Chicagoland Speedway Should Come Back

by
Peter Stratta
April 13, 2022

Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images for NASCAR

Chicagoland Speedway Deserves Another Chance with NASCAR

July 7, 2018 was one of the greatest races in NASCAR’s Gen 6 era. The infamous ‘slide-job‘ finish between Kyle Busch and Kyle Larson happened at the Chicagoland Speedway. Not even four years later though, the mile-and-a-half racetrack has laid dormant for most of the time since then. This was an all-time classic finish and a very bright spot for racing in the 2010s. After such a highlight-reel moment for modern NASCAR, Chicagoland Speedway does warrant a revisit by the top series. Despite no racing action at the Illinois facility since 2019, all hope is not lost on a possible return to racing for Chicagoland Speedway.

Amazing Finishes in Last Two CLS Races

Not only was 2018’s Chicagoland race a great finish, but 2019 also lived up to the hype. The closing laps on June 30 saw another battle for the win involving Kyle Larson. This time though, he lost out to Alex Bowman, who took his first Cup Series win in the Hendrick Motorsports No. 88 Chevrolet. Bowman became the first driver to earn their maiden victory at Chicagoland. Little did anyone know then, but this would be the last racing action in Joliet at the time of this writing.

Pandemic Puts Pause on All Action at CLS

Chicagoland Speedway was originally a part of the 2020 NASCAR schedule. COVID-19 changed everything in regards to this track’s future though. The race was effectively canceled due to the pandemic, with their date shifting to Darlington Raceway. Since then, CLS was also absent from the 2021 and 2022 NASCAR schedules. As a result, a group of midwest racing fans have clamored for a racing return to Joliet. The track itself has remained race-ready with regular facility upkeep and groundskeepers still on staff. However, the land around the track itself has been at the center of several negotiations for its future.

The Speedway’s land was offered to the Chicago Bears, as a replacement for Soldier Field. The Bears effectively turned down the offer though to play in Joliet. They will move to a new stadium in Arlington Heights in the coming years.

Land around the immediate vicinity of Chicagoland Speedway has also been earmarked for a new residential business park. Initial plans showed developments building over the track’s footprint. However, later renderings have shown proposed construction being localized to current overflow parking lot areas. Much like with Nashville Superspeedway, a neighboring commerce area could coexist with the racetrack. The city of Joliet has also held recent meetings with NASCAR to discuss possibilities of a racing return to the 1.5-mile facility.

What’s the Future Hold for Chicagoland?

As a part of the iRacing Pro Invitational Series, a street course was introduced in downtown Chicago. While this course is solely virtual now, NASCAR does envision bringing this Millennium Park track to reality. This venue could be the home of a Cup Series date in coming seasons. With that being said, the oval track not even an hour away may be a mere footnote on modern NASCAR history.

With the recent influx of road courses on the Cup schedule though, do we really need another one? While street courses are far more about the event than the on-track product, some drivers have already voiced displeasure over such a tight circuit. On a recent Dale Jr. Download episode, Earnhardt even said go back to CLS over the street course. Look no further than the Music City Grand Prix last year for IndyCar, where the premier open wheel division in America put on a wreck-fest at a similar venue.

Chicagoland Speedway was almost universally beloved by fans and drivers alike. Not being repaved since 2001, the track surface is aged enough to provide low grip and a very entertaining product, as seen in their last two races. The return to Auto Club Speedway earlier this year saw a great fan turnout not seen in years at Fontana. We have no reason to think a similar situation would not happen with another race in Joliet.

“I like Chicagoland a lot,” Alex Bowman recently said in Richmond. “It’s a really technical, fun racetrack; super slick and extremely rough. I don’t really know what’s happening with it, but bummed it’s not on the schedule. It’s definitely a special place.”

Since its debut in 2001, Chicagoland Speedway was the home of all three NASCAR national series until the COVID Pandemic. CLS also has history with IndyCar, with four of their top 10 closest finishes ever. With a healthy amount of race fans across the midwest who did show up to races at Chicagoland, the Magnificent Mile and a Half does deserve another shot with a premier race date. After two of the best races in the Gen 6 car, I would love to see just what the Next Gen car can deliver on this racetrack.