NASCAR Close to Deal With Major City for 2027 Street Race
What’s Happening? NASCAR is working towards a deal to race on the streets of Chicago for a fourth time during the…
With rumors of NASCAR’s return to the streets of Chicago picking up, the race could also face a major shift in date, scrapping its original running on the Fourth of July weekend.
Last season, the talk of the NASCAR schedule rumor mill was the possibility that that year’s annual Chicago Street Race would be the final ever for NASCAR.
At the time, the event was in its third and final contract year and faced uncertainty for 2026, with rumors suggesting that NASCAR’s street race could head west, even though a potential extension to remain in Chicago was still on the table.
Ultimately, both happened: the sport found a way to remain in the market, as NASCAR moved its lone street race to San Diego, while the once-abandoned Chicagoland Speedway took over for the Chicago region.
But, as fast as the Chicago Street Race went away, rumors have already emerged that the event could be back on the table for 2027, something NASCAR was open about pursuing when they announced the race would “hit pause in 2026.”
The first murmurs of this came from Jordan Bianchi of The Athletic, who reported on May 13 that a deal for 2027 between NASCAR and the city is “closer to reality than ever.”
Still, Bianchi said that there were kinks to work out in the deal. After all, it was no secret that the original event left some things to be desired by the citizens of Chicago.
One of the more crucial aspects was the race’s Fourth of July weekend date, with the town’s Grant Park mostly shut down for the race’s festivities.
Early on, what this date change could look like seemed uncertain, with a July 21, 2025, interview between WGN Chicago and Brian Hopkins, Alderman of Chicago’s 2nd Ward, suggesting a summer date between June and August.
But the race could now be even earlier, as a report from Melody Mercado of Block Club Chicago claims it might be in late May or early June of 2027.
Per the Mercado report, Leslie Recht of the Grant Park Advisory Council recently met with NASCAR Chicago Street Race President Julie Giese to discuss a new deal that “included moving the race up to take place after the Sueños Music Festival.”
That event was held on Saturday, May 23, and Sunday, May 24, this year, and, per their website, will take place on May 29 and 30 in 2027, potentially even pushing NASCAR into early June.
What’s Happening? NASCAR is working towards a deal to race on the streets of Chicago for a fourth time during the…
In 2026, that race weekend was just this past weekend at Nashville Superspeedway, and it would theoretically push the race into Prime Video’s five-race set in 2027.
While there is no race weekend yet to be announced for that weekend in 2027, the main issue NASCAR fans are seeing with a return to Chicago is not about when, but how, as the schedule will have to lose a date to add the track back.
Most have suggested the event take San Diego’s slot in 2027, but others are quick to point out that two races in the Chicago market, the Street race and Chicagoland, could be unsustainable for attendance.
Of course, NASCAR could find a way to do both, though most fans would prefer to see one or the other. Others were disappointed by the potential for Chicagoland to lose a race date after waiting 5 years to regain its status.
As of press time, NASCAR has not announced any plans to return to Chicago, and only two race weekends for the 2027 season are confirmed.
What’s Happening? Throughout 2026, NASCAR will announce dates for its 2027 schedule. Though the sport drops the full schedule in bulk,…
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