Fans reflect on NASCAR's (possibly) final race in Chicago

Chicago Tribune

15 hours ago

As NASCAR fans from across the globe gathered for the 2025 Chicago Street Race on Saturday, some spectators reveled in the moment more than usual, knowing it may be the last time the city hosts the event.
This is the third and final year of NASCAR's contract with the city for the Fourth of July weekend event. Racing officials have not released a full schedule for 2026, and Mayor Brandon Johnson has so far not committed to bringing NASCAR back.
NASCAR Chicago Street Race President Julie Giese has been tight-lipped about NASCAR's future in the city, as well. A two-year extension for the course to stay in Chicago remains possible, but far from certain. Races in the previous two years have been met with rainy weather, leading to lengthy delays.
Some residents have been lukewarm about the event, as it comes with street closures that make 10 commonly used intersections inaccessible. And after days of snarled traffic and rerouted buses, it takes awhile for the Loop to return to normal.
Amid the uncertainty, thousands of dedicated racing fans streamed into Chicago's Grant Park early Saturday morning, braving the hot weather but enjoying clear blue skies as drivers completed their initial practice runs.
'I am out here because this will probably be the last year,' said John Drexler, a 66-year-old truck driver from Schaumburg and self-described 'gearhead.'
Drexler said it would be a shame to lose a spectacle, which showcases Chicago's skyline for an international audience.
'I've been a racing fan for more than 50 years, so I hope they bring it back,' he said. 'Monaco and Long Beach are the only cities that are even comparable to this.'
Many spectators watched the race — and visited Chicago — for the first time. The street course rookies seemed in awe of the atmosphere.
'So far it's been awesome. I'm over the moon,' said Scott Russell, 52, who traveled from Melbourne, Australia. 'I paid a fortune for tickets (because) I thought if I'm going to do this, I'm going to do this properly. I would definitely come back to Chicago without a doubt.'
Fans filled the grandstands east of the pit stops on Columbus Drive and lined the fences along the rest of the 2.2-mile lakefront course, many wincing as drivers roared past at more than 100 mph. Drivers maneuvered through Grant Park and skirted Lake Michigan, sped past the Museum Campus down to Roosevelt Road, taking several 90-degree turns at about 50 mph, eventually heading north on Michigan Avenue and then east past the Art Institute of Chicago on Jackson Drive.
'I've been to all three of these because I felt like this was maybe not going to be around forever,' said Mike Piotrowski, who grew up watching racing on television.
Piotrowski is not like some of the NASCAR fans who have been to races all over the country. David Cox, 52, said he has made trips to Talladega in Lincoln, Alabama, and Bristol, in Tennessee, as well as watched races in Michigan.
'A NASCAR race is like a marriage, everyone should try it at least once,' Cox said. 'If you don't like it, don't go back.'
John Tucker, a Lutheran minister from Salisbury, N.C., has been to four races this year. His daughter is married to an engineer from RCR Racing, which is why he became a traveling NASCAR fan eight years ago. He thinks the racing itself is interesting, but he said he became a true fan when he saw the 'camaraderie of the pit crews.'
'They really look after each other,' Tucker said. 'Family care is important to me, and to see that with a team … I didn't expect that.'
Before Saturday, Tammy Southern had not been to a NASCAR race since 1997. This weekend was the first time she and her husband, Bradley, were able to take a vacation alone since they had children. They came to Chicago from South Bend, Indiana, to soak up 'the stuff that you don't normally see when you're at home watching it.'
'There's so many different experiences here that we get to see,' Southern said. 'It's sad that this might be the last one here.'
The weekend featured one of its first nonrainy days, as fans treated themselves to mock races, a trip down pit lane during qualifying and a look at each racer's RV. Workers repaired cars while others kept the crew hydrated in the high-80s degree weather.
Thirty-eight drivers qualified for Saturday's Xfinity Series The Loop 110 race, and many said Chicago's heat wave made the course hotter and slicker than the past two years, making it more difficult to avoid scraping the walls.
'When the track is that hot and slick, there is no margin for error,' said 36-year-old New Zealander Shane van Gisbergen, just after completing the fastest time during the Loop 110 qualifying round.
Gisbergen, the winner of the inaugural Chicago Street Race in 2023, said he also hopes the Chicago Street Race returns for another year.
'You walk to the track with all the fans and it's really cool,' he said. 'This is a place that is really special to me.'
Many fans said they would love to see the race remain in Chicago, as well. They rave about how close spectators are to the track, as well as the 'smell of the tires and asphalt' as racers drove by.
'I'm really happy to be here because it's my first time I've ever been to Chicago and the city has amazed me (because of) how clean it is and the amount of people I've met and how friendly they are,' Russell said. 'If someone said to me, 'You want to go to Chicago (for the race)?', I'll be like 'Yup, let's go.''