Chicago City Wire

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson says he hasn't decided whether the city will welcome NASCAR back for a return engagement in 2024 after much of downtown was transformed into a racetrack over the July 4 weekend.

“Like everything I inherited, I’m a teacher, I will assess and grade it," Johnson told WTTW, promising an “open process where other folks get a chance to weigh in.”

The inaugural NASCAR Chicago Street Race largely came off without incident July 1 and 2, despite drenching rainfall that caused flooding citywide and made the makeshift course more challenging for drivers to maneuver. The city reported that one arrest was made when a man broke through a barrier and attempted to steer the course.

Former Mayor Lori Lightfoot initially signed a contract with NASCAR to host the street race for three years, without input from the city council, WTTW reported. Only after Johnson took office did Park District leaders, who were appointed by Johnson, have the chance to weigh in or discuss the deal with NASCAR. The city can still move to terminate the rest of the contract without penalty if it chooses to do so by the end of the year, the story stated.

Should the city move forward with the race in 2024, NASCAR will be obligated to pay the city a $550,000 permit fee, up from $500,000 this year, according to the contract. The stock-car governing body will also have to pay the Chicago Park District a $2 fee per admission ticket and a 15% commission on food, beverage and merchandise sales at the event, the story stated.

After Lightfoot signed the deal, the city faced criticism from residents who were angry that the race forced the Taste of Chicago to be postponed until Labor Day weekend and forced the closure of several streets downtown during an extended holiday weekend, WTTW reported.