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USA Today via Reuters

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USA Today via Reuters

Worrying opinions regarding the Chicago Street Course are abundant throughout the NASCAR world. Fearful of the street circuit’s unforgiving layout, NASCAR has been slammed for its street circuit path by drivers and crew chiefs alike. With little to no runoff areas, narrow corners, and bumpy manhole-ridden surfaces, the Chicago Street Course is anxiety-inducing to even veteran NASCAR drivers. 

Terrell Owens holding Dude Wipes XL

Joining in on the concerns relating to the Chicago Street Course, returning F1 champion, Jenson Button has made a scary speculation.

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Jenson Button concerned about track conditions in Chicago 

Former F1 world champion and Jimmie Johnson’s teammate at the Le Mans 24 Hours race, Jenson Button competes part-time in the NASCAR Cup Series. Driving the #15 Mustang for Rick Ware Racing, Button will be joining the Grant Park 220 for his second Cup Series race of the 2023 season. Appearing for a pre-race chat with media personnel in Chicago, the 2009 F1 world champion shared his thoughts on racing at the street course.

Having raced at street courses in Monaco and Singapore earlier, this will be Button’s first street circuit race in a stock car. Although excited about the upcoming race, Button was concerned as the weather forecast for the weekend speculated rain and thunderstorms. During the course of the pre-race presser in Chicago, Jenson Button was asked if the track would change differently under wet conditions and will adjustments be the same if there is rain.

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Replying to the question, Button said, “Everything gets more difficult when it rains – on any track, but especially a street course. One: Because, I don’t know the last time it rained here, and the oils from a road car which will be on the track. You won’t really have an issue with it in the dry, but as soon as it rains, it becomes slick.”

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Further adding to the already growing concerns, Button felt rain could spell doom for drivers at the street circuit. “Racing in the wet… it’ll be nuts. It’ll be pretty crazy. Totally up for it. Most of the guys wouldn’t have driven on street courses, and most of the guys wouldn’t have raced in the wet. So, it’s going to be mayhem out there – but in a good and positive way. A little bit nuts… Like a sprinkling of nuts, whereas in the wet, it’s going to be a shower of nuts”, said Jenson Button.

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Watch This Story: NASCAR’s $113 Million Worth Chicago Ambition Strongly Snubbed By F1’s Transcending Impact

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As Jenson Button’s concerns come to light, there seems to be a lot in common the former F1 champ shares with Kyle Busch regarding the Chicago circuit’s slippery conditions.

“Rough, bumpy, slippery”: Kyle Busch speaks on the Chicago Street Course

Earlier, NASCAR veteran Kyle Busch had voiced his concerns regarding the challenging track surface. Busch had earlier experienced the Chicago racetrack on NASCAR’s iRacing platform. Displeased with the track conditions, the Richard Childress Racing driver dissected the flaws of the Chicago Street Course.

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“It’s really rough. It’s bumpy. It’s slippery…around the Bean on the left-hander, that’s really, really slippery and there’s a huge bump going through (turn) nine before you get into (turn) 10. The wall in (turn) eight before you go around the left-hander is, to me, really narrow over there”, said Busch.

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Be it concerning or controversial, NASCAR’s foray into its maiden street course will surely be a historic spectacle.

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Read More: Joey Logano Gets Real on His Chances of Winning at Chicago

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Naman Neeraj

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Naman Neeraj is a NASCAR Author at EssentiallySports. This Motorsports buff has completed his undergrad in English Literature and has now set out to make a name for himself in the journalism field. Although he is new to the scene, he has been following motorsports for over a decade. Apart from NASCAR, he also gravitates towards other motorsports, like Formula 1 and MotoGP. Being an avid fan of Chase Elliott and Hendrick Motorsports, he believes the #9 driver has a lot more to achieve in his career, including multiple championships. When he is not cheering for NASCAR's most popular driver or when he is not busy penning down his thoughts about the stock car racing series, he can be found sketching and exploring the lure of the open roads with his motorcycle.

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Nischal Kandpal

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