CHICAGO — NASCAR arrived in Chicago this past week — and with it, opinions on the historic street race.
Some were excited about it, others were skeptical. In the days leading up to the races around Grant Park, a common refrain was “Chicago isn’t a NASCAR crowd.” So I set out to see just how true that was.
From Wednesday through the weekend, anticipation and excitement for the races climbed until it reached its full throttle with the culmination of the final race Sunday night.
Traffic was maddening, as people did not heed any warnings to avoid the areas near the course. There were crowds of people attending the race festivities, while others just wanted to be close to the action and sneak a look. There was bad weather, and an unauthorized person on the course. Old fans got to enjoy the motor sport in a new location, while new fans got an unexpected experience.
Here’s how the NASCAR events unfolded.
Wednesday: ‘Bubba’s Block Party’ at DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center
When I arrived at the museum at 59th and Cottage Grove just before 4:30 p.m., there was a line down the block of fans waiting for the gates to open at 5 p.m. The block party — the first of its kind in Chicago — was held on the front lawn of the DuSable Museum as part an effort by NASCAR and Bubba Wallace to grow the sport.
“It’s not just Black and brown, it’s all races. It’s to the people who are kind of on the fence about NASCAR,” Wallace said before the event began. “This gives them a chance to come out and just enjoy their time to get some experience of what NASCAR is about, hang around me and see my pit crew perform. Learn more about the sport and see how inclusive it actually is.”
When the gates opened, fans poured in. T-shirts with “Bubba’s Block Party” were available and more than a few quickly changed into them. Attendees were able to participate in race and flight simulators, watch Wallace’s pit crew execute a tire change in less than 10 seconds and purchase from Black-owned vendors. At one point during the party, a DJ hosted a dance competition among some of the children in attendance. The overall vibe was one of joy as house, hip-hop and R&B music blared from the speakers.
Wallace was out in the crowd, taking selfies and answering questions like a ambassador of his sport. He took the stage for about 20 minutes for a Q&A, taking questions from a host and engaging with those who came out to see him. The driver of the No. 23 Michael Jordan co-owned 23XI Racing car joked about who “the real GOAT is,” an obvious reference to the Jordan vs. LeBron James debate. And he told those who might be new to him and the sport about his background.
“It’s exciting for NASCAR just to be in Chicago,” Chicago native Allen Linton said. “I like Bubba Wallace the driver, but I think as a Black man in Chicago that likes racing, having something like this at the DuSable Museum on the South Side? I couldn’t miss it.”
“I want to see who’s gonna be out here, to go and meet Bubba, but also be in the community. A lot of people came out. It’s intergenerational, a lot of young kids, a lot of folks that are new to racing and there’s some elders that have been following this for as long as I’ve been alive.”
Another Chicago native, rapper Lupe Fiasco, performed at 8 p.m. Prior to stepping on stage, he spoke about his participation in the block party and how he’d been a fan of not just NASCAR but motor sports, watching it on TV growing up.
Of the museum being the location for the party, Fiasco said: “Location, location, location. You got to come to where the people are, you got to come to where the beacons and the icons of the community for the culture are because this is cultural. It’s like a cultural exchange.”
“I think it is humbling for them to come out and be in the hood right here, the upper upper class is right here, Hyde Park is right here and our kind of beacon for Black culture to disciple right here. It’s super dope for him to be out here.”
Saturday: Day 1 at Grant Park
The weather for the Xfinity and Cup Series qualifying races was hot and humid.
Upon entry to the event space at Monroe Street, fans passed through security where umbrellas were put to the side (not allowed!) and bags, VIP passes and NASCAR hard cards were checked.
The Grant Park infield featured race cars, an Art Institute of Chicago pace car, a live painting by an artist and a “graffiti wall” with various murals commemorating the race. The vibe was festive and energy appeared to be high.
As I moved south toward the ticketed entry to the fan festival, the sound of the cars got louder and louder. There seemed to be some confusion from some who were able to enter the park but unable to continue without a purchased wristband.
The Taste of Chicago, which is usually here this time of year, was an event where people could enter and walk through. For NASCAR though, fans needed to go to the box office for more access — or watch from the field.
After passing through the gate, volunteers passed out earplugs, warning first-time attendees they would need to protect their ears as they got closer to the course.
The area near Buckingham Fountain was set up almost identical to how it is for Lollapalooza. There were bars with music and dancing, a shop for purchasing NASCAR and driver apparel — and of course photo-op spots with the Chicago street race logo, NASCAR 75 and cutouts of race cars.
I saw fans decked out in cowboy hats and boots, racing checkers and stripes, and all sorts of American flag apparel. But I also saw lots of Jordan Brand apparel and Chicago sports jerseys — mostly the Bears.
A giant Ferris wheel was set up just south of the fountain, with views of the racecourse. I asked a few people if they were going to ride it, and each of them shook their heads in emphatic no’s.
Before the Xfinity race could end, Mother Nature decided it was over with a deluge of rain. The threat of lightning in the area led to an immediate stoppage and an evacuation of the grounds. Without much direction, fans were told to leave the park.
Sunday: Day 2 at Grant Park
Saturday night’s rainstorms continued into Sunday morning, resulting in a delayed start to the day.
There were safety concerns — for the drivers and fans — throughout the morning that led to a series of attempted start times that would eventually see the Xfinity race have a winner (Cole Custer) declared without completing the race in its entirety. Race organizers did not want to push any of the events into Monday and needed as much daylight as possible to get in the Cup series race.
Race goers decked out in rain jackets and ponchos hovered under nearby trees as they waited for the rain to finally pass. More than a few unprepared attendees had on flip-flops and sandals, likely not anticipating rain on street race weekend. Another group stood under umbrellas as close to the Art Institute as possible, hoping the building’s facade would protect them from the blowing rain.
Concerts that had been before the races were canceled due to flooding. All that remained open were a few merchandise stations in the fan festival once the gates finally opened hours later. But despite the weather, the Sunday crowd continued. Hundreds of abandoned umbrellas sat at the security gates at the Monroe Street entrance to Grant Park.
I watched as fans hiked up their pants and tiptoed across the muddy field and deep puddles. There were some failed attempts to jump over the massive pools of water so as not to ruin shoes, but for the most part, everyone calmly navigated the mess in lines, seeking out the shallowest parts to cross.
As I got closer to the actual racecourse, enthusiasm started to rise. I saw a mother and daughter wearing “Bubba’s Block Party” T-shirts waiting in line to take a photograph with the NASCAR 75 logo installation. Tiffany Larry and her daughter, Heaven, had attended the block party a few days before. While there, they were able to get vouchers through a NASCAR sponsor to attend the events on both Saturday and Sunday.
“I’ve never really been interested in NASCAR, but I knew about Bubba Wallace,” Tiffany said, now referring to herself as a fan. “So that kind of made me excited that he was throwing up a block party here in Chicago.”
“Watching? I’d rather be here after today! It’s really cool,” she said when asked if she’d watch NASCAR races in the future.
As the evening continued, the skies cleared and the grandstands around the course began to fill.
Though I couldn’t hear anything above the sounds of the engines, I could see fans cheering and raising their arms as cars passed and the sun set over Chicago.
