Third time’s a charm? How Chicago fits into NASCAR’s 2025 schedule plans

After a yearlong wait for a chance to have a dry race on the streets of Chicago, NASCAR officials will have to wait another year.

A second annual rain-impacted race once again couldn’t totally ruin a weekend but certainly frustrated organizers who could feel a great vibe in Grant Park as NASCAR fans mixed in with curious locals during NASCAR’s lone attempt at a music festival combined with racing.

The three-year contract can be ended by the city or NASCAR six months prior to the race, with the 2025 edition scheduled for July 5-6 on a 2.2-mile course that includes famed streets Columbus Drive, Michigan Avenue and DuSable Lake Shore Drive.

So even though there’s a contract, questions will remain on whether NASCAR disrupting life for a few weeks for a major sporting event and festival is worth it — for both NASCAR and the city.

“NASCAR is … good for our local businesses, especially our hospitality industry, which of course is being supported by the fans and all those visiting our amazing city,” Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said in addressing the drivers before the event.

Johnson’s support is key to whether the race continues. He said he was “thrilled to be here to watch and cheer all of you on” and joked with the drivers.

“Know that all the challenges and twists you experience downtown, you’re not the only ones who experience those challenges and twists — try being the mayor of the City of Chicago,” Johnson said. “And try to do it without crashing. … Don’t tear my city up.”

The challenges of putting a race on streets that are major arteries is not an easy task, and NASCAR knocked six days off the track construction and disassembling timeline. The festival featured concerts by The Black Keys, The Chainsmokers and Keith Urban — all of which went on as scheduled.

But then the rains came just as the Cup race was about to start. It wasn’t the record rain of the year prior but enough that NASCAR had to delay the beginning of the race — NASCAR also had to deal with a couple of protestors (not protesting the race) who had climbed a fence — and then saw rain interrupt the event for 103 minutes.

NASCAR got 58 of its scheduled 75 laps in before darkness as NASCAR set 8:20 p.m. CT as its “two-laps-to-go” time for the end of the race.