Sunday marks the third edition of NASCAR’s Chicago Street Race. While many race fans equate driving on a street course with a road course like Circuit of the Americas, Sonoma Raceway or even Mexico City, there are certain similarities as well as key differences.
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Perhaps the biggest difference is that there are no run-off areas like around road courses. Plus, streets can be very bumpy from regular day-to-day usage by cars and trucks. Street courses also require more frequent throttle and brake inputs than road courses.
Chris Buescher, one of three Cup drivers for Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing, recently sat down with FOX Sports to talk about the differences and similarities between street courses and road courses.
“Road racing is road racing in general, but street racing is its own animal,” Buescher said. “I think a street course does present its own challenges in the sense that you have to be a little more disciplined.
“There are drivers that are very fast and maybe a little bit out of control. And most all road courses give you the ability to be a little bit out of control at times and not pay a penalty.”
Because there is no run-off area, it is crucial for a driver to be precise in his movements, how he sets himself up entering and exiting a turn, as well as where to make up time and positions, like on straightaways.
“You have to be right on your marks here and that’s a massive challenge of it,” Buescher said. “I think that’s why we’ve seen SVG (Shane van Gisbergen) come in the first race (in 2023) and take everybody to school.”
How SVG won the first Chicago Race and also Mexico City
Van Gisbergen made his NASCAR debut in the 2023 street race in the Windy City and blew the opposition away. It wasn’t exactly a surprise as SVG was an accomplished street and road course racer in Australia before coming to the U.S. to make a name for himself in stock car racing.
“Just nobody had that experience to figure it out,” Buescher said of the 2023 Chicago race. “And then Mexico City happened (with van Gisbergen winning again), so I’m not sure what to make of it.”
When looking at who should do well at Chicago, how much should you read into results from COTA or Mexico, considering Chicago is a street course with no run-off area? What Chris Buescher said yesterday: @NASCARONFOX pic.twitter.com/U659BGIwYD
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) July 3, 2025
Buescher said he expected to be very competitive heading into the Chicago Street Course, but noted that a lot of things would fall into place simply by virtue of general road racing dynamics.
