Local officials demand NASCAR meeting as race contract ends

Local officials in Chicago have demanded a meeting with NASCAR as their three-year agreement comes to an end.

The 2.2 mile street course joined the NASCAR schedule in 2022, but Chicago’s future remains uncertain heading into this weekend's race, with no confirmation on an contract extension.

NASCAR stars, such as Cup Series champion Kyle Larson, have expressed their hopes that the race in downtown Chicago remains as the 32-year-old praised street course racing in the sport.

Recently, NASCAR’s original three-year deal for the circuit has also been criticised by the city’s alderman, who argue the deal devalues Chicago’s Grant Park space.

Local official Brian Hopkins has since penned a letter to NASCAR Chicago Street Race President Julie Giese, where he requested a meeting to discuss the event’s future, with the letter also signed by officials Bill Conway, Pat Dowell and Brendan Reilly.

“We are requesting a meeting with you and your team as soon as practically possible for a post-event debriefing and to discuss the event’s future in Chicago,” the letter read.

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Should Chicago remain on the NASCAR schedule?

According to the Choose Chicago and the Chicago Sports Commission, the 2024 race weekend had a total economic impact of $128 million, an increase of over 17% compared to the 2023 race.

The race also generated $9.6 million in state and local taxes, but this hasn’t prevented locals from complaining about the disruption the race has caused since 2023.

In May, locals attended a community meeting to voice their concerns to the local police department and NASCAR Chicago.

NASCAR accepted these disruptions and stated that in 2025 they anticipate 25 days of disruption between course setup and teardown, including the two days of racing.

"We have been working very hard to minimize those disruptions. We're going to continue to get better at this,” Giese of NASCAR Chicago said in May.

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