Ben Kennedy’s Chicago Street Race Update Sparks Backlash From Loyal NASCAR Fans: ‘Your Obsession Is Holding Us Hostage’

NASCAR Senior Vice President of Strategy and Innovation Ben Kennedy talks about the sport during an interview at NASCAR Headquarters in Daytona Beach, Tuesday, Feb.15, 2022.

Every sport must adapt over time to suit the interests of upcoming generations or risk losing its place in history. NASCAR is no exception. The suits on the top floor of the headquarters in Daytona have understood this perfectly and are taking several steps to get young fans to watch stock car racing. Adding more road courses to the schedule is one.

While this might reap overall benefits in the future, it does not appease the traditional fanbase that nurtured and grew NASCAR into what it is today. Ben Kennedy, NASCAR’s Executive Vice President and Chief Venue & Racing Innovations Officer, provided an update on the upcoming Chicago Street Race on his X handle recently. His words drew the ire of a group of that fanbase.

Kennedy posted a picture of a hauler sitting on the streetside and wrote, “We’re only 10 days away from throwing the green flag in @NASCARChicago track is coming together well.” The Cup Series race in Chicago is scheduled for July 6. Notably, it is the final year of the contract that the promotion signed with the city. This puts added pressure on the likes of Kennedy.

But many who responded to the tweet made no consideration of this. They were more focused on criticizing him for continuing to emphasize road courses instead of the ovals, which are the pillars on which NASCAR stands. One fan wrote, “Hope this is the last one. Would much rather have Chicagoland on the schedule.”

The Chicagoland Speedway’s oval track is a fan favorite. Even Ryan Blaney is very fond of it. Perhaps its return won’t be the worst thing on the planet. The question is if the promotion will think of it in the same way.

Another fan, with a bit of a personal insult in all honesty, said, “Nobody actually gives a f—k Ben.” The absolute disregard for anything concerning the Chicago Street Race by some fans deserves closer examination from the promotion.

One more fan spoke to Kennedy directly by writing, “Your road course obsession is holding us all hostage.” Another showered more love on the Chicagoland Speedway, “No Thanks. Chicagoland Speedway was perfect. Why not race at A RACETRACK that NASCAR built.”

These fans and more like them will not be pleased to know that NASCAR is actively looking for other cities that could hold street course races. San Diego, Montreal, and Philadelphia are front-runners in this contest. So, the release of the 2026 schedule will be a key checkpoint to confirm which way NASCAR leans.

Post Edited By: Abhishek Ramesh
Ben Kennedy Chicago Street Course

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Gowtham Ramalingam

Gowtham is a NASCAR journalist at The SportsRush. Though his affinity for racing stems from Formula 1, he found himself drawn to NASCAR's unparalleled excitement over the years. As a result he has shared his insights and observations by authoring over 3000 articles on the sport. An avid fiction writer, you can find him lost in imaginary worlds when he is not immersed in racing. He hopes to continue savoring the thrill of every lap and race together with his readers for as long as he can.

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