Latest news with #GrantPark165
Forbes
7 days ago
- Automotive
- Forbes
Nascar's San Diego Announcement Is The Next Step In A Nationwide Takeover
Drivers compete during the Grant Park 165 race of NASCAR Cup Series at the Chicago Street Course in ... More Chicago, Illinois, United States on July 6, 2025. (Photo by Jacek Boczarski/Anadolu via Getty Images) Nascar is making a major move by traveling to San Diego in 2025. Not only will the Nascar Cup Series be competing in America's Finest City, but so will the Xfinity and Craftsman Truck Series from June 19-21, 2026. While the race will be held at the Naval Base Coronado, the city is enthusiastic to host a Nascar weekend. Unlike Chicago, which had a negative perception of Nascar from the initial announcement, San Diego appears to be welcoming of stock car racing. Sports Business Journal reported that the contract is between Nascar and the U.S. Navy, and Sports San Diego will help run operations and promote the event. 'As part of our nation's 250th anniversary, we are honored for Nascar to join the celebration as we host our first street race at a military base, Naval Base Coronado,' Nascar's Ben Kennedy, EVP, Chief Venue & Racing Innovation Officer, said in a statement. 'Nascar San Diego Weekend will honor the Navy's history and the men and women who serve as we take the best motorsports in the world to the streets of Naval Base Coronado.' The Cup race will be streamed on Amazon Prime as part of its summer stretch of races. This is a major step for Nascar, which is expanding its presence on the West Coast after leaving the L.A. Coliseum (an exhibition race) and Fontana's Auto Club Speedway. Not only does this announcement keep Nascar viable in a major market, but it also shows the sanctioning body's creativity is endless right now. While Nascar nearly settled on racing in Downtown San Diego, they opted for the Naval base to create a patriotic twist to the spectacle. Kennedy told SBJ that racing in San Diego on a base is 'naturally a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be able to celebrate this special anniversary of the Navy and our country.' Another great element to the event is that iRacing, which will launch the first mainstream Nascar video game in several years, helped create the track. The announcement is expected to generate not only waves of interest from drivers and sports executives, but also potential sponsors. Nascar has welcomed in a plethora of new partners in 2025, and an announcement like this will certainly generate additional key sponsor interest. Nascar will not return to Chicago in 2026, but it will likely return to Chicagoland Speedway in nearby Joliet. The Mexico race's status has yet to be determined. But an announcement like this makes it clear: Kennedy and his team are leading Nascar to push the limits and get creative.
Newsweek
21-07-2025
- Automotive
- Newsweek
NASCAR Chicago Replacement Announcement Expected Imminently
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. NASCAR is headed to San Diego for a race at Coronado Naval Base in 2026, according to reports. The RACER revealed that Coronado is a new destination for the upcoming season, marking an exciting addition to the calendar. The official announcement is expected to come on Wednesday, RACER reported. Coronado is replacing Chicago on the race schedule. The Athletic reported that talks with the city of Coronado began in June. hane Van Gisbergen, driver of the #88 WeatherTech Chevrolet, walks onstage during driver intros prior to the NASCAR Cup Series Grant Park 165 at Chicago Street Course on July 06, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. hane Van Gisbergen, driver of the #88 WeatherTech Chevrolet, walks onstage during driver intros prior to the NASCAR Cup Series Grant Park 165 at Chicago Street Course on July 06, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. Photo byThe Chicago race took place over the last three years, with the most recent one being this summer. The contract has expired, and it is now off the calendar for 2026. In a statement from the event's social media account, there were seemingly logistical issues with the race, and the aim is for the race to return. "Following the success of the first three years, the Chicago Street Race will hit pause in 2026 to afford us the time necessary to work collaboratively with the City of Chicago to explore a new potential date and to develop a plan that further optimizes operational efficiencies, with a goal to return to the streets of Chicago in 2027," the statement read. "Together, we have built and grown an expanded community of fans that consists of longtime NASCAR enthusiasts and first-time racegoers from around the globe, and for that, we are immensely grateful." Shane van Gisbergen won two out of the last three races in Chicago. He will miss the track, but both the city and NASAR are hoping this will be a brief break for the event. The latest stop on the NASCAR train was in Delaware for the Dover race, where Denny Hamlin captured the victory. NASCAR Dover Results Denny Hamlin - Joe Gibbs Racing Chase Briscoe - Joe Gibbs Racing Alex Bowman - Hendrick Motorsports Kyle Larson - Hendrick Motorsports Ty Gibbs - Joe Gibbs Racing Chase Elliott - Hendrick Motorsports Bubba Wallace - 23XI Racing Ryan Blaney - Team Penske Chris Buescher - RFK Racing Brad Keselowski - RFK Racing Kyle Busch - Richard Childress Racing Tyler Reddick - 23XI Racing Michael McDowell - Spire Motorsports Joey Logano - Team Penske Austin Dillon - Richard Childress Racing Austin Cindric - Team Penske Justin Haley - Spire Motorsports Christopher Bell - Joe Gibbs Racing Ryan Preece - RFK Racing Ty Dillon - Kaulig Racing John Hunter Nemechek - Legacy Motor Club Zane Smith - Front Row Motorsports Ricky Stenhouse Jr. - Hyak Motorsports Riley Herbst - 23XI Racing Todd Gilliland - Front Row Motorsports Daniel Suarez - Trackhouse Racing Erik Jones - Legacy Motor Club Josh Berry - Wood Brothers Racing Cole Custer - Haas Factory Team Shane van Gisbergen - Trackhouse Racing Noah Gragson - Front Row Motorsports William Byron - Hendrick Motorsports Ross Chastain - Trackhouse Racing J.J. Yeley - NY Racing Team Carson Hocevar - Spire Motorsports Cody Ware - Rick Ware Racing A.J. Allmendinger - Kaulig Racing For more NASCAR news, head on over to Newsweek Sports.
Toronto Star
19-07-2025
- Automotive
- Toronto Star
NASCAR says no Chicago Street Race next year, but it could return in 2027
Drivers race in a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at the Grant Park 165 , Sunday, July 6, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley) EH flag wire: true flag sponsored: false article_type: : sWebsitePrimaryPublication : publications/toronto_star bHasMigratedAvatar : false :
Yahoo
18-07-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
NASCAR Chicago winners, losers: Bubba Wallace throws points away with Alex Bowman spat, late spin
Shane van Gisbergen wasn't always in the front in the Grant Park 165 NASCAR Cup Series race on July 6 at the Chicago street course, but he was always the best car. SVG passed Chase Briscoe for the lead with 12 laps to go, then held off Ty Gibbs and AJ Allmendinger on two final restarts to earn his second win of the Cup Series season. SVG led only 26 of 75 laps, but that was due to pit strategy in the first two stages. It was an otherwise dominating performance in the second half of the race for the driver of the No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet. SVG's dominance was only thwarted early by Michael McDowell, who led the first 31 laps before having to go to the garage with a throttle issue. Here are the winners and losers from the NASCAR Chicago street race on July 6: OUCH: Carson Hocevar crash forces early pileup in NASCAR Chicago street race, collects Brad Keselowski NASCAR Chicago winners and losers: SVG dominates again in the Chicago streets Winner: The SVG Cup Series experience Not enough credit has been given to Trackhouse for getting Shane van Gisbergen in a Cup car at this course two years ago, and moreso for progressing SVG from that Chicago win in 2023 to a full-time Cup driver with multiple wins in 2025. SVG will have every opportunity to make it out of the round of 16 in the playoffs with the amount of playoff points he has already earned, and with two more road courses left in the regular season. It's not inconceivable that SVG goes into the playoffs with the most (or tied for the most) wins from the regular season. In the era of playoff points and win-and-in, SVG has more value than any other driver outside the top 10 in the points standings. And looking ahead to the playoffs, the Charlotte Roval is at the end of the Round of 12. So if SVG advances from the first round of the playoffs, watch out. Winner: The playoff bubble SVG's victory was a reprieve for Chris Buescher and Alex Bowman after challenging weekends through the streets of Chicago. Bowman, the defending race champion, had to start at the rear of the field for unapproved adjustments, and twice had to drive into the top 10 on a differing pit strategy. After a tangle with Bubba Wallace late in the race, Bowman finished eighth and held onto a playoff spot just ahead of the cutline, 39 points to the good. Buescher started in the top five, had a power issue, lost a lap while repairing the issue, got back on the lead lap and finished 18th. Both drivers would have appreciated a stronger results day on Sunday, but sometimes it's the better results from bad circumstances that help on the playoff bubble. SVG holding off bubble busters Ty Gibbs and AJ Allmendinger for the win helped too. Loser: Bubba Wallace Wallace's challenging weekend nearly had a positive ending — until he got the worst end of a late-race duel with Alex Bowman. Wallace spun with six laps to go across the bumper of Bowman, ruining what had been quite the recovery for the No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota. The veteran driver started at the rear of the field after unapproved adjustments, worked up into the top 20 by the middle of Stage 2, spun to put him back outside the top 30, then drove into the top 10 with the help of pit strategy on the final run. But as Bowman and Wallace wrestled for position in the top 10 (with contact being made multiple times), Wallace's spin had a direct impact on his race result. Wallace had to settle for a 28th-place finish, a blow to his standing near the playoff cutoff line. Wallace now sits two points ahead of Ryan Preece for the final playoff spot heading into Sonoma next weekend. Loser: Spire Motorsports Michael McDowell and Carson Hocevar were the two big stories of the first 30 laps of the race, and neither driver had a satisfying ending to the day. Hocevar's day ended quickly, pinballing off of two separate walls before spinning across the field in Lap 3, collecting six other cars. Hocevar finished 35th, again finding the bad result out of a fast car after starting inside top 10. McDowell led the first 31 laps of the race (including a Stage 1 victory) before having to go behind the wall with a throttle issue. McDowell finished in 32nd, but he had the car to stay ahead of SVG through the first 40% of the race. My bet, presuming neither McDowell nor Hocevar win to get into the playoffs: One of the two Spire drivers will win a race during the playoffs without the pressure of a playoff berth looming over them. Spire Motorsports is fast enough to win. But can their equipment make it to the end of one of these races, and can their drivers get their cars there? This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: NASCAR Chicago winners, losers: Bubba Wallace throws points away
Chicago Tribune
16-07-2025
- Automotive
- Chicago Tribune
NASCAR Chicago Street Race sees lower national TV ratings as city explores keeping event
The third and potentially final NASCAR Chicago Street Race made a few firsts during the Fourth of July weekend. Rain stayed away, the races ran to completion and two new networks broadcast the events to a national TV audience. Shane van Gisbergen, who won the inaugural Cup Series race in 2023, took the checkered flag once again this year, but far fewer people saw it. While attendance figures for the event have yet to be released, TV ratings for the Grant Park 165 on July 6 were down for the third consecutive year, averaging 2.1 million viewers on cable channel TNT, according to Nielsen. The races were broadcast on NBC during the first two years. In 2023, the debut Cup Series street race averaged nearly 4.8 million viewers despite a torrential rain delay. Last year's race, also plagued by rain delays, averaged 3.87 million viewers, according to Nielsen data. Whether declining ratings for the Cup Series event reflect the shift from a broadcast to a cable network or perhaps waning interest in NASCAR's first urban street race, it does represent diminished media value for Chicago, which provided the telegenic backdrop for the pop-up street course. Last year, the street race generated $128 million in total economic impact and drew 53,036 unique visitors, according to a study commissioned by Choose Chicago, the city's tourism arm. The nationally televised Cup Series race also generated $43.6 million in media value for Chicago, according to a companion report. Marc Ganis, a Chicago-based sports marketing consultant, said the media value of the street race is hard to quantify, but potentially irreplaceable for the city. 'What is really going on is the ability to showcase your city in a way that you really can't do any other time,' Ganis said. 'They're able to show the downtown area, the aerial shots, the lakefront, the architecture, the parks in ways that you can only show in a tourist reel that very few people watch. So it has tremendous value in that way.' TNT is in the first season of a new seven-year rights agreement with NASCAR, carrying a five race 'in-season challenge' that began June 28 with the Quaker State 400 from Atlanta. Ratings for the Chicago Street Race were up 31% over the previous week's traditional oval race. The Xfinity race on July 5, which was also won by van Gisbergen, averaged 1.1 million viewers on its new TV home, the CW broadcast network, according to Nielsen. That was up 95% compared to the previous week's Xfinity race from Atlanta. In Chicago, CW affiliate WGN-TV saw 51% audience growth over last year's Xfinity race, which was broadcast locally on NBC 5, according to Nielsen data provided by the CW. The CW Network began carrying NASCAR's 33-race Xfinity Series this year, the first of a seven-year agreement. Meanwhile, the city just completed its three-year agreement with NASCAR to host the street race. The deal, struck during former Mayor Lori Lightfoot's administration, includes a two-year renewal option. The media value and a forthcoming economic impact report may well play into the city's willingness to renew the street race under Mayor Brandon Johnson. A decision is expected within 90 days. 'Conversations are ongoing with NASCAR about future Street Races,' a mayor's office spokesperson said in a statement Tuesday. 'The Mayor is interested in exploring potential dates outside of the 4th of July weekend because of the strain large events pose to our law enforcement resources.' Under the terms of the original agreement, NASCAR paid the Chicago Park District a $500,000 permit fee in 2023, $550,000 in 2024 and $605,000 this year, as well as a $2 fee per admission ticket and an escalating commission for food, beverage and merchandise sold at the event. In addition to a different date, the city is looking at a more favorable financial arrangement and speeding up the setup and breakdown times for the temporary race course, which plies a 12-turn, 2.2-mile circuit through Grant Park, down DuSable Lake Shore Drive and up Michigan Avenue. 'We're continuing to have good conversations with the city,' a NASCAR spokesperson said Tuesday. The disruption wrought by the event has been a point of contention for residents and area businesses. This year, NASCAR streamlined the buildout and reduced major street closings, fully opening up the last road – Balbo between Columbus and DuSable Lake Shore Drive – on Saturday, two days ahead of schedule. Looming in the background, NASCAR is reportedly in negotiations to hold a street race in San Diego next year, which may be in addition to, or perhaps a replacement for Chicago. As to whether the street race returns for a fourth annual run in 2026, and Chicago reprises its role as the unique urban setting on national TV, stay tuned. 'This has been a very big success for Chicago, and it should work very hard to try and keep it,' Ganis said. 'It's much harder to get these events than it is to keep them.' rchannick@
