — are the main events in a festival-like weekend that also includes music and entertainment options.

It is geared as much to a new audience in one of NASCAR’s most important regions as it is to the most ardent racing fans. NASCAR used to race at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, a 45-mile drive from downtown, but it pulled out after the 2019 season.

“This is a top-three market for us, worldwide frankly, for NASCAR fans,” NASCAR executive Ben Kennedy said when the Chicago event was announced in 2022.

There was some concern for drivers and their teams about the course ahead of the first weekend, and it wasn’t exactly warmly received by local businesses and residents because of the street closures in a heavily trafficked area for tourists in the summer.

But organizers have shrunk the construction schedule from 43 days in 2023 to 25 this year. Based on input from fans, they also have made adjustments to the race viewing areas and moved the concert stage to the start-finish line. Admission is free for kids 12 and under on Saturday and Sunday this year.

The weekend also has won over at least some people inside of NASCAR.

“This was very different. But now it’s fun to see and hear from people in the industry that are coming in early, and they’re going to just enjoy the city for a few days,” Giese said. “The one piece that I hear from our drivers, especially, is they love just staying right at a hotel right across the street. They’re walking across Michigan Avenue and they’re at the course.”

Quite often with an umbrella. Wet weather had a major effect on each of the first two editions. Heavy rain nearly scuttled the inaugural weekend, and last year’s Cup Series race was shortened because of a rain delay and fading sunlight.

When the drivers were on the course, the racing was compelling. Shane van Gisbergen outdueled Justin Haley and Chase Elliott on his way to a Cup victory in 2023, and Alex Bowman stopped an 80-race drought with his win last year.

“I think they’ve been up against it as far as conditions are concerned,” Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin said. “The track has been good, it’s been racy and has passing zones and the scenery is fantastic as far as the backdrop we are racing in. There’s a lot of positives for the Chicago Street Race.

“It will probably move around in the future, but it’s in the mold in which I would like to see any street race they continue to implement in the future.”

Get ready to book your tickets for Indianapolis because attendee registration for the 2025 PRI Show, December 11-13, begins in less than a week, opening for qualified industry members on Tuesday, July 15.

This year’s event will once again offer an experience unlike any other trade show on the planet, delivering the three biggest business days of the year for the global motorsports community and the backdrop of all the newest racing parts, products and services from thousands of industry suppliers.

With a focus on the present and future of racing, the 2025 PRI Show promises to feature all the newest parts, latest innovations, nearly unlimited networking opportunities and access to an unrivaled number of motorsports manufacturers and service providers that can’t be matched anywhere else. Attendees can also get excited for some of the Show’s signature events and features, including the Featured Products Showcase, the Grand Opening Breakfast (keynote speaker set to be announced at a later date), the world-famous Machinery Row with live demonstrations, the PRI ESports Arena and much more.

You can also view the current 2025 PRI Show Floorplan here. Check back in during the leadup to the Show to see what other motorsports brands are added to the world’s largest gathering of motorsports professionals.

Before registering, PRI Show organizers recommend attendees book their hotel rooms now to start planning the best PRI Show experience possible. Click here to secure your accommodations.

In addition, prospective attendees should also renew their PRI Membership, which is required to attend the Show.

For more information on the 2025 PRI Show, visit here.