As the NASCAR Chicago Street Race gets closer, there are some folks in the Windy City that are still hesitant to embrace the event. Track President Julie Giese wants to assure folks that this is going to be a fun weekend and something that will be good for the city.
With the date growing nearer, Giese and her team have a lot to do. There are logistics and partners to deal with and of course, changing the streets of Chicago into a race track. This is a very ambitious project, and Giese is trying to make sure it gets done right.
Giese used to be the track president at Phoenix Raceway. She’s earned a ton of respect through her hard work and dedication. With her experience, fans in and out of the city should feel good about the NASCAR Chicago Street Race.
“It’s definitely busy, and time definitely feels like it’s going faster each day.” Giese said in an interview with RACER. “But it’s a fun fast because there is so much opportunity, and we’re doing something that has never been done before. It’s a huge event, and there are a lot of things that we want to do.
“The to-do list, we continue to check things off, but we continue to add things as well because it’s all about making sure we’re delivering the best experience possible. But, yes, it’s going to come quick.”
July 1-2 is going to be full of action. Not just the race on the track, but with all of the entertainment options that fans will have. This is not just a race, it is an entertainment event with concerts and food and activities. In other words, it’s a big party. It’s NASCAR in Chicago!
NASCAR Chicago Street Race has been ‘humbling’
when you try to plan an event that has never happened before, it can be overwhelming. Even with the experience that Giese has, turning Chicago into a NASCAR track is a huge ask. There have been challenges and some setbacks, but the team has kept pushing forward.
NASCAR is coming to Chicago and it is going to be interesting at the very least.
“It’s incredibly humbling,” Giese said about her job. “It’s interesting for me personally because I started with this company 24 years ago in an entry-level position at a road course, Watkins Glen. So, it’s kind of coming full circle. But for me, it is humbling. To say the sport has not done something in 75 years is hard to find things like that, so to be a part of it, to lead a team that’s bringing it together, it’s an honor.”
The NASCAR Cup Series and Xfinity Series are set to take to the streets of Chicago. This summer is going to be a wild one. If these stock car drivers can keep their cars out of the walls, on the inside and outside, I’ll be impressed.
