For the second straight year, rain dampened the Cup Series race on the Chicago Street Course. Unlike last year though, the Cup race was the only thing hampered by the weather. Dastardly, pop up showers hit downtown Chicago for the first time as the engines fired for the Grant Park 165. Before that, the weather had been beautiful for the weekend’s festivities. The Loop 110 went off without a hitch, along with Cup practice and qualifying. Meanwhile, the concerts that are as important to this event as the racing also were able to go on in full. Only the Cup Series race was halted by rain. At this point, it would seem the Chicago Street Course is cursed for Cup Series. While 2024 went smoother than 2023, the event still highlights positives and negatives for NASCAR.
Whether the street race is for you or not, there is no argument that NASCAR is putting everything they can into this event. The Chicago Street Course is definitely foreign to NASCAR, more so than anything else they have tried recently. Even The Clash was not completely unique in NASCAR history, as there were NASCAR sanctioned races at Bowman Gray Stadium previously. Seeing the stock cars run through the streets of a major metropolitan area is definitely striking. Also, there seemed to be genuine interest from the fans at the race, including loads of first timers.
However, will they be one timers? Where is the primary interest in the event from the attendees? Is it the NASCAR racing or the concerts featuring some racing? These are questions that NASCAR has not done a great job in answering. While people at the event keep saying how special it is, that feeling is not translating through the TV screen. Should the Chicago Street Course continue?
Concerts Over NASCAR
Yes, the weather prior to when the engines fired for the Grant Park 165 was ideal. The forecast heading into Sunday only had a 10% chance of rain. Even if it did rain, the expectation would have been a quick shower that either passed quickly or the conditions were compatible for racing. NBC had the IndyCar race scheduled to lead into the Chicago Street Course. NASCAR could not have pushed the start time up when rain started to loom. Plus, the concerts on Sunday were scheduled to help lead into the race. Storms blowing in were unexpected and NASCAR fell victim to circumstance.
With all that said, NASCAR put themselves in this position. This race was scheduled to start with only about a 4 hour window before darkness. Postponement to Monday was not a truly a feasible option, as the track teardown needed to start immediately. If the race was postponed to Monday, NASCAR would have needed to pay a significant amount to the city. To schedule the start time that late in the day under those circumstances is asinine. Especially considering the Sunday concerts were placed ahead of the race. From an optics point, it looks that the Sunday concerts took priority over the Cup Series race.
Sell the Race, Add-In the Concerts
When the Chicago Street Course turned from idea to reality, pairing it with a mini-music festival was a selling point to the city of Chicago. A NASCAR weekend alone apparently was not enough for Chicago officials to cause a logistical issue for a month. However, that is not uncommon. Other tracks have used music acts to help bring in fans. Most noticeably, WWT Raceway has paired their NASCAR weekend with a music festival. This year, the Illinois track brought in Ludacris, Riley Green, and Big & Rich to perform.
Comparing WWT Raceway and the Chicago Street Course when it comes to concerts clearly demonstrates a difference. The concerts for Gateway were an addition to the NASCAR weekend. Meanwhile, Keith Urban and the Chainsmokers almost took the focal point of the weekend with the racing serving as the additional bonus. For Gateway, the headliners for each day performed after the scheduled NASCAR event. On Saturday in Chicago, that was the case but not Sunday. Keith Urban headlined Sunday’s concerts prior to the Cup race. The concert went off without an issue while the Grant Park 165 took a backseat. The question is why.
NASCAR and other stakeholders wanted the concert to help draw fans to the race. Go see Keith Urban, stay for Cup Series action. Plus, Grant Park does not seem to hold concerts on Sunday evenings. Still, would having the 2-day music festival on Friday/Saturday not accomplish the same goal? When rain and darkness can factor into a race (if there is a delay), why chance it?
The TV of it All
To say that NASCAR is at complete fault for this scheduling error would be disingenuous. While NASCAR does have a say in when they run their races, the TV partners often have the larger voice. When you are paying hundreds of millions of dollars, you are able to put weight on the scales of decision making as needed. From indications via NASCAR media, NBC wanted to slot this race closer into primetime than the usual Sunday race. Last year, this event drew the highest rating for NBC televised races. Logically, the network wanted to boost those numbers will a more favorable timeslot for them.
NBC (and FOX) have heavy influence on scheduling. If NBC says they want a 5 PM ET start time, NASCAR is wise to abide by those conditions if it is reasonable. However, NASCAR also needs to weigh the risks of following the request. If the race can be run at nighttime, then there is little issue. However, NASCAR knew there was a timeline to get the race in. Before any forecast could have been conjured, the worst case scenario should have been weighed. That should have been voiced to NBC (or whoever wanted the later start time) as a valid reason to keep the race in the usual 2-3 PM ET time slot.
Maybe NASCAR did that and they were overruled by other parties. Either way, the optics of another weather shortened race on the Chicago Street Course diminish the special feeling NASCAR is hoping to gather from this event.
If You Keep Saying How Special It Is, How Special Is It?
It might not be a popular opinion, but NBC’s NASCAR coverage has been drastically subpar this season. Especially the broadcast booth, which sees the return of the Rick Allenisms, Jeff Burton’s clear and unwavering bias, and Steve Letarte. Usually, NBC’s highlight is the production and camera work. However, that was jarringly poor during the Cup race. Unless someone was in the tire barrier, good luck seeing any mid-pack action. However, the worst feature of this past weekend’s coverage was the constant reminder of how unique, special, and great the Chicago Street Course is. If you have to say it that often, it must not feel that special.
For those who attended the race, the unique and awe-inspiring aura of the Chicago Street Course must be great. You can hear it from drivers, NASCAR media, and fans alike who are impressed by the setup. Comparisons to the feeling of F1 are thrown around, which may or may not be a good thing. The way this event is discussed, it is an attempt to create a special race like the Daytona 500 or Coca-Cola 600 during the summer. While that may be the case for those in attendance, that did not translate through the TV screens.
Yes, it is cool to see the Chicago city backdrop the cars on track. The drone shots of the cars on the streets are also cool. Sure, half of those shots see trees and buildings block the action, but still cool. Yet, the event does not feel as marquee as NBC and NASCAR are clearly pushing it to be.
Let the Marquee be Natural
The ire of the constant chattering of how special the Chicago Street Course is not limited to NBC. MRN did the same song and dance for both races. Clearly, NASCAR is in their ear telling them to push the event. However, it is not accomplishing the goal NASCAR wants. Rather than making the event feel marque, it is off-putting and reeks of these broadcast teams shoving it down the audience’s throat. Instead of a feeling importance, it lends more to criticism and rejection.
By itself, the Chicago Street Course is unique enough to feel special. All of the elements are there to let the event naturally resonate with the fans. It is the classic example of show, do not tell. NASCAR will not simply let the event speak for itself. Fans do not need to hear Rick Allen after every commercial break wax poetically about the Chicago Street Course. Mention it? Sure. But NBC and MRN laid it on thick throughout the weekend.
Considering certain fans will never be onboard with street racing in NASCAR, the less is more approach should be followed. The Daytona 500, Coca-Cola 600, or All-Star Race do not need the broadcast booth to proclaim those events are special. Based on presentation alone, that special feeling should be evident. If this event returns next season, the media personalities need to stop overstuffing their broadcasts with telling the audience how amazing and unique the race is. Let the Chicago Street Course speak for itself.
Xfinity Series Proves Merits
Despite all the headache surrounding the Cup race, the Xfinity Series put on a show that highlighted the best elements on this event. To start, Shane van Gisbergen and Kyle Larson dazzled fans with their intense battle for the lead. It was a dog fight that never pushed into the realm of calamity. Mostly the two battled without exchanging paint. Various strategies played out throughout the race, which allowed some of the other Xfinity Series drivers their moments in the spotlight. Jesse Love impressed while upfront, although he was unable to fend off the New Zealander in the end. The ability to pass was on full display and the Loop 110 never descended into chaos.
The jury is still out on how the NextGen handles the Chicago Street Course. Both Cup races were plagued by weather, so there has yet to be a “normal” lap ran at the track. However, if the Cup Series can put on anything like the Xfinity Series, it will be a massive success. Barring this year’s Sonoma race, the NextGen car has struggled to put on compelling road course races. With the persistent weather issues, it is difficult to gauge whether the street course will have quality racing (for Cup) without the rain. Rain has made the on-track action exciting, but will it translate to a dry track?
Quality Road Racing
For the Xfinity Series, the Chicago Street Course offered an insight of the potential for the track. Numerous drivers were able to weave their way through the field, not only Shane van Gisbergen and Kyle Larson. Sheldon Creed and Parker Kligerman went from the back to sniffing the Top-10 in a matter of laps to start the race. That is quality road racing. While Chicago will always have detractors, the Xfinity Series proves this street race can produce great racing.
Calamity & Chaos Sell
After two years of this event, the big question for NASCAR is whether they should want a race under “normal” weather conditions. Honestly, one NextGen snoozer on a dry track could kill the event dead. Under the damp conditions, the Chicago Street Course has produced two wild events that approached the line of too far. Last year had more forehead smacking moments, but Sunday’s race did not lack them. Surprisingly, Kyle Larson took part in one, as he lost the control of his car heading into Turn 6. Luckily, he managed to hit the tires enough to protect him from the concrete barrier. Shout out to Noah Gragson for avoiding those tires this year.
Some may criticize the Grant Park 165 as a farce of an event that humiliates the drivers. While 24 of the 40 drivers were involved in an incident, the race kept away from the laughable standard that 2023 COTA entered. Is it the best look to see NASCAR’s top drivers slide into the tire barriers? Not necessarily, but the wet conditions are largely to blame. Outside of those mistakes, watching the drivers slip around the track is entertaining. It opens up more passing opportunities that might not be there under dry conditions. Fans can see who thrives and who struggles under those conditions. This event will never be the cleanest race on the schedule. That is the point. The calamity and chaos sells.
Who had Joey Hand and Alex Bowman being the battle for the lead late? No one, but it was good entertainment. Then Tyler Reddick chasing down Bowman on slicks could have been a great last lap drama. Unfortunately, Reddick kissed the wall and ruined his momentum to catch Bowman. Still, it provided excitement when the race looked over after Hand fell too far behind. With how poorly this car does on the road courses, the damp Chicago Street Course is serving the entertainment purpose it was designed to do.
A 2025 Return
Should the Chicago Street Course return in 2025? Despite not being the biggest fan of the event, the answer is yes. At the very least, NASCAR should take one more crack at getting this event to go off without a hitch. From there, a true assessment can be made whether it is worth it or not. Based on the Xfinity race and the two damp Cup races, the on-track experience is solid. Whether a dry race for Cup will produce something worth watching is the ultimate question. The media and team response to the event seemed positive, as little complaints or worries arose this year.
With that said, the ultimate decision maker with this event will be the city of Chicago. NASCAR can boast how successful the event was from their end, but will the city officials feel the same? Based on videos from the concerts, it did not seem like a packed house. It was tough to tell with the Cup Series race due to the rain, but that also did not seem like a sellout. For NASCAR, their priority is the TV ratings. Meanwhile, Chicago will be much more interested in the tourism element of it all. If this weekend did not meet their standards, will they pull the plug?
Hopefully, NASCAR will get that third year to try this out. They need to make adjustments, especially with the scheduling and broadcasting though. Much like WWT Raceway, put the undeniable sole focus on the drivers and race rather than the concerts. With that adjustment, then they might hit a new marquee event for summer stretch.
