Though the future of NASCAR in the Chicago market is uncertain, a new report says NASCAR’s long-awaited return to Chicagoland Speedway is gaining traction.
.@NASCAR has been evaluating a possible return to Chicagoland Speedway for next year, according to people familiar with the matter, and the chances of the move happening are said to be increasing. https://t.co/LridqXxMKS
— Adam Stern (@A_S12) July 16, 2025
Though NASCAR is still trying to work out a deal with the city of Chicago, the abandoned Chicagoland Speedway could be an option. According to a report from Adam Stern of Sports Business Journal, “The chances of the move happening are said to be increasing.”
It was no secret that 2025 was the final year of the current deal for NASCAR’s Chicago Street Circuit. While both parties, Chicago and NASCAR, are interested in a continued future, fans have, for some time now, suggested moving the race weekend back to the track 50 miles away in Joliet, Illinois.
This grassroots campaign even extended to the garage area, as Spire Motorsports’ Carson Hocevar recently explored the dilapidated venue, posting the adventure on his social media. In reaction to the latest report, Dale Earnhardt Jr posted on X, “I’d gamble that it would be one of the most entertaining races of the season.”
Nonetheless, Hocevar’s video showed a track in need of new life, as several portions needed work, with Stern’s Report suggesting this could be “well into the seven or eight figures.”
But should NASCAR want to maintain the upper Midwest market, the hype surrounding the track and intermediate oval racing in the Gen Seven era could be enough for NASCAR to invest back into the venue. However, it should be noted that the track was already struggling with attendance prior to the major schedule changes NASCAR saw in 2021.
Chicagoland opened in 2001. The track hosted NASCAR National Series races from 2001 to 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic removed it from the schedule. Throughout its life, the track has been owned by NASCAR and International Speedway Corporation, another company owned by the France family.
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