NASCAR Nears Completion of Chicago Street Course Restoration While Fans Remain Divided

With Chicago being one of the many historic cities included in the NASCAR cup series schedule, the absence of the road course around Grant Park left the fans and media divided on whether they wanted to see a return to the scene.

The road course, temporarily constructed specifically for the event, made its debut in 2023, and concluded in 2025 after the three-year contract between NASCAR and the city came to a close. One of the numerous talking points between NASCAR and the city is the date of the race, and the schedule assembly of the 2.2 mile road course. In the wake of both criticism and support, the negotiations to reinstate Chicago into the 2027 NASCAR cup series continue to move forward.

The Windy city may not only be returning in the form of a road course as well, as NASCAR published their intent to return to the Chicagoland Speedway, an traditional oval of asphalt unseen by the series since 2019. The race will be held on Independence Day weekend, on July 5. The Chicagoland Speedway was removed from the schedule due to declining attendance, and a desire from NASCAR to traverse towards more vibrant tracks, creating competition in unique environments.

With the pushback from Chicago residents, fans, and media, moving towards an agreement has been rather difficult, but NASCAR executives both publicly and privately have expressed their intent to bring the road course back to the City in a garden for the 2027 NASCAR cup series.