NASCAR Chicago Street Race: What to know about the 12-turn, 2.2-mile course around the city in July

CHICAGO — Welcome to the new rush hour in Chicago.

The city will transform the Grant Park environs into the first NASCAR Chicago Street Race on July 2, with separate events on July 1 as well. The televised Cup Series event will have NASCAR drivers weaving through the park on closed-off streets lined with temporary fences, grandstands and what promoters hope will be thousands of fans.

Here’s everything you need to know about the race — including the course map, road closures and how to watch (or avoid) it all.

Has Chicago hosted a NASCAR race before?

Yes, Soldier Field hosted a NASCAR Cup Series race in July 1956.

A quarter-century later, an ambitious plan by then-Mayor Jane Byrne to hold a Formula One race on Lake Shore Drive in summer 1981 never made it to the starting line.

This time, the course will stay north of Soldier Field and south of the infamous S-curve on DuSable Lake Shore Drive.

Why is the city hosting this race now?

The event is expected to draw 100,000 attendees, and NASCAR estimates it could generate more than $3 million in tax revenue for the city.

“This is actually going to be our first race on a street course in our 75-year history,” said Ben Kennedy, NASCAR senior vice president of racing development and strategy. “It’s going to be a very unique course.”

NASCAR is building the track and will pay rental fees to the Chicago Park District for the use of Grant Park, but terms of the three-year agreement with the city were not disclosed.

“It’s going to be one of the most iconic racecourses maybe ever and introduce a whole new fan base to what NASCAR is about in the city of Chicago,” then-Mayor Lori Lightfoot said on July 19, 2022. “The opportunity to really ignite our tourism with a new, iconic event on the calendar was a no-miss opportunity.”

But not everyone is happy with the disruption.

“The races that are coming up in the next few weeks in Chicago certainly have a lot of our constituents excited,” said 1st Ward Ald. Daniel La Spata, the chair of the City Council’s Pedestrian and Traffic Safety Committee. “They also have a lot of our constituents confused, frustrated, angry.”

Another concern for constituents and businesses is the noise level, which can be “96.5 to 104 decibels at 150 feet from the track” according to NASCARchronicle.com. According to the NASCAR Chicago Street Race website, special mufflers will be used on the cars that “successfully lowered sound levels by as much as 10 decibels earlier this year at the Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum.”

What other events are happening around the race?

In addition to 40 race cars driving 200 mph, the two-day event will feature full-length concerts ranging from country to electronic dance, headlined by Miranda Lambert, The Chainsmokers and The Black Crowes.

There also will be an Xfinity Series race, the second tier of NASCAR competition, on July 1.

What’s the route?

The 12-turn, 2.2-mile course is the first street race in NASCAR history. Drivers will make 100 laps for 220 miles total.

“We want to put drivers through some of the toughest challenges we can, and this track will do that,” Hall of Fame driver-turned-NASCAR analyst Dale Earnhardt Jr. said after a test drive of the course. “There’ll be some guys that really like it. There will be some guys that find it really challenging and miserable.”

The pop-up course will start on Columbus Drive in front of Buckingham Fountain, taking in stretches of DuSable Lake Shore Drive and South Michigan Avenue in a lap filled with sharp turns, bottlenecks and an urban backdrop.

Earnhardt said drivers should top 140 mph on straightaways such as DuSable Lake Shore Drive. Some turns will force the cars to slow to about 40 mph, he said, while others will accommodate much higher speeds. The fastest turn will likely be No. 2, from Balbo Drive onto DuSable Lake Shore Drive, with drivers hitting 90-100 mph, he said.

One of the most challenging spots will be Turn 7 from Balbo onto South Michigan Avenue. Much like regular rush-hour traffic, Earnhardt expects something of a traffic jam.

What’s the timeline for road closures before and after the race?

Well, from now until July 13.

The southbound lanes of the major lakefront thoroughfare will close from Randolph Street to the Museum Campus beginning Wednesday. Lane reductions will extend farther: Traffic will be reduced to two lanes at North Avenue, then to one lane at Chicago Avenue. Downtown traffic will be directed to exit at Michigan Avenue, and through traffic will be directed to exit at Grand Avenue. Between Grand and Randolph, only local traffic will be allowed.

Northbound DuSable Lake Shore Drive will be closed along the same downtown stretch beginning July 1. Traffic will be reduced to two lanes at 47th Street, then one lane near 31st Street. Northbound traffic will be required to exit at I-55.

The northbound lanes are expected to reopen July 2, and the southbound lanes are anticipated to reopen by July 4. All other roads are expected to reopen between July 2 and July 13.

And don’t forget: There’s construction on the Kennedy Expressway to complicate your commute too.

City officials are encouraging drivers to take alternate routes, walk, bike or take public transportation to reach downtown, and they said Metra and CTA would provide additional service during the NASCAR race.

CTA buses around Grant Park will be rerouted for the race. Beginning Monday and lasting through the event, more than a dozen lines will be adjusted, including: #1, #2, #3, #4, #x4, #6, #7, #10, #J14 Jeffery Jump, #26, #28, #126, #143, #147 and some evening #148 buses

The weekend of the event, 18 bus routes will detour around downtown, including: #3, #4, #6, #10, #12, #J14, #18, #20, #22, #36, #56, #60, #62, #126, #130, #146, #147, and #151. Buses serving the north end of the Loop will generally let passengers off near the State/Lake Red Line “L” station, buses serving the west end of the Loop will drop passengers off near the LaSalle “L” stations, and buses serving the south end of the Loop will take passengers near the Roosevelt train station. The #151 will travel through downtown, but will be detoured off Michigan Avenue to avoid the closed road.

From Thursday through July 5, regular service on #146 Inner Lake Shore/Michigan Express will be replaced by a shuttle bus between the Roosevelt “L” station and the Museum Campus because of road closures along Roosevelt. The shuttle will run every 15 minutes.

CTA, Metra and Pace also are offering service to the race. On July 1 and 2, Metra will run extra trains on the BNSF line to Aurora and the Rock Island line to Joliet. Pace cautioned riders to expect longer travel times and delayed pickups and said the designated ADA Paratransit drop-off area for Pace is at Columbus and Monroe.

Lollapalooza will shut down portions of the Grant Park area over the course of roughly 25 days, whereas NASCAR will close various downtown areas for about 35 days, according to Lollapalooza and the city.

Can I still go to Museum Campus during all of this?

Yes, but some of the museums have adjusted their hours. Access will remain open to Navy Pier and the Field Museum, Adler Planetarium, Shedd Aquarium and other attractions.

To access the museums, drivers must reach either DuSable Lake Shore Drive south of downtown or arrive via I-55. From DuSable Lake Shore Drive, they can exit the northbound lanes at 31st Street, then take Fort Dearborn Drive along the lakefront to 18th Street. Those heading to the museums from I-55 can take DuSable Lake Shore Drive north and exit at 18th Street.

Wait, isn’t the Taste of Chicago this weekend?

Usually, but that has been moved to September to accommodate the race.

The Taste, a summer tradition established in 1980 and typically held in early July, welcomes tens of thousands of visitors to Grant Park for food, beverages, live music, dancing, karaoke and kids activities. It will now be held on Sept. 8-10.

OK, I’m going. Where can I park and what’s the schedule?

There’s two-day event parking starting at $65 at the Grant Park North Garage (25 N. Michigan Ave.) and Millennium Park Garage (6 S. Columbus Dr.).

Gates for all things NASCAR open at 9 a.m. both days.

Saturday, July 1

— 10 a.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Cup Series Practice and Qualifying

— 12-12:30 p.m.: Prerace concert featuring the JC Brooks Band

— 2:30-3:30 p.m.: Prerace concert featuring The Black Crowes

— 4 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series race

— 7-8:30 p.m.: Postrace concert featuring The Chainsmokers

Sunday, July 2

— 12-1 p.m.: Prerace concert featuring Charley Crockett

— 1:30-3 p.m.: Prerace concert featuring Miranda Lambert

— 4:30 p.m.: NASCAR Cup Series race

As with most events, attendees are limited to one clear bag no larger than 12-by-12-by-6 or a small clutch or fanny pack that are 6-by-6 with one pocket. Backpacks and bags with multiple pockets are prohibited.

Who are the drivers to watch?

It’s no surprise Bubba Wallace, the second Black driver to win in the Cup Series, is soon to become a Chicago favorite — he drives the No. 23 Toyota Camry for Michael Jordan-owned 23XI Racing. He’s also hosting a pre-race party Wednesday at the DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center at which Lupe Fiasco will perform.

For those thinking local, the White Sox are sponsoring Ty Dillon’s No. 77 Chevrolet — complete with team branding, colors and logos on the car and fire suit. Beggars Pizza will be on the rear quarter panel and TV panel of the car.

Seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson came out of retirement to compete in the Chicago Street Race driving a No. 84 Chevrolet Camaro — a reverse of the No. 48 he formerly used.

Jenson Button, a British Formula One driver, is making his stock-car debut this season. He will drive the No. 15 Ford Mustang.