NASCAR Cup Series driver Shane van Gisbergen (88) after winning the Grant Park 165 at Chicago Street Race. Daniel Bartel-Imagn Images

NASCAR makes major decision on future of Chicago Street Race

By Samuel Stubbs | Last updated Jul 18, 2025 5:44 PM ET

One day after NASCAR reportedly reached a deal to race on the streets of San Diego in 2026, it was announced that the Chicago Street Race will not return to the NASCAR schedule next season.

The 2023 Chicago Street Race was the first street race in NASCAR history, and the streets of Chicago also hosted race weekends in 2024 and 2025. The original three-year deal for the race ran through the July 2025 race weekend, with city officials noting that a change away from the July Fourth weekend was likely needed if the race was going to continue.

However, the city of Chicago is aiming for NASCAR to return to the Windy City in 2027.

The Chicago Street Race social media account posted a statement to announce the decision.

pic.twitter.com/bgWvhwPzwC
— NASCAR Chicago Street Race (@NASCARChicago) July 18, 2025

"Thank you for all you have done to make the NASCAR Chicago Street Race one of the most iconic events in global sports," the statement said. "Following the success of the first three years, the Chicago Street Race will hit pause in 2026 to afford us the time necessary to work collaboratively with the City of Chicago to explore a new potential date and to develop a plan that further optimizes operational efficiencies, with a goal to return to the streets of Chicago in 2027.

Together, we have built and grown an expanded community of fans that consists of longtime NASCAR enthusiasts and first-time racegoers from around the globe, and for that, we are immensely grateful."

Shane van Gisbergen won the first and most recent iterations of the Chicago Street Race, with Alex Bowman winning the race in 2024.

Samuel Stubbs

Hailing from the same neck of the woods as NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin, Samuel has been covering NASCAR for Yardbarker since February 2024. He has been a member of the National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) since October of 2024. When he’s not writing about racing, Samuel covers Arkansas Razorback basketball for Yardbarker

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