Mayor Brandon Johnson open to future Chicago NASCAR race, suggests date change

Chicago Tribune

4 days ago

Mayor Brandon Johnson is open to NASCAR returning to Chicago, but hinted Tuesday the city may need a better deal before stock car drivers again race through its streets.
NASCAR has 90 days to request a contract extension with the Chicago Park District. If the racing authority wants to win city leaders over, it could need to change race dates, the mayor said Tuesday.
'The Fourth of July is already, quite frankly, it is a heavier burden for our law enforcement because of so much activity,' Johnson said at a City Hall news conference. 'It's something that will be part of the larger discussion if, in fact, NASCAR returns, what is the optimal time.'
Pressed on what else the city might need to approve another race, Johnson stayed tight-lipped, promising only that 'there will be a lot of things that we will discuss.'
Whether the city and NASCAR can find dates that fit into both schedules is a key question. A NASCAR spokesperson declined comment Tuesday.
The 2026 and 2027 races, the prior contract negotiated by former Mayor Lori Lightfoot said, would be held on mutually agreeable dates. But the park district did confirm in the original contract that the 2023 event and staging window — July 4th weekend — 'is acceptable for potential 2026 or 2027 events.'
NASCAR is reportedly in separate negotiations with officials in San Diego to host a street race there in 2026. The potential San Diego race may be in addition to Chicago, or supplant it. A negotiation window with Chicago officials could be narrow: NASCAR announced last year's cup schedule last August. It featured 38 races between February and November, breaking briefly in May and June.
Considered the city's front lawn, Grant Park already has a packed schedule in the warmer months, including Lollapalooza, Suenos, Blues and Jazz fests, Taste of Chicago, the half marathon, and various other festivals.
Downtown aldermen say moving the race is critical to winning their approval. The Fourth of July is a 'family-oriented' weekend when Chicagoans should have free access to Grant Park, Ald. Bill Conway, 34th, said.
'If you're going to have it again, please don't have it on July 4th weekend,' Conway said. 'We should choose to do it a different weekend if we choose to do it at all.'
Conway also said the city should recoup costs tied to the event 'at a minimum' and added that he hopes construction and tear-down times continue to improve. The racing authority has become more efficient in its set-up and communicated well with residents to resolve initial concerns, he added.
'If we can get those things ironed out, I think it would be good to have NASCAR back. Chicago shines on the world stage, and it's clear Chicago gives NASCAR that platform,' he said.
Conway said Johnson previously told him a city decision on the event's future would come after this year's race. The mayor on Tuesday promised 'far more people are going to be involved' as future races are considered.
'We should have input, we should be involved in this process,' Ald. Brian Hopkins, 2nd, said.
Hopkins argued Lightfoot failed to bring in others when she landed the deal to bring the race to Chicago. He declined to cast judgement on whether the race should continue. It seems the city comes out slightly ahead financially, but weeks-long street closures still make the race hard to justify, he said.
The city's cut has long been a point of contention with NASCAR skeptics. The 2025 payment includes a $605,000 base permit fee, plus $2 per ticket sold and 25% of net commissions on food, drinks and merchandise sold at the event. NASCAR must pay the non-permit cut within a 90-day window after the event.
In the fall of 2023, Johnson and NASCAR also memorialized an additional $2 million payment for 2024 and 2025. That payment was supposed to help compensate the city for public safety and other costs. NASCAR also agreed to continually slim down its setup and takedown window to reduce inconvenience to drivers and downtown residents.
The city came out slightly ahead last year, thanks in large part to that $2 million payment and fewer roadwork improvement costs.
NASCAR officials point to the broader economic impact as a point in their favor — plus added amusement taxes that flow to the city and county.
Leslie Recht, who leads the Grant Park Advisory Council, said she's urged Park District Superintendent Carlos Ramirez Rosa, a close Johnson ally, to push for more money from the company and an even quicker set-up and takedown.
'For me, it's still too long,' Recht said, stipulating that other advisory council members don't mind it. 'All the disruption in Grant Park, if you compare it to Lollapalooza or Suenos or some of the other events, they come, they go. They're a much less impactful situation in Grant Park than NASCAR and they don't pay enough… Lolla and Suenos together pay $12 million. It's ridiculous.'
The city must be careful with how it uses Grant Park, because 'it is for everyone,' Ald. Lamont Robinson, 4th, said. But NASCAR has so far been a 'good neighbor,' he added.
'I think we need as much revenue as we can get in the city of Chicago,' Robinson said.