Ryan Preece on Why the Chicago Street Course Is “The Short Track of Road Courses”

The Chicago street circuit provides a new environment for the Cup Series driver. Tight spaces are what characterizes a regular short track in NASCAR and Chicago has that in abundance. Stewart Haas Racing driver, Ryan Preece recently compared racing at the street circuit to the short tracks.

Last year, drivers struggled to navigate the circuit and the rain made it all that more difficult. While there might not be any rain this time around, it doesn’t make the track any less challenging. Preece finished P15 last year, a commendable result given the circumstances.

The SHR star believes that there is very little room for error on the track. Similar to short track the chances of drivers wrecking are high. Ultimately, the mistake of one driver could ruin the race for several others.

“It’s kind of like going to a short track. Chicago is a lot of stop-and-go, really tight, not a whole lot to really miss wrecks or anything like that happening so it’s probably the short track of road courses,” he told NASCAR.

Ready to take on the streets of Chicago tomorrow 👊🏻

Tune-in at 4 p.m. CT on NBC@NASCARChicago | @StewartHaasRcng pic.twitter.com/u6woVDdqMf

— Ryan Preece (@RyanPreece_) July 2, 2023

It’s not just the characteristics of the track that will be a challenge for the drivers, the Chicago Street Course is far from being smooth. The crown in the road will prove to be a whole new challenge for the drivers in dry conditions. With no rain forecasted for the day, restarts will be double-file, which was not the case last year.

How will Chicago’s uneven surface affect racing?

Ryan Blaney’s tire changer Ryan Flores touched on how the surface of the track can affect the racing. Being on a civilian road for the rest of the year, there are bumps, manholes, and paint. These elements will have a lot more impact in dry conditions. Pit crews will have a challenging time as well due to the crown on the road.

“Your pit box is kind of set up on a sidewalk. There’s a makeshift wall and then you’re pitting on the road. The crown on the road changes how the pitstops work. It’s a little bit downhill,” Flores explained.

The Chicago Street race is certainly hyping up to be an intriguing affair for race fans. The weather conditions are seemingly a lot better and it will be interesting to see how the drivers navigate a dry street course.