Defending NASCAR’s strategy of taking the sport to new markets, Joey Logano pushed back against the idea of adding multiple races in the same region, weighing in on speculation surrounding the future of the Chicago Street course.

Speaking to Frontstretch, Logano argued that the series should continue prioritising geographic variety instead of doubling up on destinations.

“Our sport's always done a good job at doing different things, and never just having the same type of tracks, right? Never been just ovals. Big ones, small ones, road courses. Back then, there was dirt, right? Like all that stuff. 

"That's what makes NASCAR better than every other form of sports, because you do different things all the time. I like that part of it. Where do we end up? Your guess is as good as mine at this point because it seems like we won't try anything.” 

The Chicago street course has been subject to speculation in recent times, with reports suggesting its long-term future remains uncertain. Recently, Dale Jr pointed out on his Bless Your ‘Hardt episode that he heard 2027 could have both Chicagoland and Chicago Street Race in the schedule.

While the street course is relatively new, Chicagoland has been in NASCAR since 2001 but has come back after a gap of seven years. Attendance has become one of its talking points, with some wondering whether a strong crowd could help strengthen the event’s case for remaining on the schedule.

Logano acknowledged that healthy attendance is important, but also said it can be difficult to judge whether interest is driven by the event’s novelty or by fans appreciating it after nearly losing it. 

He then also stated a preference for expanding reach rather than revisiting the same venues, and concluded by expressing the belief that taking the Cup Series to different regions allows more supporters to experience races in-person without facing steep travel costs.

However, it seems like NASCAR has come close to a decision. 

Steve O’Donnell on Chicago’s future in NASCAR schedule

NASCAR CEO Steve O'Donnell said Chicago continues to be an important market and indicated that NASCAR is weighing both the downtown street course and the oval as options for 2027, based on what he told noted journalist Adam Stern, as reported by Sportsnaut.com. 

According to Sportsnaut, although there had been speculation that both events could coexist, the most likely expectation is that only one Cup race will be held in the Chicago market in the 2027 season. 

The report also noted that NASCAR has historically seen attendance split when two points-paying races are staged in the same metropolitan area, making a single marquee event the more likely scenario.

Additionally, the report also highlighted Denny Hamlin’s comments from the Actions Detrimental podcast, where he said that a street course is part of the contract with Amazon Prime.

Read more at Daytona Racing Digest 

Written by

Aaradhya Singh

Edited by

Suyashdeep Sason