“A really big deal”: Ryan Blaney swept by the occasion of NASCAR racing on Chicago streets

Ryan Blaney recently spoke about his changed perception of the Chicago Street course race. Last year's race in downtown Chicago was the first race on a street course in NASCAR Cup Series history. And because it was a first-ever event, and NASCAR is predominantly perceived as an oval sport with its roots on short tracks, many drivers had mixed feelings about the fixture.

One of those drivers was Ryan Blaney, who, after his first experience last year where he finished 33rd, had a change of opinion. The defending Cup champion opened up about his experience during a media availability session on Saturday.

Speaking to the media on Saturday, Blaney not only shared his thoughts on how his experience at Chicago was last year but also voiced out his hopes for NASCAR and the city's mutual benefit.

"I was on the skeptical side last year before we came here. I remember Gianna and I were having lunch last year before practice right outside our hotel right by the racetrack. And I’m like, 'This is super cool that we’re having lunch and I’m about to go walk over a block and go practice in a city like this'. Lake Michigan is right behind you’ve got the high-rises right here and it’s weird going down the straightaways kind of the backstretch and the front stretch if you will, just looking at the museums and buildings," Blaney said [at 8:40].

The Team Penske driver, while claiming that he prefers focusing on his racing rather than the off-track aspects, mentioned that it took some time for him to grasp the idea of NASCAR racing in the streets of Chicago and eventually experience and come to appreciate it.

"Once you get here and you get affiliated with everything and understand what’s what’s going on and it’s a big deal. It’s a really big deal that we’re here and hopefully the city enjoys it," Blaney said.

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Ryan Blaney thinks there's room for a street course on NASCAR schedule

While NASCAR is predominantly associated with oval racetracks and short tracks, over the last few years, the sport has bet heavy on road courses. Currently, there are five road courses and one street course on the schedule.

During the same interaction, Ryan Blaney addressed the subject of street courses in NASCAR and claimed he sees a race such as Chicago having a spot of its own on the calendar.

"I don’t know what the future holds for styles like this, but I definitely think there’s an opportunity to continue doing something like this once a year or so," he said [at 9:43].

Blaney revealed that he spoke to his father about the street course racing with Next Gen cars, something he didn't imagine "in his wildest dreams." Having said that, the Iowa winner added that one can never tell what's going to happen in the future or what's on the horizon.

Hence it'll be interesting to see if this year's Chicago Street race turns out to be successful enough to retain its spot on the calendar and potentially make way for more street courses in the future.