For years, NASCAR’s Fourth of July weekend was synonymous with one place: Daytona International Speedway. While the organization has flirted with new venues and fresh ideas in recent seasons, hardcore fans still associate Independence Day with stock cars roaring under the Florida lights.
But after NASCAR’s successful return to Chicagoland Speedway, Hall of Famer Mark Martin believes another venue has earned a serious place in that conversation.
While he still prefers Daytona as the permanent home for the holiday weekend, Martin says Chicagoland has shown it deserves far more than a one-off appearance on the 2026 Cup Series schedule, and deserves a fixed spot on the calendar well into the future.
Speaking on Dirty Mo Media’s Overdrive, the 40-time Cup Series race winner couldn’t hide his enthusiasm for NASCAR’s return to Chicagoland Speedway saying, “I thought the racing was fantastic. I love that racetrack. I think it has a place on our schedule.”
Contrary to popular belief, given his admiration for traditional ovals, Martin’s conversation extends beyond a single race weekend. He believes NASCAR can continue exploring new markets while still preserving the traditional tracks that helped shape the sport.
“There’s a place for new and exploring different things,” he explained. “I like going to San Diego. I thought that was a fantastic thing. But there is a need for tradition as well.”
In fact, in his eyes, Chicagoland represents exactly that balance, adding that “you couldn’t have a better representative of NASCAR racing than Chicagoland Speedway.”
The Hall of Famer also praised the Midwest fanbase, noting Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin among the sport’s strongest racing communities. Having raced extensively in the region himself, Martin said the turnout wasn’t surprising.
“The fans turned out strong for it. I thought that was great to see. We definitely want to see it back. I consider myself a race fan and I certainly think that it deserves and needs a place on our schedule going forward every year.” — Mark Martin
He also referenced fan support following the event, noting that the overwhelmingly positive reaction should give NASCAR confidence moving forward – “I certainly hope the fans’ reaction encourages them to continue to keep it on the schedule going forward every year.”
Although Martin praised the event in Chicago, he admitted the Fourth of July weekend still feels incomplete without Daytona.
“The traditional race fan, you know, the classic race fan, the race fan in me, we all associate the Fourth of July race with, you know, the old firecracker 400 at at at Daytona,” Martin said.
Still, he doesn’t believe the holiday race must always stay in Florida. Instead, arguing that consistency matters more than location. Once NASCAR chooses a venue, he believes it should stick with it long enough for fans to build new traditions around the event.
“I feel like wherever NASCAR settles on for their Fourth of July race needs to stay there, and they need to work hard at building that association.”
Furthermore, he also stated, “I’m not opposed to it being at Chicagoland.” However, his ideal scenario would be even more ambitious. Rather than replacing one event with another, he believes both Chicagoland Speedway and the Chicago Street Course could coexist if NASCAR sees value in each.
“I certainly wouldn’t trade the speedway for it,” Martin said. “If you need to be running that street course in Chicago, you need to run them both.”
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