NASCAR is coming to Downtown Chicago in 2023

A big announcement regarding the future of NASCAR in Chicago took place today in Downtown Chicago. One year after releasing the concept of the Chicago Street Course on iRacing, the circuit will become a reality in July 2023. The inaugural NASCAR Cup Series race on a street course will take place on the first weekend of July (July 1-2) and will replace Road America on the schedule, just after two years of being on the Cup Series schedule. This will be the first time the NASCAR Cup Series will race in the Chicago area since 2019 at Chicagoland Speedway, which formerly hosted the Cup Series from 2001 to 2019. The track did not host a race in 2020 due to the COVID-19 Pandemic and was removed from the schedule for 2021.

At the official announcement at Cityfront Plaza today, Ben Kennedy, NASCAR’s senior vice-president of racing and development strategy, called it “the most monumental day in the history of our sport, NASCAR. In 75 years, our sport has never had a street course.”

The press conference also included Chicago mayor Lori Lightfoot and Cup Series driver Bubba Wallace, who races for Michael Jordan, a Chicago icon, and is sponsored by McDonald’s, whose headquarters is based in Chicago.

Discussions began over a year ago regarding the idea of a street course in Downtown Chicago, in which Mayor Lightfoot was quoted saying the “enthusiasm was just off the charts.”

“This is a huge sports town. This will be one of the most iconic racecourses, maybe ever. We couldn’t pass up this opportunity,” the mayor also said.

The first glimpse of the Chicago Street Circuit was launched onto iRacing last June and was showcased during the NASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series that was hosted by FOX Sports. James Davison won that virtual event on what will be a 2.2-mile-long circuit that will feature the streets of Lake Shore Drive, Michigan Avenue, and Columbus Drive.

The race weekend, which will replace Road America on the schedule, will also feature an IMSA-sanctioned race that has yet to be determined.

“Like the Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum, we seized an incredible opportunity to add an unprecedented element to our schedule and take center stage in the heart of another major metropolitan market,” Ben Kennedy said in an official release. “This is the ideal setting for the first-ever NASCAR Cup Series street race. The NASCAR Cup Series Next Gen cars and the IMSA machines will race along the shores of Lake Michigan in downtown Chicago, marking a truly historic moment for our sport. We are very appreciative of Mayor Lori Lightfoot and her team, along with the entire city of Chicago for working with us to make this concept a reality.”

Tickets for the 2023 NASCAR Chicago Street Race Weekend will go on sale later this year at NASCARChicago.com. The remainder of the 2023 schedules for the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, and IMSA will be announced at a later date.