At the Grant Park 165, Roger Penske’s #12 driver had his eyes on the unyielding concrete contours ahead. Chicago’s first street race had already made its impact in the world of NASCAR, with Shane van Gisbergen storming to a debut victory in 2023. However, for Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney, the excitement wasn’t about winning a race or hitting the perfect lap, but surviving a course that couldn’t be taken for granted, one that requires a focus that never lets up, precision, and mental stamina like nothing faced on the track in NASCAR.

There is no other race like the one in Chicago. Those bumpy, narrow roads, with no run-off areas, offer no room for error, and a single miscalculation it could come on any turn can end a driver’s day in a heartbeat. Just look at Carson Hocevar last Sunday, who spun himself out on Lap 4 and ended his race along with many others.

Heading into what could be the final street race in Chicago, the excitement in the crowd was palpable, but for drivers, the stakes had never been higher. And for Blaney and his team, Chicago wouldn’t simply be another race; it would be a psychological pressure that would push even the most experienced of competitors to the brink. However, Roger Penske’s ace still managed to enjoy it!

Roger Penske’s #12 opens up about the Chicago race

2023 Cup Series Champion Ryan Blaney, a key figure in Roger Penske’s NASCAR lineup, has never shied away from the challenges of the sport. But when it comes to the Chicago street race, his candor reveals just how taxing the event can be on a driver’s mind. “I enjoy the challenge of it. I mean, it’s tough. I think Chicago is the toughest road course we go to, just because… You know, the roads are rough. Everything’s super rough. Trying to figure out the bumps, and it’s so narrow. Like, there’s nowhere to bail,” Blaney’s assessment is grounded in the very nature of the Chicago circuit.

Instead of a purpose-built racing surface like Watkins Glen or Sonoma, Chicago is a street surface. The uneven pavement makes the car setup a bad dream and leaves drivers having to adjust on the fly, lap after lap. There’s no room for error with the tight nature of the track and replacing the usual run-off zones with tire barriers at various points. There are no grassy runoffs or gravel traps to slow a driver down if they overshoot a corner, only a wall.

Blaney explained the constant demand for technical perfection: “You have to run that place so technically correct… very precise… and trying to carry speed… and these tight little sections, so it’s really mentally challenging for me, just being ultra-focused. But I enjoy it.” The lack of escape routes and the ever-present threat of disaster mean that even a momentary lapse in concentration can have severe consequences. “There’s just no room for error,” Blaney emphasized.

Ryan Blaney also admittedly isn’t the most adept road racer. His last road course win was back in 2018 at the Charlotte Roval, and he has just 6 top-20 finishes in 20 road course races in the Next-Gen era. However, with a career road course average of 15.0, the Team Penske star still manages to put on a show, which is why he confessed to enjoying the excitement that Chicago brings to the schedule despite rumors of its exit.

Roger Penske‘s ace also acknowledged the swirling rumors about the race’s future, stating, “We’ll see what happens next year. I know there’s all the rumor mill going around, but I think they did a great job. I really enjoyed it, and it was nice that there was a dry race for the fans to go out to.” The streets of Chicago were drenched in rain for the last two iterations, with Alex Bowman winning the rain-shortened race in 2024, but 2025 provided its first-ever dry race. However, it could be its last one.

The swirl of speculation over potential changes, be they to the format of the event, the location, or even the time of year the race is, is creating yet another layer of mental stress for drivers and teams trying to map out a way forward. San Diego has been touted as one of the prospective locations by Jordan Bianchi, but official confirmation is yet to be delivered by NASCAR.

Other drivers have also echoed the mental demands

Ryan Blaney’s reflections are echoed by other drivers who have experienced the Chicago street circuit’s punishing layout. His teammate, Austin Cindric, who finished sixth in the 2023 race, highlighted the physical and mental demands brought on by the weather and the street course: “The entire No. 2 team started the day with very wet shoes and socks. I know everyone was kind of in that same boat, but these guys have been working their tails off since I hit the same wall twice yesterday… We kept it off the wall and were able to have some speed at the end of the race to really contend inside the top 10 and really earn a good finish.”

7-time Series Champion and NASCAR legend Richard Petty offered a contrasting perspective, expressing his reservations about street racing: “They need to go somewhere else or just forget about (street racing)… Street racing is not road racing. It’s a completely different deal… It’s like running in a tunnel. You feel like you’re handicapped, you can’t go anywhere. There’s no escape.”

Petty’s comments are rooted in decades of experience on both traditional ovals and purpose-built road courses. His analogy of “running in a tunnel” is particularly apt for Chicago, where concrete barriers line both sides of the track with trees often obscuring the spotter’s vision as well, offering drivers almost no margin for error.

Noah Gragson, reflecting on his own experience in 2023, said: “Today was kind of crazy… the course was so different than yesterday… It was definitely a learning experience for sure. We had good speed in qualifying and had an incident early on. Lost two laps and then got them both back, so we battled a bit… Overall, a fun weekend, just wanted a better result.”

These perspectives reinforce the mental and physical toll the Chicago street race exacts on drivers. The combination of unpredictable weather, narrow city streets, and relentless pressure to avoid mistakes pushes even the most seasoned competitors to their limits. For many, simply surviving the event is a victory in itself. What do you think of the Chicago Street Race? Let us know in the comments!