NASCAR is moving closer to the return of the Chicago Street Course to its 2027 schedule. A date change away from the Fourth of July weekend is emerging as a key part of the negotiations between the sanctioning body and the city of Chicago.
Block Club Chicago reported this week that Chicago Street Race President Julie Giese met with the Grant Park Advisory Council over the weekend to discuss the race’s return. A deal is still being finalized. Leslie Recht, president of the Grant Park Advisory Council, told the outlet that part of the potential deal includes moving the race after the Sueños Music Festival, held on May 23-24 this year.
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A date in late May and before the July pressure point would address the city’s primary logistical concern about public street shutdowns around a major holiday. The Chicago Street Course ran at Grant Park for three consecutive seasons from 2023 to 2025 under a three-year deal announced by then-Mayor Lori Lightfoot. It had two possible one-year extensions for 2026 and 2027.
However, the July 4 weekend slot that hosted all three editions proved consistently problematic. The inaugural 2023 race was hit by torrential downpours that canceled and shortened events. Rain delayed the 2024 event. The third running in 2025 was the first not substantially disrupted by weather, but by then, NASCAR had already decided to pause for 2026.
The existing contract does not set a fixed permit fee for extension years. Rather, it requires mutual agreement between NASCAR and the Chicago Park District based “in a manner consistent with the fee structure used for the prior Term Years.”
The financial picture has grown each year. The Park District received $500,000 in permit fees in 2023, rising to $550,000 in 2024 and $605,000 in 2025, alongside increasing percentages of concession and merchandise revenue. The 2024 Cup race generated $128 million in total and $9.6 million in state and local tax revenue. That economic case has kept the conversation alive through the hiatus.
The Athletic had reported a month ago that industry sources were increasingly optimistic about a 2027 return, though no deal had been confirmed at that point.
Chicago City council confident of NASCAR return despite lack of consensus
Mayor Brandon Johnson has previously been supportive of continuing the race and personally negotiated an additional $2 million payment for the city ahead of the 2024 event. The Mayor donned a fire suit at the 2025 Grant Park 165 race in a visible show of support for the event, and his office confirmed this week that the two sides were still in discussions over holding the race in 2027.
Downtown Alderman Bill Conway, whose 34th Ward covers territory adjacent to the track, has been in close communication with the NASCAR team throughout the negotiations. He gave a measured read on where things stand to Block Club Chicago:
“NASCAR has been a collaborative partner in addressing community concerns, including the drawbacks of scheduling the race on July 4th weekend. As conversations continue about the future, I’m hopeful that the City and NASCAR will work together on a deal that’s better for Chicago, both logistically and financially.”
It reflects a negotiation that appears to be in its final stages rather than still in early discussions. Not every council member shares that perspective. Alderman Brendan Reilly of the 42nd Ward, who represents the majority of Grant Park itself and the surrounding downtown area, did not respond to a request for comment on the latest developments.
Reilly has been a consistent opponent of the race throughout its three-year run, saying he was never properly looped into decision-making around the event. NASCAR has declined to confirm that an announcement was forthcoming, saying only that its 2027 schedule is currently being developed.
Edited by Anurup Chakraborty