NASCAR insider discloses ‘growing sense’ of Chicago race suffering the same fate as the LA Clash

With 28 weeks to go in the 2025 season, rumors have surfaced that NASCAR might take Chicago’s annual Grant Park event elsewhere. Recently, veteran journalist Jordan Bianchi (The Athletic) addressed the matter, drawing parallels between the street course event and NASCAR’s season-opening Clash.

After three years at the Los Angeles Coliseum, the sport ran its fan-favorite Cook Out Clash at the historic Bowman Gray Stadium in 2025, marking the return of the Cup Series to the historic track for the first time since 1971. Per Jordan Bianchi, this was done to tackle diminishing returns.

Bianchi suggested that the same could happen with the iconic street event, with its first Cup race run in July 2023.

“NASCAR’s three-year contract with Chicago to race downtown expires at the end of the current season, with the deal containing options that could see the partnership continue past 2025,” explained Bianchi. “It’s not clear whether NASCAR will return next year, but there is a growing sense in the garage that it may be time to conclude the partnership.”

Three-time Bathurst 100 winner and former Supercars sensation, Shane van Gisbergen, won the first-ever points-paying race at the Chicago Street Course. Hendrick Motorsports icon Alex Bowman won it the following year, and so, he remains the defending champion of the event.

This year, the race has been scheduled for Sunday, July 6. The exciting 75-lap feature will stream on TNT Sports, while MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio will provide live radio coverage on the same.

---

Truck Series driver Daniel Hemric eyes “bonus money” as NASCAR prepares for its Rockingham return

For the first time since 2013, the NASCAR Truck Series will return to Rockingham Speedway this coming Friday, April 18. Named Black’s Tire 200, the 200-lap race will be televised on Fox Sports 1 from 5 pm ET onwards.

Like several others, Daniel Hemric, driver of the No. 19 NAPA Auto Care Chevy, will also compete in the event. But for the 34-year-old native of Kannapolis, the stakes are higher. Hemric earned a whopping $50,000 by winning two weeks back at Martinsville Speedway. A week later, he finished 13th at Bristol.

Now, Hemric has the chance to bag whatever remains of the “Triple Truck Challenge” bonus. Speaking of which, during a press release, the speedster said (via Speedway Digest),

"This will be an interesting weekend since not many of us have ever raced at Rockingham.“

“Hopefully we'll be able to move around a little bit, work different lanes, and be able to put our NAPA Chevy up front at the end. We'd love to take home the rest of that bonus money,” he added.

If Hemric wins, he will receive a cash prize of $100,000 and take home his second win of the 2025 season. As of today, he sits fifth in the championship standings with 205 points to his name.