Over the past couple of years, NASCAR has started adding quite a few road courses to its schedule. This weekend would be the first time that a street course race, like the ones already prevalent in Formula 1, will take over the NASCAR Cup Series calendar. The highly anticipated event, which is due to take place this weekend, hasn’t been without its hurdles. On one end, NASCAR has been trying to tap into a new audience for the sport. On the other, there have been quite a few people within the community who haven’t accepted the idea of taking Next Gen cars to a street course.
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Talking about the upcoming 2.14-mile Grant Park 220 race, NASCAR drivers Chase Elliott and Bubba Wallace shared their opinions regarding NASCAR’s decision to head into a new market.
Bubba Wallace believes that the race is a “perfect connection” with the city
The 23XI Racing driver shared his thoughts regarding the upcoming race and seemed to find this event to be a “perfect connection” between the sport and the city.
Wallace told Fox Sports, “I know a lot of people in Chicago love fast cars and like to drive really fast. And so it’s a perfect connection that we’re able to bring in and teach a little bit about our sport. We’re going to have our pit crew [at the party and] they’re doing some rehearsal drills and pit stops to show there’s different avenues.”
“Aside from driving, there’s a lot of professional athletes that make up some of our pit crews these days on the cup side. And so to be able to share that wisdom and that knowledge and that that path to get there is huge.”
Chase Elliott shares his opinion on the upcoming Chicago Street race
The Hendrick Motorsports driver has performed well when it comes to road course layouts. However, a street course race is a new foray for him. Despite the unfamiliarity of the race ahead, Elliott was optimistic about NASCAR’s decision to race through the streets of Chicago.
Elliott said, “You’re tapping into a part of the country that I think has a lot of race fans, a lot of NASCAR fans. But into city limits that a lot of those people might not typically come out to Joliet. For them, I think it’s about it being a good event and it being exciting for them…”
“That needs to feel like the event that weekend over a Cubs game or whatever it may be. I think that will make it successful from a promoter’s standpoint. From the racing side, I don’t think I have to leave the racetrack and think, ‘Oh wow, that was a really great race’ for it to be successful to the viewership or the people that show up in attendance.”
Intriguingly, both drivers currently find themselves without a victory. Pursuing that elusive first win that would guarantee their place in the postseason will be the only thing on their minds running into the weekend.
