NASCAR exploring return to iconic track for 2026 Cup Series

NASCAR is reportedly exploring a return to Chicagoland Speedway for the 2026 Cup Series championship, after the oval track was axed from the schedule ahead of the 2021 season.

According to Sports Business Journal, NASCAR is seriously considering a return to Chicagoland next year, with fans calling for a return to the 1.5-mile oval track.

No official announcement has been made about Chicagoland’s presence on the 2026 schedule, and NASCAR have thus far declined to comment.

NASCAR also remains in talks with the city of Chicago about the future of their street race, but Chicagoland could emerge as a potential replacement should they fail to reach an extension of their deal.

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Will Chicagoland be ready for use in 2026?

Sources told SBJ that NASCAR has started to prepare for a return to Chicagoland, with staff visiting the track to survey the scene and figure out how much track renovations could cost.

Spire Motorsports star Carson Hocevar recently explored the run-down venue and shared his findings with fans on YouTube.

The 22-year-old revealed that the track still appeared to be in ‘fairly decent shape’, but the venue was still overrun with weeds and looked less than hospitable by today's standards.

SBJ continued that Chicagoland would need expenditure ‘well into the seven or eight figures to keep up with fans’ modern-day expectations’.

Chicagoland first featured on the Cup Series schedule in 2001 and Tony Stewart holds the record for the most number of wins around the track, with three in total.

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