NASCAR COO Steve O’Donnell clear about “seeing where things are” before confirming Chicago Street race’s return

NASCAR has shed light on the future of the Chicago street race with the three-year deal with the city set to expire. The league's chief operating officer, Steve O'Donnell, didn't confirm a renewal but said NASCAR would continue to "see where things are."

The Chicago street race debuted on the NASCAR calendar in 2023, marking the sport's first street race. However, the league reportedly doesn't make a profit from the race, though on the other hand it is seen by some as a stepping stone for potentially expanding street races in the future.

In a report published this week in the Sports Business Journal, NASCAR is focused on making the third race on the streets of Chicago as successful as possible. The executives will then assess whether to add the race to the following seasons.

O'Donnell said (via on3.com),

“For us, we’re just looking at 2025. It’ll be the third year of a three-year run and each year we’ve wanted to build upon the momentum that we have. We’ve learned things each and every year, it’s our first street race, a lot of learnings came from that."

He added:

A lot of weather challenges as well. ... We’ve made some tweaks to the event format and continuing to evolve that as well, so we’ll get through the event, see where things are, but concentrating on 2025 and making that event as successful as it can be.”

Alex Bowman is the most recent Chicago street race winner - Source: Imagn

NASCAR reportedly spent $50 million on the first Chicago street race and made a loss on the race. Rain has also affected the race weekend in both the previous editions, posing challenges to the race product and the spectators on the track.

However, the league is still interested in arranging street races in the future, with the France family reportedly showing a willingness to invest. San Diego is reportedly among the frontrunners to hold a street race.

For now, the NASCAR Cup Series drivers will return to the streets of Chicago for the Grant Park 165 on July 6. The winner of the 2023 edition, Shane van Gisbergen, will enter the race as a full-time rookie under Trackhouse Racing.

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Supercars champion hopes to enter NASCAR's Chicago street race

Following Shane van Gisbergen's success on road courses/street races, another Supercars champion aims to make a name in NASCAR. Will Brown plans to return on a part-time basis next year, with the Grant Park 165 as one of the targeted races.

Per the Supercars' Drivers' Only podcast, the 2024 Supercars champion said:

“Hopefully two NASCAR races. That’s the plan [...] I’ll say one, but hopefully two if the car’s available."

Brown then showed interest in entering the Chicago street race, where fellow Supercars champ SVG won in 2023.

“Chicago is one I want to do but a lot of the guys over there want to do it, so it’s [a matter of] if a car is available, a team is available."

Will Brown debuted in NASCAR in the No. 33 Chevy - Source: Imagn

The Australian driver could return to the 2025 season with Richard Childress Racing, the team he drove for on his NASCAR debut. However, he also considered joining the Xfinity Series as a plan B.