The Chicago Street Race weekend has already begun and drivers are still speculating on how it will all pan out on Sunday. Talking about the upcoming race, RFK Racing driver, Brad Keselowski, shared his thoughts regarding the track and the possible outcome after Sunday. He fixated his conversation on how this was a “pretty calculated maneuver” for NASCAR to bring a new format of racing to attract a new demographic.
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He also mentioned how he was unsure if this sort of race would work for NASCAR in the long run or not, noting that there is a mixed sense of emotions regarding the experiment.
Brad Keselowski shares his thoughts on street course racing in Chicago
At the press conference, Keselowski was asked his perspective on the concept of full-bodied stock cars participating in street course races.
The RFK driver stated, “I don’t know how it’s going to work. I think at some point, you just have to go do things. You can get caught up in ‘what’s going to / what’s not going to work,’ and you can talk yourself out of a lot of things going down that path, but it’s important to refresh and renew. I don’t know if this weekend’s going to work out, but I hope it does. I have a lot invested in it personally, just like a lot of others do.”
“But, there are a couple of really good indicators that it’s going to work well – it’s a really good sentiment and an excited town as we’re pulling in. So, those are really good things. Of course, there are always going to be concerns, and we have concerns every week – not just this week. But, there are different concerns this week. It’s just natural. It’s new. New is exciting. New is concerning.”
“I think there is a mixed bag of emotions, but I think it’s really important for the sport to try different things, to not be scared to fail. We will not grow at all as a sport if we’re overly scared of failing. That doesn’t mean we want to fail. It doesn’t mean we want to take reckless chances. But, this seems like a pretty calculated maneuver and a good piece of energy for our sport, and that’s always looking for something new and fresh to move it forward.”
How to watch the upcoming Chicago Street Race?
While Keselowski remains optimistic about NASCAR’s decision to foray into the street racing scene, given below is where and how you can watch the live race this weekend.
The highly anticipated 2023 Grant Park 220 at Chicago Street Course is set to hit the screens this Sunday at 5:30 pm ET. The race will be broadcast live across multiple channels including NBC, MRN, Peacock, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. For those preferring to stream, the race will be available live on the NBC Sports App, accessible on both Android and iOS platforms, as well as on the nbcsports.com website.
USA Network and NBC have exclusive broadcasting rights for the rest of the 2023 Cup and Xfinity season. Therefore, USA, MRN, and NBC Sports will have everything aired live.
Furthermore, the main race will also be broadcast on Peacock and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. Additionally, fans have the option to obtain a free trial from streaming services like AT&T TV Now, YouTube TV, Hulu, DirecTV, FuboTV, or Sling TV to witness NASCAR’s first-ever street course race.
