Ryan Blaney Confronts the Nightmarish Obstacles Drivers Are Likely to Deal With During NASCAR’s Chicago Debut

Adding a street circuit to its schedule for the first time ever, NASCAR is going all out for its 75th anniversary. July’s opening weekend will see NASCAR’s Xfinity and Cup Series take to the streets of Chicago for a first-of-its-kind street race. The Loop 121 and Grant Park 220 events will see drivers go flat out on the Chicago Street Course, comprising many high-speed straights and sharp 90-degree corners.

The inaugural street circuit presents a huge challenge to drivers, unlike the fast-flowing ovals they normally race on. Accustomed to racing on smooth oval circuits, NASCAR drivers will have to stay at the top of their game, quickly adapting to the unversed circuit.

In light of this, Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney spoke about the obstacles drivers will face in Chicago.

“Completely Different”: Ryan Blaney Discusses the Challenge Posed by Chicago

The inaugural Chicago Street Course will see drivers trade paint through Michigan Avenue, Lake Shore Drive, Lake Michigan, and around Grant Park, ending at South Columbus Avenue. Unlike NASCAR’s smooth circuits with fast-flowing corners, the Chicago Street Course is packed with 90-degree turns, bumps, and rough patches with elevation changes. NASCAR drivers have had a chance to race at the circuit virtually, during the 2021 eNASCAR’s iRacing Pro Invitational Series.

Even then, virtual reality has its limits, unable to match up to real-life experience. Drivers have been spending a lot of time in simulator practice for Chicago. Speaking to NBC in an interview, Ryan Blaney feels many drivers would be hesitant around the narrow corners as there is hardly any area for runoffs. 

“You know it’s kind of one of those things where, as a driver, you have to be really open-minded. Especially going to a place like this and kind of be willing to change up your approach or your driving style, because it’s a completely different race track than what you’re used to,” said Blaney.

The Team Penske star further explained, “The racetrack is pretty narrow I wouldn’t say it’s as narrow as I initially thought it was going to be, but it’s still pretty narrow. Not a ton of runoffs. The only thing I would like to see different is some runoffs in those 90-degree corners, if you overshoot one you have a kind of a bailout place. So I think you’ll see guys kind of hesitate at some of those corners to begin with, but once you get more confident in it uh you’ll be going pretty good.”

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Packed to the brim with obstacles for drivers, the Chicago Street Course events will be a spectacle to behold. In preparation for the Chicago events, NASCAR teams have delivered two major surprises to the community.

What makes the Chicago Street Course race special?

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NASCAR will continue the celebration of its 75th-year anniversary with its first street circuit debut in Chicago. Keeping in theme with NASCAR’s celebrations, Legacy Club Motor unveiled a Chicago-specific special livery for its #84 Camaro. The #84 Camaro will race at the Grant Park 220 event with LMC’s co-owner and 7-times Cup Series champion, Jimmie Johnson. The Kaulig Racing team too caught up with the festivities. Making a surprise announcement, Kaulig Racing revealed Trackhouse Racing’s co-owner Justin Marks as its #10 driver for The Loop 121 Xfinity Series race. 

The Chicago Street Course event will also host full-length concerts from The Chainsmokers, The Black Crowes, Miranda Lambert, and Charley Crockett. Are you excited about NASCAR’s maiden street circuit run? Let us know in the comments.

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