NASCAR street race to return to Chicago in 2025

NASCAR is set to descend on downtown Chicago for the third time next summer, the racing company announced Thursday.

The street race responsible for bringing the joy of competition to some Chicagoans and the headaches of traffic to others is set to return July 5-6, 2025, for its third annual street race competition. The race will again consist of a 12-turn, 2.2-mile course NASCAR calls a "must-see family-friendly experience."

"The Chicago Street Race Weekend has quickly become one of the highlights of the Chicago summer calendar, so we are proud to bring NASCAR back to this great city for a third year in a row,” Julie Giese, Chicago Street Race President, said in a news release.

“We look forward to continuing to build on the tremendous success of 2023 and 2024 to deliver one of the most unique sporting events in the country and continuing to help drive tourism to Chicago.”

The race has brought tourists to the city but has also been met with complaints by some Chicagoans. Some Sun-Times readers cited traffic woes and that part of downtown being out of commission for other activities as reasons to move or stop the street races. Others welcomed the positive attention and money it brought to the city.

Community leaders have similarly complicated views. Ald. Brian Hopkins (2nd), who represents parts of downtown, told the Sun-Times after this year's race that being in the spotlight during NASCAR is a plus, but he sympathizes with downtown residents who are sick of the traffic and noise the race brings.

“The problem we face is an unsolvable problem. There’s really no way to have this race and to satisfy the downtown residents losing access to Grant Park,” Hopkins said in July. “Downtown residents live for the summer months.”

NASCAR is accepting deposits for the first access to tickets on its website.