One of many largest subjects of dialogue this weekend amongst NASCAR drivers, media and race followers is whether or not the Chicago Road Race will return subsequent yr for a fourth straight yr.
The discuss this week has been combined. Drivers like Chase Elliott — if he had been in NASCAR’s sneakers and needed to decide to remain in or depart Chicago — would prioritize persevering with racing at a spot like Nashville Superspeedway versus extending NASCAR’s solely avenue race in Chicago.
After which there’s Denny Hamlin, who in contrast to Elliott, isn’t able to wave goodbye to Chicago. “What I like about it’s, you’re in an enormous metropolis, one of many largest within the U.S.,” Hamlin stated on Saturday throughout media availability.
“You’ve acquired a really racy racetrack and also you’ve acquired a wonderful backdrop. So these are the issues that I feel are essential to constructing a avenue race,” he added.
Hamlin has heard the discuss that Sunday stands out as the final race in Chicago and that locations like San Diego, Philadelphia and probably even Vancouver or Toronto can be the following cease for a multi-year avenue race just like the three-year tenure in Chicago.
“Clearly, anyplace they appear going ahead hopefully has all of the issues that Chicago has introduced,” stated Hamlin, who additionally complimented NASCAR and metropolis officers by saying, “That is definitely a well-designed avenue race.”
However Hamlin isn’t prepared to surrender on the Windy Metropolis but. In reality, you may say he want to double down — not solely by racing alongside the lakefront in downtown Chicago, but additionally by bringing racing again to the NASCAR-owned Chicagoland Speedway (CLS), which is about 50 miles southwest of the town heart and stays in close to race-ready form.
“I’d prefer to see us run each,” Hamlin stated of CLS and the Chicago Road Race. “I personally want to see them do every part they’ll to maintain it right here (in Chicago). I’d prefer to see the town rally behind this race. I might simply let you know that non-racing followers on the resort I’m staying at are speaking in regards to the race. I feel that it’s definitely acquired some kind of financial impression to the town itself.
“We’re definitely exposing some new followers to this. I feel it’s essential. I feel you strive every part you possibly can to get this factor again right here in Chicago, as a result of I imagine it is a crucial place for us.”
Hamlin has heard all of the discuss from his friends and others within the sport that Chicago might be gone from the NASCAR schedule for not less than the close to future after the checkered flag falls Sunday.
“I don’t know the place you go subsequent, not likely certain,” Hamlin stated. However then he proposed what he known as a “wild thought”: a avenue race on an oval structure. Now that may be fascinating.
However there are caveats and hurdles that must be overcome. “All you want is simply flat pavement to make a racetrack,” Hamlin stated. “We run a flat (Busch) Conflict (at Bowman-Grey Stadium, which encircles a school soccer subject), proper? It’s at a flat observe and we sort of make it work.
“There are such a lot of issues to placed on a race so I wouldn’t know. However there’s a number of hospitality and stuff round this observe that you simply want miles to broaden into. I’m unsure the correct place, I simply know that it looks like it really works right here (in Chicago).”
