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<\/p>\nA familiar logo to the city\u2019s sports fans will be zooming through the streets downtown when the 2025 NASCAR Chicago Street Race takes place Saturday and Sunday.<\/p>\n
DePaul University has partnered with Spire Motorsports for the weekend\u2019s events as the main sponsor of the No. 71 Chevrolet ZL1. DePaul\u2019s colors will be on the car, driver and pit-crew gear and pit-stop signage, and fans can buy Blue Demons-themed gear before the race.<\/p>\n
Piloting the DePaul Chevy will be Michael McDowell, who joined Spire this season. The Glendale, Ariz., native is a 17-year veteran with 518 starts. That includes a victory in the 2021 Daytona 500, three top-five finishes at Talladega and starts in all three of NASCAR\u2019s national series (Cup, Xfinity and Truck).<\/p>\n
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Isabella Martinez \/ Spire Motorsports<\/p>\n
The DePaul Chevy car that will be driven by Michael McDowell for the 2025 NASCAR Chicago Street Race. (Isabella Martinez \/ Spire Motorsports)<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s always exciting when you can bring somebody into the sport that you know hasn\u2019t been there (before) and bring a new design and a fresh look,\u201d McDowell said. \u201cYou\u2019re going to have some fans and you\u2019re going to have some support immediately. It\u2019s been a great response.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve had a lot of people in particular comment about the paint scheme, how well it looks, and (they\u2019re) excited to see it on track. The paint scheme turned out nice; the colors look great.\u201d<\/p>\n
DePaul\u2019s NASCAR partnership is a way to promote the school beyond Chicago. <\/p>\n
\u201cPartnering with Spire Motorsports for the NASCAR Chicago Street Race allows us to spotlight DePaul on a national stage while embracing a global event in our own backyard,\u201d athletic director DeWayne Peevy said in a press release<\/a>. \u201cThis collaboration will extend into our classrooms this fall, offering our students a hands-on look at the business and science behind professional racing. It\u2019s the perfect example of how we\u2019re using sports to elevate our visibility and create real-world learning experiences for our students.\u201d<\/p>\n DePaul\u2019s School of Hospitality and Sports Business introduced a NASCAR-related course this summer, titled HSB 198: A NASCAR Experience<\/a>. Students created and implemented designs for the college tailgate that will be at Turn 7 of the street race. McDowell will make virtual appearances in classes in the coming weeks.<\/p>\n