"You can’t duplicate that anywhere else": Jeff Gordon argues for Chicago Street Race's irreplaceable value amid its uncertain future

Jeff Gordon has spoken in favor of the Chicago Street Race's irreplaceable value as NASCAR enters its contract year with the city. NASCAR has seen declining TV ratings and live attendance since its mid‑2000s peak.

The Chicago street race was part of an innovation push with races at the LA Coliseum to reconnect with fans and draw in new audiences. However, with the future of the Grant Park event uncertain, ideas are shifting toward trying out a street race in San Diego or a stadium event at Franklin Field in Philadelphia.

"It does take me back to, you know, those mid-to-late ’90s, when NASCAR was growing to new markets and experiencing new fans coming to races by going to Indianapolis, Texas, Southern California and Kansas. That’s why Chicago is such an important market and a great market to be in. It’s extremely important for the sport to bring in new fans and continue to innovate," Jeff Gordon said (via Chicago Sun-Times).

The Chicago Street Race debuted in July 2023 as NASCAR's first-ever Cup Series street event. The 2.2‑mile circuit around popular landmarks like Buckingham Fountain and Lake Shore Drive became the most-watched Cup event on NBC in six years, with a peak TV viewership of 5.38 million.

Moreover, about 70 percent of ticket buyers in Chicago were first‑time NASCAR spectators.

"There’s no other circuit that’s going to have [the] backdrop of the city, For our partners, how they entertain and how they bring customers to the event is different, and you can’t duplicate that anywhere else," he added.

The Chicago race returned in July 2024 and saw 53,063 fans over two days and a TV viewership of around 4.8 million. However, according to NASCAR President Steve Phelps, the sanctioning body invested around $50 million to stage the race and the financial returns fell short in tickets and sponsorships last year.

Chicago's races have also had three years of rain interruptions, with fans disappointed by shortened races. Moreover, McDonald's pulled its $2 million annual backing of the race this year.

"It's about giving people the opportunity to come" - Jeff Gordon on first-time NASCAR race attendees

Jeff Gordon, who drove for Hendrick Motorsports during the peak of NASCAR popularity between the 1990s and 2010s, earned four NASCAR Cup Series championships and is ranked third in all-time wins (93).

The vice chairman and part‑owner of Hendrick Motorsports now oversees race competition and marketing strategies.

"I was in Chicago this week, preparing and promoting our race. Eighty percent of the people that came to that race the first year were fans [who had] never been to a NASCAR race, so it's about giving people the opportunity to come and witness it for the first time," Jeff Godon said last month (via Road And Track).

Jeff Gordon stressed that NASCAR needs to connect with younger and more diverse audiences to stay relevant.