Two weeks after its third annual Fourth of July weekend run through Grant Park, NASCAR has made the decision not to hold the Chicago Street Race in 2026, leaving open the door to return on a different date the following year.
In a letter Friday to Mayor Brandon Johnson, NASCAR said it is pausing the race because it needs more time to explore rescheduling the event and ways to speed up the buildout and breakdown of the pop-up racecourse in response to concerns from the city.
“Our goal is for the Chicago Street Race to return in 2027 with an event that further enhances the experience for residents and visitors alike, as we work together towards a new potential date, shorter build schedule, and additional tourism draws,” Julie Giese, NASCAR Chicago Street Race president, said in the letter.
Giese said the NASCAR Chicago office will remain open as they “work collaboratively” with the city to reschedule the street race, further optimize “operational efficiencies” on the buildout and potentially find ways to enhance the event’s appeal as a tourism draw.
NASCAR also pledges to remain active in its community engagement efforts next year, despite pausing the actual Chicago race, Giese said.
“We appreciate NASCAR’s dedication to the City of Chicago and their commitment to continuing their community engagement efforts, particularly their support of STEM education for our city’s young people,” a mayor’s office spokesperson said in an emailed statement. “We look forward to resuming discussions around a potential return of the NASCAR Chicago Street Race in 2027.”
The city just completed its three-year agreement with NASCAR to host the street race, which made its inaugural run in the summer of 2023. The deal, struck during former Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s administration, included a two-year renewal option.
Mayor Johnson made it clear in the wake of the third run that the city wants to move the race away from the busy Independence Day weekend to reduce the strain on law enforcement, among other concerns.
Under the terms of the original agreement, NASCAR paid the Chicago Park District a $500,000 permit fee in 2023, $550,000 in 2024 and $605,000 this year, as well as a $2 fee per admission ticket and an escalating commission for food, beverage and merchandise sold at the event. NASCAR also agreed to pay an additional $2 million for city expenses beginning in 2024.
In addition to a different date, the city is looking at a more favorable financial arrangement and speeding up the setup and breakdown times for the temporary race course, which plies a 12-turn, 2.2-mile circuit through Grant Park, down DuSable Lake Shore Drive and up Michigan Avenue.
The disruption wrought by the event has been a point of contention for residents and area businesses. This year, NASCAR streamlined the buildout and reduced major street closings, fully opening up the last road — Balbo between Columbus and DuSable Lake Shore Drive — on Saturday, two days ahead of schedule.
The first street race ever produced by NASCAR has weathered challenging conditions, including significant rain delays the first two years, and ongoing debates about the net benefits for the city.
Last year, the street race generated $128 million in total economic impact and drew 53,036 unique visitors, according to a study commissioned by Choose Chicago, the city’s tourism arm. The nationally televised Cup Series race also generated $43.6 million in media value for Chicago, according to a companion report.
While attendance figures for the event have yet to be released, TV ratings for the Cup Series Grant Park 165 on July 6 were down for the third consecutive year, averaging 2.1 million viewers on cable channel TNT, according to Nielsen. The Xfinity race on July 5 averaged 1.1 million viewers on its new TV home, the CW broadcast network, according to Nielsen.
Shane van Gisbergen, who won the inaugural Cup Series event in 2023, took the checkered flag once again this year, and also won the Xfinity race, as rain stayed away for the first time in the Chicago Street Race’s three-year history.
Beyond the Chicago pause for 2026, NASCAR is reportedly in negotiations to hold a street race in San Diego next year. Whether that’s in addition to, or perhaps a replacement for Chicago, remains to be seen.
rchannick@chicagotribune.com
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