NASCAR Chicago Avenue Race is not going to return to Grant Park in 2026, might come again in 2027; preliminary 3-year contract ended

CHICAGO (WLS) — The NASCAR Chicago Avenue Race is not going to return in 2026, but it surely might come again in 2027, officers stated.

After three years of Fourth of July weekend racing, NASCAR is hitting the brakes on 2026, telling Mayor Brandon Johnson in a letter that it wants time “to discover a brand new potential race date… and to develop a plan that additional optimizes operational efficiencies,” saying its “aim is for the Chicago Avenue Race to return in 2027.”

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NASCAR introduced Friday the Chicago Avenue Race will “hit pause” subsequent yr as they assess future choices for bringing racecars again to the streets of downtown Chicago. An announcement was made on social media.

Development and deconstruction and the road closures schedule for the NASCAR races had been shortened this yr in comparison with the final two occasions. The influence on Grant Park and the encompassing space is an enormous consideration for some downtown alders in figuring out their assist for bringing the race again sooner or later.

READ MORE | With 3-year contract over, will NASCAR Avenue Race return to Chicago?

“To ask for extra time really is suitable,” 2nd Ward Alderman Brian Hopkins stated. “There’s loads of complexity to this determination particularly after we’re looking for a date that works for us.”

Ald. Hopkins is amongst quite a few Chicago Metropolis Council members who don’t desire the race on Fourth of July weekend, citing disruption to downtown residents.

“It is in all probability the worst doable weekend of the summer season to shut Grant Park a month earlier than and month after,” Hopkins stated.

NASCAR estimates the race’s financial influence to the town at greater than $100 million a yr, however thirty fourth Ward Alderman Invoice Conway needs NASCAR to reimburse the $5-6 million the town spends to host the occasion. This yr, NASCAR paid the town a bit of greater than $2.5 million, along with the town’s lower of concessions and merchandise gross sales.

“I hope that we are able to have this race sooner or later on a weekend that’s not July 4th, and in a means that makes monetary sense for the town,” Conway stated.

However discovering new dates will not be that simple with occasions in Grant Park virtually each summer season weekend, and live shows like Lollapalooza and Sueños requiring weeks of setup and tear down.

Alderman Invoice Conway of the thirty fourth Ward shared the next full assertion:
“It is disappointing that negotiators have not been in a position to transfer this occasion off the July 4th weekend-especially given how NASCAR has offered Chicago the chance to shine on the world stage. Over the previous two years, NASCAR has made significant efforts to cut back disruptions for residents and companies alongside the race route, streamline setup and takedown, and preserve open traces of communication with our neighborhood. I hope events return to the desk with a dedication to creating this occasion work even higher for Chicago, each logistically and financially.”