A 2026 Chicago Street Race is Looking Unlikely
What’s Happening? Though NASCAR is in the final year of its contract with the city, fans have yet to write off…
Per a new report, the President of NASCAR’s Chicago Street Circuit did not have an exact answer as to whether the race will return after the final year of the initial three-year deal between NASCAR and the city.
It’s no secret that NASCAR’s Chicago Street Race, which takes place on a 2.140-mile street circuit in Chicago’s Grant Park, is in the final year of its three-year deal. As the July 6 event draws closer, rumors and questions fly around the NASCAR world, and fans and industry members are wondering if the circuit will return in 2026.
In a recent report from Jermont Terry of CBS News Chicago, Chicago Street Circuit President Julie Giese was asked by a resident of the area about the event’s future. In response to a resident of the South Loop community, Giese said, “Again, right now, our focus is on this year’s event. We have those option years. We’ll have those conversations.”
This response, like so many before it, is leaving more questions in the air. If NASCAR does not race in Chicago next year, how will that affect the 2026 schedule? Will the sport find a stopgap? Is another street circuit lined up? While the circuit has an option on its contract, other reports, alongside the NASCAR rumor mill, suggest this is the last year of racing in Chicago.
What’s Happening? Though NASCAR is in the final year of its contract with the city, fans have yet to write off…
In his Apr. 17 MailBag, NASCAR insider Jordan Bianchi of the Athletic claimed that, “there is a growing sense in the garage that it may be time to conclude the partnership.”
Bianchi further stated that the rumored street race in San Diego could happen as soon as 2027. This means a stopgap would be in order should NASCAR leave Chicago after this season. Notably, there are rumors that NASCAR could return to Montréal’s Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in 2026. Though this rumor has fallen quiet, international expansion, such as this year’s race at Mexico’s Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, is a key goal of NASCAR.
While the Chicago Street Circuit has had its fair share of supporters, there has been backlash from residents and NASCAR traditionalists. The work to put on the event is disruptive to the community, while traditionalists prefer that NASCAR stick to dedicated racing circuits.
What’s Happening? As we roll into the 2025 NASCAR season, rumors and confirmations for the 2026 NASCAR National Series Schedules will…
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