Grant Park 165 is more than just the Chicago Street Race. After all, Temple University’s Sports Industry Research Center estimates a 2023 economic impact of around $109 million. That has led to even NASCAR’s designated Chicago Street Race President, Julie Giese, dubbing it a “music and racing festival.”

No one can deny Chicago’s impact on helping shape literal genres of music throughout her vibrant history. From the Smashing Pumpkins to Kanye West, many famous names hail from Chicago in the broader background of pop culture stardom. But should NASCAR drivers receive their introductions a whole day before their race and only moments ahead of a scheduled Chainsmokers concert?

On that note, the 2024 Chicago Street Race introduced its participants before its musical festivities and did just that, which left the fandom heavily divided. But what seems to be the real story?

Chicago Street Race’s balancing act to boost 2024 impact

Chicago hosted its first race in the early ‘50s on a now-lost short track, once called the Santa Fe Speedway. And music & stock cars? Nearly every race weekend features an accompanying dose of musical excitement to help pull in fans for more than just the V8s. This Chicago Street Race weekend was no different, with renowned acts such as the Chainsmokers, Black Keys, and Lauren Alaina all gracing the event. If that wasn’t enough, between practice and qualifying for the Xfinity Series and Cup Series on Saturday, NASCAR Chicago hosted a literal House Music 40 Showcase to celebrate the genre’s 40th anniversary in the Second City.

But the real party began right after Shane van Gisbergen staked his claim as a local Chicago legend by going from pole to P1 to win the Loop 110 Xfinity Series race. 15 minutes after the checkered, Access Gates B, C, D, F, and G were announced to be open for concertgoers.

However, a strange sight awaited those unaware of the weekend’s schedule on the makeshift race track. Not too long after the Black Keys had come off stage, NASCAR’s cream of the crop Chicago Street Race Cup Series drivers received their introductions on the DraftKings stage. On the surface, most wouldn’t notice anything out of the ordinary. Other than the very stars of Sunday’s main event—the Grant Park 165—for some reason, they were being introduced before a Chainsmokers concert scheduled for approximately 8:00 p.m. on a Saturday.

In contrast, most driver reveals are normally done hours/minutes before the command is given before the usual Sunday race. So what caused this sudden shift? Well, according to Bob Pockrass & his recent Twitter/X post, “The idea is to introduce the drivers to people who might not follow the sport.” In an update, Pockrass shared a video of the event in question from his official handle, which showed the reveals of Ryan Blaney & William Byron complete with a band dressed in white, giving the drivers a guard of honor while simultaneously playing the Rocky theme for effects.

Pockrass’ explanation concurs with President Geise’s earlier statement on Crain’s Chicago Business, where she emphasized that “First and foremost, we (NASCAR) are looking for ways to introduce our sport to new audiences.” She also wished it to be an “all-encompassing experience” earlier in May, “whether you’re there for the music, you’re there for the racing or you’re there for just the overall festival…” 

Conveying some positive bearings toward Giese & NASCAR’s objective of introducing newer audiences to the brave NASCAR drivers bracing to take to the streets of Chicago, Jeff Gluck of The Athletic shared an encouraging tweet. As Gluck writes, “Before driver intros for this Chainsmokers concert, the crowd was asked “How many of you are at your first NASCAR race?” and the majority appeared to raise their hands. So there’s that.”

If that is the general public’s reaction, then maybe this marketing move by NACSAR serves the best interests of all parties involved. Especially since it is quite rare that a NASCAR driver would boast a social following of 3.2 million on Twitter or X like The Chainsmokers do.

So to capitalize on the most unimaginable promotional opportunities in the form of some pre-race engagement does not seem all that bad. But as is the nature of the unknown in the NASCAR community, diehards poured into groups to discuss these divisive circumstances.

Drivers introduced before the Chainsmokers concert spark debate

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If concert-going fans who haven’t been to a NACAR race before turn into convertees and bear witness to the second edition of the Chicago Street Race, it will only benefit their 2024 impact positively. It is important to note that although the 2023 Grant Park 220 generated 750 jobs and $8.3 million in local and state tax revenue, it fell short of its projected economic impact by 4 million dollars. Even by the margin of the millions, that is a considerable difference.

The Chicago Street Race’s musical festivities and buildup might not match the annual Lollapalooza that Grant Park has been hosting for almost two decades. But it definitely will benefit NASCAR and the city of Chicago if the engaging visitors of 2024 find their attentions directed towards both the music and the racing excitements on hand during the July 6-7 weekend.

Besides, witnessing a new type of driver introduction also sits well with many members of the NASCAR community. One fan emphasized that sentiment when they replied to Pockrass’ Twitter post: “Hot take. This is great. A way to make driver intros feel unique and meaningful instead of droning on like you’re taking class attendance.” 

This thought received further definition when another user remembered a fresh & hilarious anecdote noted by the announcer in the video while bringing out the defending Cup champ, Ryan Blaney. “Serious Lego Addiction,” they wrote, to reference #12’s off-track hobby.

Others agreed it was indeed “very cool” to witness these new changes to the weekend schedule, while some believed “this should do the trick then” where it truly mattered—the ratings picture. Yet, others suggested that they would rather pretend to have been “under the weather” than attend a driver announcement of this sort in the shoes of a NASCAR Cup Series driver. But that opinion is highly speculative since that diehard is not a Cup driver and knows better than the rest of the audience.

However, their opinions hold some credence, as the majority sentiment appeared to be that “this is sad” to watch the drivers take an assumed backseat to the music festival held in between the grand sophomore edition of the Chicago Street Race.

Regardless, the main event remains Grant Park 165. Will the announced acts of Lauren Alaina and Keith Urban play spoilsport for the heavily anticipated racing on the streets of Chicago? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.