The Chigaco Street Race 2024 definitely has a fanbase of its own. After all, the drama and thrill that unfolded on the tracks managed to convert those who were once skeptical about the concept of having a NASCAR there, as it isn’t a traditional circuit! Sure, the races have been in the rain, which certainly put a damper on the mood—quite literally! But that didn’t stop the drivers from showing their enthusiasm and passion on the tracks.

Likewise, NASCAR veteran Kevin Harvick shared his initial view of the street course, admitting that it took him a while to come around to actually appreciate the idea. Talking to the co-hosts on Kevin Harvick Happy Hour about the first time he was present in Chicago in 2023, he mentions how he was immediately taken aback by the dedication and planning executed by NASCAR for the race.

Mentioning how amazed he was by all the vibrant banners, bridges, and signage that transformed the city into a captivating racing environment, what really shocked Kevin Harvick was the overwhelming enthusiasm the people of Chicago showed for the NASCAR event.

In Episode 41 of ‘Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour‘, the 48-year-old mentioned, “I went last year and like, this is going to be the dumbest thing that we’ve ever done in my entire life. I walked into the street course for the first time last year and I’m like, ‘Oh my God, this is really neat. Everywhere we went last year, everyone knew we were there. Everyone was engaged with the event in the city.”

The track itself was certainly a stark contrast to the lukewarm receptions Harvick had seen in other venues that NASCAR has visited over the years. He made comparisons to places like Los Angeles and Vegas, saying that the city of Chicago stood out the most, and he loved the way the city itself had fully embraced having stock car racing take over their streets.

For the debut race, NASCAR introduced new fans to the sport and gave hardcore fans a taste of a new racing style. With a few rule shifts due to debris in the street-style racing, it was Shane van Gisbergen who stole the show, chasing down Justin Haley and Chase Elliott in a thrilling finish. The New Zealand native and three-time Supercars champion led the final eight laps and pulled away from Haley by 1.259 seconds, becoming the first driver to win his Cup debut since Johnny Rutherford did it back in 1963 at Daytona.

But this year’s race was anything but ordinary. What truly changed the game was NASCAR’s decision midway through the event to shorten the race from the planned 100 laps to just 75. This strategic move put a bunch of cars that had pitted on Lap 43 right inside their fuel window. And who took full advantage of this opportunity? None other than Alex Bowman finally broke his 80-race NASCAR Cup Series winless streak. He outlasted both the rain and the fierce competition to claim victory in Grant Park 165 on the streets of downtown Chicago. It looks like Chicago was lucky for SVG and the then-winless HMS driver, after all.

After witnessing the success of this year’s Chicago street race, both in person on the tracks and on TV, Harvick is now convinced that NASCAR is capable of more and should keep exploring more urban settings like that. He hopes that in the future, they can stick to the road course concept, wholeheartedly believing that it opens up more options for the sport to reach out to new markets and fans, which it needs in the coming years anyway.

Kevin Harvick paints a new vision for NASCAR’s future in Chicago

While he sings the praises about the phenomenon that is the Chicago Street Race, the veteran driver even suggests a couple of specific cities that NASCAR could potentially target in the future to recreate this magic. Mentioning Northwest and Southern cities to expand NASCAR’s footprint, like Denver and Los Angeles, he thinks the stock race sport could thrive in these places despite not having traditionally hosted their races there. Revisiting a street course in LA could provide a solution for the lack of permanent racetracks in that region.

In the end, Harvick went from dreading the Chicago street race to championing it as a model for NASCAR’s potential in execution and marketing strategy. The former skeptic is now a true believer in the power of taking stock cars to the heart of Chicago city, knowing that it can help the sport grow in new and exciting ways.

However, would you agree with Harvick? Should NASCAR look into more street course ventures?