(Photo: Kevin Bowman | The Podium Finish)
CHICAGO — Going into the Chicago Street Course weekend, drivers and fans alike had pessimissism about what the on-track product would look like, saying that the track would be too narrow.
But even before getting on track for practice, Chase Elliott’s perception changed.
“I’m pleasantly surprised with just the lay of how everything is operating,” Elliott, the driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports, said. “Super impressed with all the logistics and things that go into this stuff. So props to NASCAR and all the people that put this place together – built the walls, built the fences and have done all the work over these last handful of weeks because a lot went into it. We’re all just kind of showing up here this weekend, but there’s a lot of work down there.”
NASCAR will make history on Sunday afternoon when the green flag drops for the Grant Park 220, the first street race in Cup Series history. The 2.2-mile, 12-turn circuit features several 90-degree corners, high speed straightaways and a set of low-speed, technical corners running through the third largest city in the United States.
It’s not the first time NASCAR is racing on a “temporary” racetrack, either. The Cup Series has raced inside the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in each of the last two seasons for the Busch Light Clash, a February exhibition.
This, however, is a points-paying race in the heart of the 2023 season, just nine races before the start of the Playoffs. A shift to more road courses and an overall diverse schedule is something that excites Elliott, who grew up in an era watching his father when the schedule stayed relatively the same each year.
“I think a lot should be said for that because for many years, nothing was really changing and it was working to a pretty large degree there for a long time,” Elliott said. “I feel like more has changed in the last five or six years, or at least in my time that I’ve been here, than it probably changed in the prior 15 or 20 years. I think it is a good thing, just from the standpoint that they’re willing to try new things.
“I think the [Los Angeles] Coliseum was a good thing to go try. I think it’s probably run its course, in my opinion. But I look at this event and I think this type of thing really has a lot of potential because as I’ve said, in my opinion, you’re not going to get inside city limits, aside from the Fairgrounds, ever again with the actual facility. So if you’re going to come to a city and race, this is going to have to be how it happens.”
(Photo: Maddie Skidan | The Podium Finish)
Elliott, who sits 25th in driver’s points, faces a must win situation after missing seven races this season due to injury and suspension. He fractured his tibia in a snowboarding accident before the Las Vegas Motor Speedway weekend and missed six races. Elliott later got suspended a week for intentionally crashing Denny Hamlin in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
The 27-year-old from Dawsonville, Georgia is certainly no stranger to left and right hand turns. Seven of Elliott’s 18 victories in the Cup Series have come on road courses, including two apiece at Watkins Glen International and the Charlotte ROVAL.
Sunday’s race could be an opportunity for Elliott to win and lock in, but he’ll have to perfect the difficult circuit.
“The track content, to me, is really high in some areas and it’s really smooth in other areas,” Elliott said. “So finding that balance I think is going to be really important. It’s obviously narrow in sections. I think that’s going to be a hot topic of things to talk about. I do think it’s going to be difficult to pass once everybody gets up to pace come race time, but I hope that we’re able to mix it up and do different things.”
Elliott qualified 26th, but crashed his car later in the session and went to a backup. He’ll start from the rear.
Sunday’s Grant Park 220 is set for 5 p.m. ET on NBC, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. Denny Hamlin is the polesitter.
