$50 Million NASCAR Street Race Set to Cause Major Disruptions in Chicago City Ahead of the Racing Event

Ever since NASCAR announced its first-ever street course race in downtown Chicago, the whole event has been shrouded in controversy and criticism. Of course, there’s the section of fans and purists who were left wondering just why did the sport need to take the stock car racing to a street circuit.

But then there was another section of critics—the people of Chicago—who were convinced that the two-day event in July could seriously affect their day-to-day lives.

And according to a recent report, they may have a pretty solid point there.

NASCAR’s Street Course race may cause major problems for Chicago Locals

According to Chicago Sun Times, it was recently announced that several roads and lanes will be closed when NASCAR rolls into town in July. The closures will take place on DuSable Lake Shore Drive for six days from Monroe to McFetridge Drive while Northbound DuSable Lake Shore Drive will close for two days.

Along with them, Columbus Drive and Michigan Avenue will also remain closed.

What could make matters worse for the locals is the assumption that it may take NASCAR almost two weeks after the race to remove its grandstands and track walls on the proposed circuit.

Downtown 2nd Ward Ald. Brian Hopkins, a critic of the race since Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced the three-year deal in July, blasted the announcement Monday. He said, “There’s no questions that the inconvenience will be significantly more extensive than what we were initially led to believe.

“To have LSD closed during a prime summer time, when the Kennedy is under construction, it will have a cascading effect.”

But here’s the thing, it’s not all bad.

WATCH THIS STORY: Dale Earnhardt Jr Defends Hendrick Motorsports Against ‘Cheating’ Allegations While Blaming “Miscommunication” To Be the Cause of $400,000 Fiasco

Trending

1

Calls for ‘Firing’ Mount Against FOX as Declining Broadcaster Goes Down an Ugly Slump on Live Coverage

2

NASCAR President Riles Up Entire Racing Community After Baffling 3-Word Verdict on Fontana’s Future Goes Viral

3

Amidst Bankruptcy, Chase Elliott’s Disgraced Million Dollar Sponsor Bounces Back with Bold Claim

4

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Loses His Temper as NASCAR Community Urges to Discipline His Driver Gone Haywire

5

Calls Mount for Dale Jr’s JRM Star’s Suspension as NASCAR Confirms Punishment for Martinsville Controversy

NASCAR Street Race may be a big boost for Chicago’s economy

Apart from the negatives and the criticisms of the race, it’s also worth noting that NASCAR’s street course race could massively benefit the local economy by potentially infusing $113 million.

It’s expected that the races could attract a lot of out-of-town fans, as many as 65,000 of the expected 100,000 spectators.

“For us, being in Chicago is incredibly important,” NASCAR Chicago Street Race President Julie Giese said as per Chicago Sun Times. “It’s an important market for us from a fan perspective.”

She also claimed the race is “a great opportunity to showcase the city as well as NASCAR.”

Also Read: Hendrick Motorsports Subtly Slips In a Testament of Innocence Amid Chaos Around Contradictory Penalty Verdicts