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A 2026 Chicago Street Race is Looking Unlikely

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - JULY 06: Joey Hand, driver of the #60 BuildSubmarines.com Ford, drives during practice for the NASCAR Cup Series Grant Park 165 at Chicago Street Course on July 06, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)

Kauy Ostlien

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Royal T Grafix

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What’s Happening?

Though NASCAR is in the final year of its contract with the city, fans have yet to write off a 2026 race on NASCAR’s Chicago Street Circuit. However, a new report claims there is a “growing sense” that the race will not be in Grant Park in 2026.

  • The rumors that NASCAR would not return for a fourth year of racing on the 2.140-mile circuit have swelled for some time now, specifically since NASCAR pulled the Clash from the LA Coliseum after its third year.
  • While some rumors pointed to other street circuits or ovals for 2026, little to no insight has been provided into the sentiment in the Garage area on returning to Chicago in 2026. Now, in his latest MailBag, Jordan Bianchi of the Athletic claims “It’s not clear whether NASCAR will return next year, but there is a growing sense in the garage that it may be time to conclude the partnership.”
  • If the race does not return, a long-rumored option is adding a race to the West Coast. Bianchi mentions the oft-rumored race in the Pacific Northwest alongside a street race in San Diego, the leading candidate to replace Chicago, which could happen as soon as 2027.
  • A race in Southern California is a key pursuit of NASCAR, which still has no clear plan for the future of the disheveled Auto Club Speedway. However, there would be a gap year should they head to San Diego in 2027. Bianchi addresses the abandoned 1.5-mile Chicagoland Speedway as “a worthy stopgap,” should NASCAR need to fill that slot.

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MADISON, ILLINOIS - JUNE 01: Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 Yahoo! Toyota, and crew chief Christopher Gabehart talk on the grid during qualifying for the NASCAR Cup Series Enjoy Illinois 300 at WWT Raceway on June 01, 2024 in Madison, Illinois. (Photo by Logan Riely/Getty Images)

JGR Lawsuit: What Confidential Information Was Allegedly Taken?

by Bryan Aguiar

What’s Happening?

Joe Gibbs Racing alleged that former competition director Chris Gabehart took a wide range of confidential team information regarding competitive performance data, engineering processes, financial records, and internal personnel details. But what exactly do the documents say was taken?

  • Performance, payroll, and financial data stored on personal devices: The lawsuit claims that numerous internal photos were saved to Gabehart’s personal phone and Google Photos account, which JGR says were not approved for confidential storage and were accessible to third parties, including his spouse. These images allegedly included post-race audits for the entire 2025 season, detailed team payroll information with contracts and compensation structures, tools for projecting employee pay, driver salaries for multiple seasons, sponsor and partner revenue figures, pit crew analytics, and tire performance analyses.
  • Extensive race analytics and proprietary setup files: Within the “Spire” folder, JGR says investigators found deeply technical documents tied to competitive performance. This allegedly included 140+ pages of post-race data analysis from a 2025 Las Vegas event detailing what metrics the team measures and how it measures them, as well as more than 20 “eLap” files generated by proprietary software. These reports incorporate inputs from hundreds of employees, historical databases, and simulation work to determine optimal racecar setups, which means it effectively represents the culmination of years of institutional knowledge.
  • Driver feedback systems and engineering intelligence: The complaint also references internal post-race debrief surveys completed by drivers after each event, which document both subjective feedback and structured data collection. Additional documents allegedly covered proprietary engine output information and recommended gear-shift points, along with photos of racecar diffuser skirts showing damage after a 2025 race.
  • Tire strategy, logistics, and fuel-modeling methods: Several documents reportedly describe how JGR selects, manages, and cycles tires during races. Others detail initiatives for transporting equipment and racecars more efficiently while improving communication among engineers. The filing also mentions proprietary fuel-mileage estimation models for both JGR drivers and competitors, including methods used to refine accuracy during races.
  • Compensation records and competitive performance comparisons: Investigators allegedly found spreadsheets listing base salaries and bonus structures for key team personnel, along with documents comparing a JGR driver’s performance at a specific race to that of a Spire driver using JGR’s proprietary analytical tools. JGR argues that both categories of information are highly sensitive.
  • Alleged recruitment of JGR personnel: In addition to the data itself, Gabehart allegedly attempted to recruit JGR employees to join him at Spire. The complaint states that he had access to payroll information for all drivers and employees, which JGR suggests could have supported those efforts. According to the filing, at least one employee has already left JGR for Spire.

What JGR Is Seeking From the Lawsuit

JGR states it is entitled to damages believed to exceed $8 million, potentially subject to enhancement, along with attorneys’ fees. The organization is also seeking multiple forms of relief, expected to exceed that amount, as well as a cease-and-desist order to prevent any use or disclosure of what it describes as trade secrets.

You can learn more about the lawsuit itself, the circumstances surrounding Gabehart’s departure, and the broader allegations in the article linked below

Joe Gibbs Racing Sues Former Competition Director Chris Gabehart Over Alleged Data Leak to Rival

NASCAR isn’t nerdy enough…

by Bryan Aguiar

NASCAR isn’t nerdy enough. Not in a cringe way, not in a gimmicky way, but in a way that could quietly and organically grow the sport. After a Daytona weekend filled with spectacle and nostalgia, DJ Yee believes there’s a bigger opportunity sitting right in front of NASCAR, one that doesn’t change the racing at all but could completely change how fans engage with it.

  • Is NASCAR leaving storytelling power on the table by hiding deeper data?
  • Could advanced stats create year-round narratives the sport desperately needs?
  • Why do sports like baseball thrive on analytics while NASCAR stays surface-level?
  • And what if fans could choose to dive deeper without it affecting casual viewers at all?

Other leagues have turned analytics into conversation fuel. In baseball, stars like Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani aren’t loud personalities, but advanced metrics tell their story anyway. NASCAR, meanwhile, has mountains of telemetry data but shares very little of it in a meaningful way. Throttle traces, brake usage, steering inputs, tire wear models, fuel efficiency ratings, clean air percentages, and even a “positions above replacement” type metric, the possibilities are endless. None of it would intrude on the racing. Casual fans could ignore it. But hardcore fans, creators, and analysts would suddenly have tools to build deeper narratives around drivers and performance.

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NASCAR Needs To Keep Doing This!

by Bryan Aguiar

For the first time in a while, it feels like NASCAR fans see a bigger light at the end of the tunnel. The start of 2026 has brought real optimism, from improved racing to sharper marketing, and even an 11 percent bump for the Daytona 500 to 7.5 million viewers. After a rough couple of seasons, that kind of stability matters. The question now is simple, is this momentum real or just a honeymoon phase?

  • Is NASCAR finally leaning into what makes the sport fun instead of forcing gimmicks?
  • Are driver personality promos building future stars the right way?
  • Does embracing the sport’s identity matter more than chasing casual viewers?
  • And most importantly, can NASCAR stay consistent long enough for growth to stick?

There’s been a noticeable shift. The marketing feels more modern without feeling fake. Broadcasts are embracing energy and meme culture without losing authenticity. Social media efforts are spotlighting drivers and personalities in ways that echo how legends like Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon, and Tony Stewart once drew fans in. NASCAR’s identity has always been edge, personality, and grassroots simplicity, and recent changes feel closer to that core. But none of it matters without patience. Jaret believes the foundation may be stronger right now, but consistency will decide whether this is a spark or a true turning point.

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