Taking It To the Streets: Why NASCAR Chose Downtown Chicago

A $50M Undertaking

For a promotion accustomed to facilities with permanent garages, stands, and racecourses, setting up the 12-turn, 2.2-mile course in Grant Park has been a complicated and expensive undertaking.

The company has some experience setting up temporary arrangements, building a quarter-mile track inside Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum for the Busch Light Clash each February since 2022.

The total investment for that event was over $1 million — a significant sum, but peanuts compared to the $50 million-plus NASCAR is spending to put on the Chicago Street Race Weekend, per Giese.

Every part has been built from the ground up, from the walls and fencing to the grandstands, suites, and hospitality areas — not to mention all of the food, beverage, and merchandise stands.

It also includes the two-story, first-of-its kind President’s Paddock Club — a premium seating option starting at $3,015 — which is situated directly over Pit Road that provides panoramic views of the entire course.

“We wanted to create options that appeal to everyone,” says Kennedy. “So anything from a general-admission ticket where people can really walk around the entire park, see the drivers on the grid, go down and watch music for the festival, and really roam around, all the way up to our highest zone area.”

Still, a two-day GA ticket will cost nearly $300 — a sticking point for those saying the event is inaccessible to the average consumer. For context, a fan could go to both races next weekend in the Atlanta area, for around $100.

But according to the festival model, the Chicago weekend isn’t a terrible deal: the cheapest two-day Lollapalooza pass is roughly the same price.

Winding Through the Windy City

Racetracks typically don’t run through the heart of an urban center.

This weekend, drivers will race on the same asphalt Chicagoans traverse every day, including the famous Lake Shore Drive.

“It felt like this was an opportunity for us to really bring racing to the people and to the fans,” Kennedy says.

It’s a good idea in theory, but much less in practice if the course can’t produce a good race. That’s why NASCAR modeled the course and tested it out for feasibility in iRacing in July 2021.

“If you talk to the team at the city, they would tell you that that virtual race really helped them see the opportunity to promote Chicago,” says Giese.

NASCAR and Chicago have a three-year contract in which the city receives $500,000 this year, $550,000 in 2024, and $605,000 in 2025. The city will receive $2 per ticket sold and a percentage of net commissions on concessions and merchandise sales.

Kennedy says that during NASCAR’s decision-making process, Chicago was found to be its third-biggest market by total volume. The company staged races at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet (about an hour from Chicago) for nearly two decades before deciding to move downtown.

That existing audience gives NASCAR the confidence to try for new demographics — as it did earlier this week with Bubba’s Block Party, a celebration of Black culture and businesses.

“I think this is on-strategy for where they’ve been taking the sport over the last few years,” Comcast VP of branded partnerships Matt Lederer says, “which is really making sure that they continue to engage their core fans, while also finding those unique opportunities to create high moments of competition that bring in new fans and introduce the sport to new markets.”

‘Proof of Concept’

It might be reasonable to suggest that NASCAR was pushed by the rise in the domestic popularity of motorsports primarily driven by Formula 1.

NASCAR brass and sponsors firmly reject this notion, instead attributing its new innovative events in Chicago and L.A. to the need to keep up with an evolving sports entertainment marketplace.

“Where I think it’s a response is the creation of experiences that fans of any sport or any entertainment property are expecting these days,” says Lederer. “The competition that they’re working against is the expectation of the fans and the experience that they expect, and not necessarily a direct response to one specific sport.”

Everything about NASCAR’s 75th anniversary season is about coming to terms with what the sport is and what it represents. Between its experimental events and regular marquee showcases — such as the Daytona 500 — the company also took time to honor its history in May for the All-Star Race, its first event at North Wilkesboro Speedway since 1996.

“You think about the totality of this year, and it’s an opportunity for us to celebrate our past, recognize our present, and then look forward to the future,” Kennedy says.

So where does NASCAR go from here?

The company seems poised to return to Chicago for two more races at least, per its contract. A strong showing in attendance and/or ratings (via NBC’s family of channels) could extend that deal longer, or even inspire more street races.

“My focus is on Chicago and executing that agreement,” says Giese. “It’s not lost on me or anyone with the team here that this is a proof of concept.”

NASCAR wants to be more than the reputation it’s built. Now it’s time to prove it in the streets.