CHARLOTTE, N.C. — NASCAR will hold its first Cup Series street race next year in Chicago, series officials announced Tuesday.
The Cup Series will hit the streets of Chicago on Sunday, July 2, 2023, as part of a double-header weekend with the IMSA sports car racing series. NBC will televise the Cup Series race.
Both series will compete on a 12-turn, 2.2-mile course that goes around Grant Park and includes a section of Lake Shore Drive. The start/finish line and pit road will be along South Columbus Drive, directly in front of the Buckingham Fountain.
“Like the Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum, we seized an incredible opportunity to add an unprecedented element to our schedule and take center stage in the heart of another major metropolitan market,” Ben Kennedy, NASCAR senior vice president of racing development and strategy, said in a statement.
The race, which has been a hot topic on social media for weeks, is expected to replace the Road America race weekend on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule. Road America hosted the Cup Series the last two years on Fourth of July weekend. Tyler Reddick was the most recent winner, earning his first Cup Series victory at the Wisconsin course. The track does not have an agreement in place to host a race in 2023, according to multiple reports.
NASCAR will announce the remainder of the 2023 schedules at a later date. Tickets for the Chicago street race will go on sale later this year, NASCAR said.
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