NASCAR has reportedly lost one of the major founding sponsors of its Chicago street race. According to Sports Business Journal, McDonald has opted to end its sponsorship with the event prematurely.
McDonald's funded the Chicago street race when NASCAR introduced the event in 2023. The Chicago-based fast food chain, worth $202 billion as of January 2025, initially signed a three-year contract for the event but only fulfilled two years.
For the first two years, the McDonald's branding could be seen on the 2.2-mile track in Grant Park, particularly in the first straight on South Columbus Drive. The company's advertising materials were also posted in areas such as the concert stages and fan entrances.
The details regarding the contract are scarce, though NASCAR reportedly sought around $2 million annually from founding partners.
With the company departing from the event, the remaining founding partners include ABB, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois, and Xfinity.
McDonald's will remain a major sponsor in NASCAR, specifically with the 23XI Racing team. 23XI drivers Tyler Reddick (No. 45) and Bubba Wallace (No. 23) ran McDonald's liveries in multiple races including the 2024 Grant Park 165 (Chicago street race).
The No. 45 Toyota Camry sported a Jujutsu Kaisen-themed paint scheme to celebrate the company's partnership with the anime series.
The NASCAR Cup Series grid will return to the streets of Chicago on July 6. It will be the final time the sport is racing in the Windy City, given no contract renewal is inked.
NASCAR president spoke on future of Chicago street race
With the three-year contract for the Chicago street race set to expire, NASCAR president Steve O'Donnell shared their perspective on the race's future. While O'Donnell didn't confirm a contract renewal, he acknowledged the learnings with the sport's first-ever street race event.
The NASCAR chief 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.”
The first two installments were challenged by several factors such as rain. The weather affected the fan experience and the racing product on the track. Reports say NASCAR spent $50 million on the first race and eventually suffered a loss.
Shane van Gisbergen was crowned the first winner on the streets of Chicago followed by Alex Bowman last year.
If NASCAR doesn't extend the event, the league is reportedly considering street races in other cities, including San Diego.