NASCAR may inspire F1 to come up with Chicago City Street Race-inspired Grand Prix in Windy City: Reports

NASCAR's debut on the streets of Chicago, Illinois, was certainly a talking point in the world of stock car racing last year. With Cup Series drivers taking to public roads of the metropolis often dubbed as 'Windy City', the inaugural Grant Park 220 marked a milestone in the storied history of the sport.

With the event returning to the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series schedule as well, fans and drivers will be hoping for an uninterrupted weekend of racing, unlike last year's event which was under constant threat of being washed away by persistent rains.

Following the success of the event despite a shortened race, stock car racing's presence in Chicago seems to have brought the F1's attention to the city as well. The open-wheel racing series is in the middle of an American expansion following a popularity boost around the sport after the introduction of popular streaming platform Netflix's Drive to Survive docuseries.

F1 currently boasts of three events over the length and breadth of the United States of America, which include their visits to Miami, Austin, and Las Vegas. In a recent X (formerly Twitter) post shared by formularacers, F1 seems to have filled for several new trademarks hinting at a future Grand Prix event in Chicago.

The trademarks include possible names for the event if it were to be held in Chicago. Another possible caveat that could solidify these early reports is the conclusion of F1's contract with the Austin, Texas track Circuit of the Americas in 2026.

It remains to be seen if NASCAR has successfully managed to inspire F1 into adding a fourth event in the USA while holding first-mover advantages over the market as well.

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Fans react to NASCAR possibly inspiring F1 to host a Grand Prix in Chicago

While it is still early to conclude F1's presence in Chicago, fans of the sport took to social media to react to the possibility of the future. Here are some of the best reactions:

"That would be the definition of 90° corners."

"I am absolutely sick to death of Liberty Media. They're ruining this sport Another race in America, and likely a street track... The sport I love is dying."

"It’s a stretch but I live in the area and Road America is 90 minutes north of Chicago. Potentially could call a race there “Chicago” but yeah we all know that won’t happen…"

"4 us races absolutely too much."

Meanwhile, the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season kicks off with the famed Daytona 500 on February 18, 2024, at 2:30 p.m. ET.