In July 2022, NASCAR announced it was running races on the streets of Chicago on a July weekend. Now, those races have names, as NASCAR Chicago announced.
The Xfinity Series race will be 55 laps and called “The Loop 121” to recognize the area of downtown Chicago the race will be run. Then, the Cup Series race has been titled the “Grant Park 220,” named for the iconic public park downtown. That race will be 100 laps and 220 miles around downtown.
The Chicago Street Race will recognize the number of miles in the Cup Series race in neat fashion, as well.
“As the home of the nation’s first automobile race in 1895, the inaugural Chicago Street Race will recognize the city of Chicago with the Grant Park 220 and The Loop 121,” Chicago Street Race president Julie Giese said in a statement. “For the first-ever Cup Series street race in NASCAR’s 75-year history, we are proud to continue to have a positive impact in the Chicago community by sending one local youth for each mile of the Grant Park 220 to the Chicago Park District’s Summer Day Camp.”
More background on NASCAR Chicago, list of performers
The track will take drivers on quite the 2.2-mile journey around downtown Chicago. It starts on Columbus Dr. before turning onto E. Balbo Dr. and onto DuSable Lake Shore Dr. From there, drivers turn back onto Columbus and Balbo before going to E. Congress Plaza, S. Michigan Ave. and E. Jackson Dr. before returning to Columbus. Pit road will also be on Columbus.
NASCAR Chicago will take place July 1-2 and features quite the list of performers, as well. The Chainsmokers, Miranda Lambert, The Black Crowes and Charley Crockett will all be on hand, NASCAR announced in January. It’s shaping up to be quite a weekend in the Windy City.
“The Chicago Street Race is truly a first-of-its-kind two-day sports and entertainment event in the 75-year history of NASCAR,” Giese said in a press release. “We are proud to welcome superstars The Chainsmokers, Miranda Lambert, The Black Crowes, and Charley Crockett as we reimagine the NASCAR experience in the heart of downtown Chicago over Fourth of July weekend.”