2025 NASCAR Chicago Street Race: What to know about the 2.2-mile course around the city

Chicago Tribune

8 hours ago

The first two years of NASCAR's Chicago Street Race were accented by rain, but maybe the third edition will be a charm for fans and drivers.
The race weekend, which has drawn mixed reaction from locals because of the road closures, returns to downtown Chicago on Saturday and Sunday. The future of the race in the city, however, is murky.
Here's everything you need to know about the race — including the course map, road closures and how to watch (or avoid) it all.
Alex Bowman got the win — and a spot in the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs — after clinching the 2024 race. So yeah, he was ready to party.
'We're going to drink so much damn bourbon tonight, it's going to be a bad deal,' a jubilant Bowman said. 'I'm probably going to wake up naked on the bathroom floor again. That's just part of this deal sometimes.'
NASCAR's second year here came with slightly sunnier skies, slightly fewer critics and an ad hoc deal that helped the city's bottom line improve slightly, ending the big downtown race weekend a few hundred thousand dollars in the black.
That was an improvement over 2023, when critics not only ripped the inconvenience of closed roads and limited access to Grant Park, but said the overall cost to host it wasn't matched by the benefits: The city spent nearly $4 million that year but received just $620,000 in direct payments from the racing company.
'Rivers of rainwater flooded the downtown course, and for a while it looked like a boat race would be more appropriate than a car race,' Tribune columnist Paul Sullivan wrote.
Soldier Field hosted a NASCAR Cup Series race in July 1956. And a quarter-century later, an ambitious plan by then-Mayor Jane Byrne to hold a Formula One race on Lake Shore Drive in summer 1981 never made it to the starting line.
Enjoy it while you can, because this might be the last year for street racing in Chicago. This year's event will complete the three-year agreement which was struck during the administration of former Mayor Lori Lightfoot. It does include a two-year renewal option.
Mayor Brandon Johnson didn't answer directly when asked Tuesday if he wanted the race to continue, saying, 'It's about having conversations to make sure we're getting the most out of this experience.'
The roads are already feeling the heat, thanks to the unrelenting 100-degree temperatures late last month. Some buckled pavement on a stretch of the pop-up race course forced the city to close some streets ahead of schedule to repair the damage.
Tickets, which went on sale in January, are less expensive than last year. Single-day general admission passes start at $99 — a third less than last year — while premium grandstand reserved seats are priced at a nearly 50% reduction. Front stretch premier reserved tickets are sold out.
The race is the main event — but there are plenty of other activities to keep fans occupied.
Gates open at 9 a.m. Saturday for Xfinity Series practice before qualifying at 10:30 a.m. and then the The Loop 110 race, which starts at 3:30 p.m. NASCAR Cup series practice is scheduled for noon. Performances by Rust Riders will provide background music starting at 10 a.m., followed by Lawrence Peters Outfit at 11:30 a.m., Hawk and the Talons at 1 p.m. and Michelle Billingsley at 2:30 p.m. Zac Brown Band will fill the air one hour after the race ends.
On Sunday, gates will open at 10 a.m. Pre-race highlights include the Jesse White Tumblers and a national anthem performance by Grammy Award-winning Soul Children of Chicago. The Grant Park 165 gets the green light at 1 p.m.
Derrick Rose, whose No. 1 Bulls jersey will be retired next season, will be the grand marshal for Sunday's race. Listen for him to give the famous 'Drivers, start your engines' command to kick it all off.
Be sure to check the forecast as inclement weather — such as Sunday's predicted 50% chance of afternoon thunderstorms — could delay gates opening and other events.
Attendees are limited to one clear bag no larger than 12-by-12-by-6 or a small clutch or fanny pack that is 6-by-6 with one pocket. Backpacks and bags with multiple pockets are prohibited.
The Xfinity Series Loop 110, which features mostly younger NASCAR drivers, will be broadcast Saturday at 3:30 p.m. on the CW Network and local affiliate WGN-TV. The qualifying order was announced on Wednesday. The Loop 110 will be 50 laps with 110 miles.
The Grant Park 165 Cup Series race will air Sunday at 1 p.m. on TNT. The earlier start — 2½ hours earlier than last year — will be in hopes of finally getting the full race, which has been shortened by rain and darkness during the first two years, to the finish line. Will Brown in the No. 13 car tops the qualifying order. The Grant Park 165 will be a 165-mile race with 75 laps.
Parking starts at $40 per day in the Millennium Park Garage (6 S. Columbus Drive). You can find more details here.
Taking Uber or Lyft? Drop-offs are at Millennium Garages (298 N. Columbus Drive). All pickups are west of State Street from Randolph Street south to Roosevelt Road.
Chase Elliott
Elliott advanced to the second round of NASCAR's new In-Season Challenge, a five-race, bracket-style tournament. With the field cut from 32 to 16 drivers, Elliott will be paired against John Hunter Nemechek for the Chicago race. A $1 million prize awaits the winner, and Elliott's odds after wrecks last week knocked out the top two seeds, Denny Hamlin and Chase Briscoe.
Elliott's win — his 20th in his career — in Atlanta snapped a 44-race drought.
Michael McDowell
Chicago sports fans should keep an eye on 17-year NASCAR veteran, who will be piloting the No. 71 Chevrolet ZL1. Why? That's the Demonmobile — name is still in the workshop. DePaul University partnered with Spire Motorsports to have its colors on the car, driver and pit-crew gear and pit-stop signage.
'I've had a lot of people in particular comment about the paint scheme, how well it looks, and (they're) excited to see it on track,' he said. 'The paint scheme turned out nice; the colors look great.'
Denny Hamlin
Hamlin, the No. 1 seed, was knocked out of the In-Season Challenge in the first round by No. 32 seed — the lowest seed — Ty Dillon. But keep an eye on Hamlin, who finished 11th in 2023 after starting in the pole position in Chicago. 'The track has been good, it's been racy and has passing zones and the scenery is fantastic as far as the backdrop we are racing in,' he said. There's a lot of positives for the Chicago Street Race.'
Race cars will exceed 100 mph along a 12-turn, 2.2-mile course that winds through Grant Park, down DuSable Lake Shore Drive and up Michigan Avenue, which is closed off and lined with temporary fences, grandstands and hospitality suites.
One major change in the streetscape, however, will be a concert stage replacing the Skyline, a mammoth temporary structure along Columbus Drive that last year housed the most expensive suites overlooking the start and finish line at Buckingham Fountain.
The concert stage has been moved from Hutchinson Field on the southern end of the race grounds. The decision was aimed at shortening the buildout time and minimizing disruption, a NASCAR spokesperson said.
Closures began in June and will continue until July 14.
Reopening schedule
Select streets will begin reopening following the conclusion of the event. The priority streets to reopen are DuSable Lake Shore Drive and Michigan Avenue. Other street closures will remain in effect as the breakdown of the track wall, fence and viewing structures takes place. Northbound DuSable Lake Shore Drive will begin reopening Monday at 6 a.m.
Alternative routes availableThe Field Museum, Shedd Aquarium and Adler Planetarium will be open normal hours race weekend. Expect road closures and limited parking options, however, due to the event.
Race organizers recommend using Special Olympics Drive to access the Museum Campus.
For the third consecutive summer, Taste of Chicago has been moved to September to accommodate the race.
The Taste, a summer tradition established in 1980 and typically held in early July, welcomes tens of thousands of visitors to Grant Park for food, beverages, live music, dancing, karaoke and kids' activities. It will be held Sept. 6-8.