May 23, 2026; Concord, North Carolina, USA; team owner Joe Gibbs talks about recently deceased driver Kyle BuschÕ career with Joe Gibbs racing before qualifying at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images
May 23, 2026; Concord, North Carolina, USA; team owner Joe Gibbs talks about recently deceased driver Kyle BuschÕ career with Joe Gibbs racing before qualifying at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images
The 2026 calendar showed Chicagoland returning for the first time since 2019, while the Chicago Street Course missed out. With Chase Briscoe winning as part of a JGR 1-2-3 finish, media asked JGR owner Joe Gibbs which track he thought would return for NASCAR 2027.
Gibbs pointed out that there were a lot of sponsors who enjoy coming and partnering for races in Chicago. He pointed to why they even returned to Chicagoland after 7 years.
“I think the reason we came back it’s a huge deal, and everybody recognizes that. I also hear we’re talking about the street races. So we’ll see what happens. It’s out of my hands, that’s for sure,” Gibbs said.
Jul 5, 2026; Joliet, Illinois, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Chase Briscoe (19) during the eero 400 at Chicagoland Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Mike Dinovo-Imagn Images
Jul 5, 2026; Joliet, Illinois, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Chase Briscoe (19) during the eero 400 at Chicagoland Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Mike Dinovo-Imagn Images
In the press conference video uploaded on YouTube by Cup Scene, Gibbs was asked if he himself would like to return to Chicagoland next year.
“I can’t imagine that we wouldn’t. I think there’s been a lot put into this, and I think just this part of America [Chicago] is huge for our sport," The JGR owner replied. “I enjoyed the street race. I’m sure the powers that be are looking at all this; we may do both, who knows?”
Gibbs remained diplomatic in his answer. But the speculations don't seem to be losing steam anytime soon, and for good reason.
NASCAR CEO’s cryptic message about 2027 Chicago race
The speculations about the return of Chicago's street race aren’t baseless. The sponsors were the ones who gained the most out of the three years that NASCAR ran on the Chicago Street Circuit. With great visibility in the heart of the city, this circuit works best for them.
But when you look at it from a fan and racing perspective, Chicagoland hosted an almost sell-out crowd this weekend, per NASCAR CEO Steve O’Donnell. Journalist Adam Stern shared a quote by O’Donnell on X that has only added fuel to the speculations.
“Looking at a potential sellout on Sunday, which is fantastic, so that market remains very important to us, be it a street race or on the oval [in 2027],” O’Donnell said ahead of the Sunday race.
The quote only gives off one clue, which is that, for now, it’s an either-or situation for NASCAR with limited possibilities of having both Chicago races on the same calendar.
Which Chicago race do you find more entertaining? Let us know.
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Written by
Debrup Chaudhuri
Edited by
Arundhoti Palit