Amid the ongoing speculation about this year’s Chicago Street race being the last, potentially getting swapped for a San Diego street race next season, Denny Hamlin offered an unlikely endorsement.
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Known for championing oval racing and rarely chopping words about his distaste for road courses, the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing driver threw his weight behind the Windy City spectacle, calling it a big event in NASCAR’s modern landscape.
Weighing in on the speculation during his media availability, Hamlin didn’t pull any punches before saying, “I mean, what’s the alternative? Until we know the alternative, I don’t know whether they’re ones better or worse than this.
“I just feel like this is a bigger event than what some of the ovals that we go through, simply because of the atmosphere of where it’s at. The exposure to new fans that are here casually in the city… These are younger people, they’re not going to travel to Chicagoland to go to race. You have to have it right here where they can walk to it.”
“I don’t know if anyone shares the same sentiment I do, but I don’t run the series, I don’t make the decisions. But it just seems like from my standpoint, there’s more excitement around the venue itself than what a normal NASCAR race venue has,” Hamlin further added.
While the Chicago race has been considered a bold and innovative move, it hasn’t come without a hefty price tag. NASCAR shelled out north of $50 million for the inaugural 2023 event, which was dampened by both rain and lesser-than-expected attendance.
Then, among the long-standing complaints are heavy traffic and logistical headaches. The 34th Ward alderman Bill Conway has noted that convenience remains key in any talks of extending the race deal.
The past weekend marked the final year of NASCAR’s three-year deal with the city, although options remain on the table to stretch that agreement through 2026 or even 2027. Yet, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson avoided tipping his hand last week, instead urging that any future dates avoid the Fourth of July holiday to ensure residents around Grant Park aren’t sidelined from summer festivities.
Meanwhile, The Athletic’s Jeff Gluck reported that NASCAR is actively exploring a street course in San Diego for 2026. Whether both cities can co-exist on the same calendar remains up in the air. But given Hamlin’s praise and similar remarks from other drivers, cutting the cord on Chicago might be premature. If anything, Hamlin wants the city to embrace the race with open arms. As he sees it, the street race opens NASCAR’s doors to untapped, younger fans.
Ironically, though, Chase Elliott, one of the series’ sharpest on road courses, wasn’t sold on the idea of sticking around Chicago. If it came down to a call between the two, he said he’d lean toward keeping Nashville Superspeedway on the calendar rather than doubling down on the street course in Grant Park.
