All Chicago NASCAR fans, it’s time to begin the countdown for the ultimate arrival of the NASCAR Street Race. Gear up and book your spots right beside the start point on July 6th. The newly introduced category has been pulling in huge fans around the world with the professional motorsports photographer Daylon Barr saying, “This is the coolest thing NASCAR has ever done.” 2023 marked a new era where NASCAR raced on the streets of a metropolitan city for the first time, and this moment has been going strong even in 2025.

Now, the NASCAR community is divided on the thought of street racing. For some, it is a move away from traditional roots, while others feel the sport needs to extend its current boundaries to be relevant. This street racing isn’t an exhibition event; it is a points-paying race, and in the era of the win and you’re in, that can shake up the playoffs scenario. And this point is what drives the argument for the core fans, as they wouldn’t like a road course ringer to influence a playoff race. Although NASCAR street racing seems modern, its roots were long sown back in 1985.

Bill France Jr. wanted NASCAR to race on streets

NASCAR had plans to expand beyond the ovals in 1985. The sanctioning body was looking at alternatives that wouldn’t break the bank and allow them to reach the masses. And this is where they decided to move their attention to street racing. Bill France Jr. was the one who advocated for this massive shift and even had the support of veteran NASCAR drivers like Junior Johnson and Richard Petty.

Junior Johnson said,” I think its a heck of a good idea cause we need to have races in the major areas-markets.” Which is true as the western part remains the potential untapped market of NASCAR. The ‘King’ Richard Petty also supported the idea, “This is a concept…I’d say the only concept cause it’s not economically feasible to build superspeedway oval tracks in these areas anymore. I’m very optimistic.” What is more shocking is that NASCAR was willing to make a new car for this configuration that would allow them to race on the road course.

Bill France narrowed down his list to these potential venues: New York, Detroit, Dallas, Long Beach. “Like I said, we are testing the water with it. We’re to the point that we’ll have two cars built and test them.” As it turns out, Dale Earnhardt had the opportunity to test these race cars at the Charlotte Motor Speedway. The Pontiac 2000 Sunbird was the prototype car used for these test runs. And he had detailed feedback on how the race car felt.

“It’s a little front-heavy, the weight’s not quite good as it needs to be on the car. There’s a lot of improvement to be made, and I think get the car on the rule book, so to speak, we’ll have a good race car,” Earnhardt said. But, NASCAR returned with another prototype, the Buick Regal Somerset, and Bobby Allison was the man behind the wheel this time around. The car’s weight was reduced from 3000 lbs to 2600 lbs, and this was evenly distributed across the body.

“We were able to look at some things and make some changes, and the second car I think, was very impressive. It was light and it was fast. It was a big step towards the development of that kind of project if it becomes a reality,” Bobby Allison stated. The big hurdle back then for NASCAR was the financial undertaking to be able to develop that platform. But, now that modern-day NSACAR has the Next-gen car, they do not need a specific machine for a different type of racetrack. This, in turn, has allowed them to race on dirt, ovals, road courses and even the street.

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Where will NASCAR move its street race next?

NASCAR and the city of Chicago are in the third year of their contract, and so far, there’s been no official word if the Cup Series will return to Windy City next year. Jordan Bianchi from Athletic shared a story where he mentioned that NASCAR is planning to race in San Diego and could reveal their plans soon. This could mean the street race will have a new home, and the pull to go back to the Southern California market is indeed big.

The Auto Club Speedway is undergoing transformation, the Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum was a short experiment, but apart from the Sonoma Raceway, NASCAR does have a points race in that lucrative market. Last year, they did try to purchase the Long Beach Grand Prix but were thwarted by Roger Penske. The City of Chicago is trying to retain the NASCAR event with a potential switch in the dates, but the sanctioning body will have the final call.

As things stand, NASCAR can continue with their marquee event or explore new markets in search of new fans. The primary objective behind this event remains the same, and both Chicago and San Diego can help the sport promote its brand and the racing product.