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NASCAR to run street race in downtown Chicago next season

 The proposed course layout for the Chicago Street Race.
NASCAR
The proposed course layout for the Chicago Street Race.

NASCAR is going street racing next year. At a press conference on Tuesday with Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, the race on the downtown streets of the Windy City was confirmed after weeks of speculation. Bubba Wallace drives for Mooresville-based 23/XI Racing co-owned by Charlotte Hornets owner and Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan.

“This is monumental for our sport," Wallace said. "You know, there’s a lot of unknowns and if you’ve been following my journey for the last little bit, I’ve always said the unknowns is what excites me and so I don’t know what to expect going into this deal. I know these guys have got a lot of work to do and the city does, too, to get it ready."

The event is scheduled for July 2, 2023. It will replace Wisconsin’s Road America on next year’s schedule. Lightfoot said the announcement is already creating a buzz in Chicago.

"First-of-its-kind road race in the city of Chicago. They're going to be passing by very iconic parts of our city, including Grant Park, Buckingham Fountain, Soldier Field, Millennium Park, the list goes on and on. I think this is going to be an opportunity to showcase the city on an international stage. We are extraordinarily excited. Hats off to NASCAR."
— Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot

"We already saw that today by passers-by joining the earlier announcement that the NASCAR Nation is going to gravitate towards Chicago," she said. "First-of-its-kind road race in the city of Chicago. They're going to be passing by very iconic parts of our city, including Grant Park, Buckingham Fountain, Soldier Field, Millennium Park, the list goes on and on. I think this is going to be an opportunity to showcase the city on an international stage. We are extraordinarily excited. Hats off to NASCAR."

NASCAR opened the 2022 season with an exhibition race at the Los Angeles Coliseum and officials say it's part of its strategy to try new concepts and venues to put its races in front of new fans. Ben Kennedy is NASCAR's senior vice president for racing development and strategy.

"I would say the work really started probably a year or so ago," he said. "Really over the past 90 days, I would say a majority of that work has happened, culminating in today's event. Certainly, a lot of work that's been done. To the Mayor's point, a lot of work we still have to do in site planning, ultimately the different elements of the event. We'll certainly be working hand-in-hand with the city and the city departments to make sure that we do that, we make a special experience for those attending and for the folks in Chicago, that we have a positive impact here and really kind of just a minimal impact on lifestyle as well."

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Woody is a Charlotte native who came to WFAE from the world of NASCAR where he was host of NASCAR Today for MRN Radio as well as a pit reporter, turn announcer and host of the NASCAR Live pre race show for Cup Series races. Before that, he was a news anchor at WBT radio in Charlotte, a traffic reporter, editor of The Charlotte Observer’s University City Magazine, News/Sports Director at WEGO-AM in Concord and a Swiss Army knife in local cable television. His first job after graduating from Appalachian State University was news reporter at The Daily Independent in Kannapolis. Along the way he’s covered everything from murder trials and a national political convention to high school sports and minor league baseball.