Though a resounding success on many fronts, the inaugural Chicago Street Race did leave important gaps to be filled. This week, NASCAR and the Windy City are both prepared to give it another go and rectify the mistakes that they made the last time, to provide fans and the public a better experience. A part of the same is reflected in the schedule for the weekend.
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The upcoming weekend will be a doubleheader featuring races from the Xfinity Series and the Cup Series. The former will kick things off on Saturday, July 6 at exactly 10:00 a.m. ET with a practice session. Qualifying will follow at 11:00 a.m. and the main race, the Loop 110, will fall at 3:30 p.m. The Cup Series will switch things on, in the meantime.
The premier tier field will have its practice session at 12:30 p.m. and qualifying at 1:30 p.m. on the same day. The main race, Grant Park 165, however, will fall on Sunday, July 7 at 4:30 p.m. The USA Network, NBC Sports, SiriusXM, and MRN Radio will be on duty to cover the weekend for broadcast. The show will also include performances from artists including The Black Keys and The Chainsmokers.
Chicago street course
ET
Sat
10-USA-Xfin prac
11-USA-Xfin qual
12:30-USA-Cup prac
1:30-USA-Cup qual
3-NBC-Xfin prerace
3:30-NBC-Xfin race 15-15-20Sun-NBC
4-Prerace
4:30-Cup race 20-25-30— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) July 1, 2024
Notably, the schedule has been drafted in consideration with traffic impacts in mind. Just like in 2023, the 12-turn race will go down on the sections of streets around the Grant Park. Columbus Drive, Jackson Boulevard, Michigan Avenue, and more such routes are part of the course. Several such streets along the course are also scheduled to be closed before and during the big event.
Drivers to watch during the Chicago Street Course race
The Cup Series race on the streets of Chicago will have 40 drivers competing with each other to win only the second-ever race at the track. The Xfinity Series will have 38. Last year, Shane van Gisbergen won the premier tier race while Cole Custer won in a rain-shortened Xfinity race. Both drivers will be hoping to defend their wins this time.
Christopher Bell is perhaps all the heat in the Cup Series right now. He has secured three victories in 2024 and will hope to add another to his tally. Kyle Larson finished fourth in Chicago last year and will be a tough one to beat this time. His Hendrick Motorsports teammate Chase Elliott is the best road course racer in the game right now. He started his 2023 race from the rear and ended up in third place.
