Rumor Mill: NASCAR Making an Odd Move For the 2027 Schedule?

What’s Happening?

NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt Jr. says that a race at both Chicagoland Speedway and the Chicago Street Course is rumored to be “on the table” for NASCAR’s 2027 schedule.

This weekend, NASCAR’s National Series returns to Chicagoland Speedway for the track’s first race since the 2019 season.

The sport left the track following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic after initially planning to host its annual race weekend there during the 2020 season.

To take its place, NASCAR introduced a race on Chicago’s streets in 2023. NASCAR and the city did not reach a deal for 2026, leaving the sport out of the market this season.

Fortunately, since Chicagoland’s time on the schedule, the sport has changed quite a bit, with the intermediate style of racing taking center stage, and fan support growing for a return.

Since then, rumors and reports have surfaced that NASCAR is nearing a deal to return to Chicago’s Grant Park in 2027, something most figured would once again kill Chicagoland’s race weekend.

NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr. shared a similar sentiment earlier this week on his podcast, The Dale Jr. Download, in an episode that caught fans’ attention as Earnhardt seemed to conclude that the street race would be back in 2027.

Still, during the latest episode of his podcast with his wife Amy, Bless Your ‘Hardt, the JR Motorsports owner added another layer to this, saying that he has heard that both Chicagoland and the Chicago Street Race could be on the 2027 schedule.

“Speaking of Chicago[land], I got word that it will likely be a sellout this weekend. I also got word that they are looking to go back [to Chicagoland] even though this Chicago Street Course has been teased as a return.” — Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Of course, Earnhardt is refuting the rumors that Chicagoland, which struggled for attendance late in its first life on the NASCAR schedule, could have attendance issues again this year.

While this is good news for the track, even better is the prospect of NASCAR keeping it on the schedule no matter what. The former Chicagoland winner even added that while he didn’t think it was possible, NASCAR is rumored to be considering this move.

“I didn’t think they could do both, but it sounds like both is actually on the table,” Earnhardt said. “I think it’s going to be a fantastic race and a badass racetrack and a lot of fun. So yeah, I was hoping it would be extremely popular so it would stick around.”

Why This Rumor is a Problem

Though this is welcome news, given the investment NASCAR has made to bring the track back up to speed, it does raise one clear issue if NASCAR goes to both races in 2027.

Since 2001 (when Chicagoland first joined the schedule), NASCAR’s points-paying race count has stayed at 36. This creates a set of boundaries on the schedule, where the sport and its track owners need to balance out which tracks can replace one another.

For example, to add North Wilkesboro to the points schedule in 2027, owner Speedway Motorsports shifted another one of its tracks, Dover Motor Speedway, to hosting the All-Star Race, awarding Wilkesboro Dover’s former points date.

If NASCAR wants to keep both races, they need to find a date, something that is hard to come by.

The date that once belonged to Richmond Raceway’s spring race is a toss-up. In 2025, it went to Mexico City’s Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, and this year, it went to San Diego’s Naval Base Coronado for its first street race.

In fact, when rumors first surfaced that the Chicago Street Race was returning in 2027, fans quickly suggested it could take Coronado’s date.

Still, there are rumors that Naval Base Coronado could be back in 2027, as NASCAR officials immediately confirmed they planned to discuss a future return with Navy officials after last month’s race.

Nonetheless, the idea of stacking races in a single market, even if they are nearly an hour apart, would not be popular with some fans, who have often expressed that the sport needs to stretch its reach as far as it can.

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