NASCAR executives praise ‘remarkable’ success of Chicago street race

The second division, the Xfinity Series and the Cup Series, were both raced on a 3.2-mile, 12-turn course through Grant Park in downtown Chicago, but the biggest hurdle NASCAR faced was ultimately battling the weather. became.

New to NASCAR Shane van Gisbergen takes dramatic win in Cup debut at Sunday’s race. The participation of the three-time supercar champion was part of Truckhouse Racing’s Project 91, which offers international motorsport stars the opportunity to compete in the Cup Series.

We also saw some issues over the weekend. Heavy rain, thunder and flooding raged around the two-day race, canceling several concerts that were an integral part of what was described as a festive weekend.

Still, NASCAR has shown that it can put on a show even on the streets of one of the nation’s largest cities.

“It’s certainly been a great weekend, a historic weekend for us,” said Ben Kennedy, NASCAR’s senior vice president of race development and strategy. “We’ve talked a lot about this and of course we want to end with a special moment to celebrate a special year for us after 75 years.

“First of all I want to say a huge thank you to the City of Chicago. It was certainly worth noting.”

The logistics and coordination required to make a successful stock car weekend on the street has always been difficult.

Construction of the final part of the course was not possible until Saturday morning, when the cars had less than 24 hours to enter the course. Complicating the record rainfall and frequent lightning strikes, the grandstands were forced to empty, potentially wreaking havoc on the debut of NASCAR’s version of street racing.

In the end, neither race was completed and the Xfinity race was officially declared halfway. The scheduled 100-lap Cup race was interrupted for 25 laps due to impending darkness. However, the fans rushed to work things out to keep the issues dealt with, and the NASCAR team has always done well, adapting on the fly.

NASCAR Chief Operating Officer Steve O’Donnell said, “One of the best events I’ve ever seen. The Xfinity Series, the Cup Series, etc., where drivers and crews get their cars ready all the way. It’s a testament to the preparation,” he said.

“The hard work that garage group went through to put on a show worthy of the Chicago fans thrilled the crowd and excited everyone in the industry. You can see it.

“For all of us in the industry, it’s an honor to be here in Chicago. An incredible welcome mat has been laid for us, and hopefully we can bring it to our fans. ”

Just as the pre-season Bush Crash, held on a ground-up track inside the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, turned out to be a successful second year in a row, last weekend’s big city street races are the future of NASCAR racing. provided countless possibilities.

An inaugural victory by an internationally known motorsport star like Van Gisbergen only widens the potential map of future venues.

“I think all of us at NASCAR are confident that we can host the Cup Series wherever we want it to be, and we are doing so with the industry,” O’Donnell said.

“And I don’t think the races we put on[on Sunday]will sell, and I definitely don’t think they’ll be accepted all over the world.”