Illinois Government Spent Multi-Million Dollars to Sponsor NASCAR Races, Claim Budget Documents

Since June, NASCAR has hinted at axing a race schedule. The Chicago Street Race, held since 2023, will not return for the 2026 Cup Series season due to financial concerns. The ominous warnings prompted Chicago to invest $5 million, harnessed from the state fund, in the 2025 iteration. Sadly, even this did not change the stock car racing body’s stance for next year. Yet that did not demotivate the state of Illinois in its NASCAR affiliation.

The next race on the NASCAR Cup Series playoff schedule is the Enjoy Illinois 300. Many prominent drivers are on top of the prediction models for this event, like Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney. While the racers shine on the racetrack, the state’s funds help make the event a success, according to a recently released financial report.

All hands on deck for NASCAR 

Even though Chicago’s fate did not last, Illinois has left no stone unturned to retain NASCAR. The upcoming race at World Wide Technology Raceway provides ample evidence of that, and it is only one of four races scheduled in Illinois this year. Enjoy Illinois, the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity’s tourism marketing campaign, has been the title sponsor of the race since NASCAR returned to the Metro East track in 2022. And since that date, the sport has enjoyed many financial benefits. The Chicago Street Race had a turnover of $128 million in 2024, but even after the exclusion of the event, NASCAR has lucrative opportunities in the same state.

According to state records obtained by Capitol News Illinois, the state has spent nearly $7 million hosting or sponsoring NASCAR since 2022. That includes $2.2 million spent to sponsor the Metro East NASCAR race, including $795,000 for this year’s event. DCEO spokesperson Jordan Troy said in an email, “The event generates significant economic impact through attendee spending on hotels, restaurants, retail, and at other local businesses. With the race now part of the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs, the national exposure has grown even more in turn amplifying our brand visibility to attract new and returning visitors to explore all that Illinois has to offer.”

Illinois’s fiscal year 2026 budget re-appropriates $7 million in grant funding that went unspent in a previous fiscal year. It also gives DCEO authority to grant another $5 million to NASCAR for “operating expenses.” Besides returning to Gateway for 2026, NASCAR will also return to Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet next July for the first time since 2019. Enjoy Illinois was the title sponsor of the NASCAR Truck Series’ 2013 race at Chicagoland Speedway.

Although the Chicago Street Course did not last, state records show NASCAR received a $2 million grant from DCEO in 2023 to build and tear down the track. It also got another $2.5 million for the 2024 race. According to DCEO, NASCAR did not receive state funding for the 2025 iteration of the Chicago race, won by Shane van Gisbergen.

Despite NASCAR’s problems with the Chicago event, the economic impact on the city is heavily visible.

Elevating tourism and visibility

The Chicago Street Race received a lot of criticism. With traffic routes diverted and whole sections of the city cordoned off, the residents found it difficult to adjust to NASCAR’s schedule. This, coupled with the sport’s financial concerns, ended up removing the event. At the same time, however, there has been a positive return on investment from Illinois’ other races. The Enjoy Illinois 300 has sold out each year since it returned in 2022. It generated $60 million of economic activity for the Metro East region, according to DECO. Last year, 2.5 million people watched the race on TV. What is more, even the Chicago Street Race jumped from $109 million in 2023 to $124 million in 2024 in terms of economic impact.

The September 7 race has several provisions designed to promote tourism in Illinois. This includes three 30-second advertisements during the TV broadcast on the USA Network, a live interview with an Enjoy Illinois executive on the Motor Racing Network radio broadcast, and nine promotional mentions on partner radio stations leading up to the race. Jordan Troy said, “National cable partnerships like this offer high-impact visibility. Requiring brand mentions and signage ensures that our tourism message reaches millions of potential travelers in a compelling way.”

Clearly, Illinois is not backing down in its efforts for NASCAR. With the Enjoy Illinois 300 looming on the horizon, we cannot wait to see the all-around results.