Earlier this month, Trackhouse Racing\u2019s #88 Shane van Gisbergen made history once more, sweeping both the Xfinity and Cup races from pole position in Grant Park, a rare feat matched only by Kyle Busch since 2016. SVG\u2019s NASCAR journey started in Chicago way back in 2023, when he burst onto the scene as a debutant and stunned the world by winning in Chicago. It\u2019s a track that he\u2019s come to love, but that love story will end in 2025.<\/p>\n
The engines have gone quiet in downtown Chicago, and for fans, the silence cuts deep. After three adrenaline-fueled years of transforming Grant Park into a motorsport marvel, NASCAR\u2019s boldest urban experiment has come to a screeching halt. The NASCAR Chicago Street race won\u2019t return in 2026, and fans are hit hard.<\/p>\n
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Chicago city officials hint at a 2027 return<\/p>\n
The Chicago Street Race will pause in 2026 due to scheduling conflicts and pushback from city officials and residents.\u00a0The race has come with big numbers: $128 million in 2024 alone. And this year, despite the wet conditions, the event drew over 50,000 fans to the heart of downtown and generated over $100 million for the local economy. It only got bigger from there; the 2024 and 2025 auditions offered unforgettable race weekends, with live music, celebrity sightings, and some of the most dramatic showdowns of the season.<\/p>\n
The NASCAR<\/a> statement said, \u201cFollowing a successful three years, the NASCAR Chicago Street Race will hit pause in 2026 to allow NASCAR to be responsive to residents\u2019 and elected officials\u2019 feedback. We will continue to work together toward a new potential date and develop a plan to further optimize operational efficiencies with the goal of the event\u2019s return in 2027.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Alderman of Chicago, Brian Hopkins, disclosed that the decision was primarily driven by the challenges of the calendar. He went on to say that the city provided a list of tentative dates to NASCAR, of which none of them are really working with its 2026 race season schedule. However, not returning next year does not guarantee the race will be gone for good, Hopkins assures the NASCAR community.<\/p>\n \u201cOur 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,\u201d Julie Giese, NASCAR Chicago Street Race president, said in a letter sent Friday to Mayor Brandon Johnson.<\/p>\n Chicago\u2019s new mayor cited the race\u2019s timing over the 4th of July, downtown closures, and holiday logistics, not to mention building and dismantling the track. A spokesperson for Mayor Brandon Johnson\u2019s office said in a statement, \u201cWe appreciate NASCAR\u2019s dedication to the City of Chicago and their commitment to continuing their community engagement efforts, particularly their support of STEM education for our city\u2019s young people. We look forward to resuming discussions around a potential return of the NASCAR Chicago Street Race in 2027.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTo the contrary, everything I have seen so far to date is they plan to use this year off to come back harder in 2027 with something that they can hopefully lead to something more permanent, a more permanent date that will be theirs for the next five to 10 years,\u201d Hopkins said. From seeing SVG dominate Chicago to Cody Ware\u2019s incredibly terrifying race that raised alarm for NASCAR safety guidelines,<\/a>\u00a0the NASCAR fans share their grief towards losing the track in the Windy City.<\/p>\n ADVERTISEMENT<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n NASCAR fans mourn the loss of the Windy City street race<\/p>\n Chicago\u2019s 2026 NASCAR exit sent shock waves through fan communities, not just because the race was being paused, but because it was this race. The downtown course wasn\u2019t just another addition to the calendar; it was something bold, vibrant, and unmistakably Chicago. \u201cDuring this year\u2019s race, I was telling a friend that we should go to Chicago next summer to take in the city and the street course,\u201d one fan shared on Reddit, echoing what many had hoped would become an annual summer pilgrimage.<\/p>\n Instead, social media became a rolling scroll of heartbreak and humor. \u201cIt\u2019s Chicagover<\/strong>,\u201d lamented one user. While another joked, \u201cFalling to my knees in a Walmart,\u201d summing up the absurd emotional punch only racing fans truly understand. But even in disappointment, there was admiration: \u201cShame, went 2\/3 years and had a great time during both. Also got a crazy cool photo in 2023 during the rainstorm.\u201d For those who experienced the race up close, memories of Shane van Gisbergen<\/a>\u2018s thunderous laps and Victory Lane antics, skyline backdrops, and lightning-lit clouds will be tough to top.<\/p>\n The fans remain proud of what Chicago brought to the table, but many aren\u2019t entirely sold on what might come next. Rumors of San Diego inheriting the street race slot stirred mixed emotions. One fan said, \u201cBummer. Its location right in the middle of the city is so cool. What I\u2019ve read about San Diego location doesn\u2019t excite me in that regard, but hopefully the racing is good \ud83e\udd1e\ud83c\udffb.\u201d While another added, \u201cShould go back to Chicagoland now!\u201d Another fan contrasted this sentiment. Annoyed by the classic oval track south of the city that once hosted NASCAR Cup Series races, a fan pointed out, \u201cHate that we are leaving downtown Chicago. Chicagoland probably won\u2019t move the needle if we do indeed go there.\u201d<\/p>\n ADVERTISEMENT<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Still, there is a sense of cautious optimism. \u201cI really enjoyed the Chicago Street race. I thought it was thoroughly entertaining and helped bring NASCAR to new audiences and track styles. Glad to know, although it\u2019s ending, we aren\u2019t abandoning street races altogether,\u201d one fan posted. Another one chimed in saying, \u201cMy favorite race :(\u201c\u2014it is clear the city has left a lasting impression. While many mourn the loss, most aren\u2019t giving up hope, not on Chicago, and certainly not on the bold future of urban racing. The only question that beckons now is, where will NASCAR go next? Let us know what you think in the comments!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Earlier this month, Trackhouse Racing\u2019s #88 Shane van Gisbergen made history once more, sweeping both the Xfinity and…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":47325,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[46],"tags":[36531,2967,36528,1641,36525,2359,6184,15621,6120,1638,6131,36524,6143,36529,2363,2365,2362,2364,6117,6144,36533,1406,2355,1647,36532,1618,1645,6175,36530,2357,1926,62,36527,67,132,68,1646,2354,36526,1640,1615],"class_list":{"0":"post-74056","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nascar","8":"tag-2967","9":"tag-als","10":"tag-am","11":"tag-ansicht","12":"tag-auf","13":"tag-bahnrad","14":"tag-ben","15":"tag-chicagos","16":"tag-der","17":"tag-durch","18":"tag-ein","19":"tag-einbahnstrase","20":"tag-fahrern","21":"tag-foto","22":"tag-ikone","23":"tag-im","24":"tag-indem","25":"tag-juli","26":"tag-kurs","27":"tag-mehrsport","28":"tag-nascar","29":"tag-nascars","30":"tag-nur","31":"tag-premiumd","32":"tag-quer","33":"tag-redaktionelle","34":"tag-rennen","35":"tag-schleife","36":"tag-serie","37":"tag-sport","38":"tag-sports","39":"tag-stande","40":"tag-united-states","41":"tag-unitedstates","42":"tag-us","43":"tag-verwendung","44":"tag-vom","45":"tag-von","46":"tag-wahrend","47":"tag-x0x"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/114877162039156383","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/74056","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=74056"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/74056\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/47325"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=74056"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=74056"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=74056"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}