The Chicago Street Race has quickly become one of NASCAR’s pièce de résistance, drawing massive attention since its debut in 2023. What began as an experiment has since taken on a life of its own, fueled by an electric atmosphere, sellout crowds, and unpredictable weather that helped shape its unique identity. Still, whispers around the garage suggest the Windy City spectacle could soon be replaced by a San Diego street course, with discussions reportedly still underway.
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When asked about the potential switch during his pre-race media availability, Michael McDowell tipped his cap to NASCAR’s success in Chicago, calling it a home run despite the hurdles.
“I think it’s been a huge success, especially with some of the adversity that everyone has had to overcome,” McDowell said. “Whether it be weather, and you guys remember that first year on the Saturday, the amount of people that were coming in here for the concert was insanity, and it was going to be a giant success, and then obviously the weather and thunderstorms. I think it’s had to go through a lot of adversity.”
Still, McDowell praised the total package — the layout, the city, and the energy — and applauded NASCAR’s effort by taking the race to the fans, not waiting for fans to come to the race.
“I’ve enjoyed the whole process, and I feel like it accomplished what we wanted to accomplish, and that is engaging with new fans, bringing the race to the fans, and not the fans to the race,” he said.
“I think we have checked all the boxes, and honestly, until the last two days, maybe it’s because I am not on social media as much, or whatever it is, I didn’t know that there is a possibility that it would be the last one.”
If this marks the end of the road for Chicago, McDowell remains grateful. He believes the event cracked open a new lane for the sport and proved just how far NASCAR can push the envelope.
According to McDowell, the more often NASCAR steps into uncharted territory and fans get used to being a little uncomfortable, the more the sport will grow. He pointed to the Mexico City race as another shining example, insisting the current product, both the racing and the race car, has the right ingredients to thrive anywhere.
He hopes the series keeps swinging for the fences. Still, after witnessing both Chicago races get drenched, McDowell suggested the sanctioning body take a closer look at the regional weather patterns before locking in future dates. He noted that it seems when NASCAR goes somewhere new, they’re always battling the weather.
Despite the rain, McDowell has made Chicago work in his favor. In two weather-shortened editions, he delivered back-to-back top-10 finishes, finishing P7 and P5 after rolling off from P6 and P3, respectively.
