The Chicago Street Race is entering the final year of its deal, and fans and drivers are dropping verdicts on a potential return. Denny Hamlin, the pole sitter at the inaugural event in 2023, said recently, “I mean, I personally would like to see them do everything they can to keep it here. I’d like to see the City rally behind this race.” While Hamlin is not the greatest road course racer, he understands the value that a street race brings to NASCAR. However, some drivers want a move back to Chicagoland.
The 1.5-mile oval was a staple in the NASCAR Cup Series in the 2000s until it was removed from the schedule in 2019 and eventually replaced by the Chicago Street Race in 2023. Now, ahead of the third rendition of the event, sophomore Spire Motorsports driver Carson Hocevar has shared his views on the street circuit, whether Chicagoland Speedway should return, and the future of street courses in NASCAR.
Carson Hocevar’s push for Chicagoland’s return
For those unaware, Carson Hocevar recently got some unrestricted access to Chicagoland Speedway to take some photos for his fans on Twitch. The 22-year-old posted the pictures on his X account, and fans started speculating about the track’s return to NASCAR. Ahead of the Chicago Street Race, Hocevar was asked whether he would personally like to see the track back in NASCAR.
The Spire Motorsports #77 told Frontstretch, “Yeah, for sure I’d wanna race there. It kinda fits that old Atlanta grip level. You know, it already had a lot less grip, and now it’s probably aged, you know, it’s been six years or whatever. It’s probably aged fifteen, twenty, almost, just sitting there… Hopefully, you know, maybe in the future that track will come back. But it’s cool to see. It’s always neat.” However, while his anticipation for a return to Chicagoland was high, Carson Hocevar isn’t too thrilled to return to a street race in Chicago.
Hocevar added, “We have a lot of road courses… So, for my racing, it works well that this race exists, even though I’m not the fastest. But I would love to have Chicagoland back because I think we could have a lot better shot showing up to a Chicago area race and winning versus this one. But, yeah, I think this event is super cool. So, the biggest thing for me is… I want to see a street race still on the schedule. But I think one is enough.” Street races take a lot of money and effort to put up. The Chicago event reportedly costs around $50 million to host, and it is still marred with issues from spotter’s visibility to persistent rain in the area.
“I would love to have Chicagoland back because I think we could have a lot better shot showing up to a Chicago area race and winning versus (the Chicago street course)”
–@CarsonHocevar talks about his recent visit to Chicagoland. #NASCAR
Presenting Partner: @MyPlaceHotels pic.twitter.com/zIdHb4iyx5
— Frontstretch (@Frontstretch) July 5, 2025
Another reason for Hocevar’s preference toward Chicagoland is that he is admittedly not the greatest road racer, still coming to grips with the Next-Gen car’s behavior on tracks that are not high-speed ovals. His last race at the street circuit in 2024 saw him finish 24th after starting 13th; not bad for a rookie, but a mediocre performance nonetheless. However, Chicagoland’s similarities to Atlanta work perfectly for Hocevar, who recorded his career-best Cup finish at EchoPark Speedway back in February with a runner-up finish.
Chicagoland’s worn surface and conventional layout might just produce better racing than the street course design, especially for the current Cup Series package, which relies heavily on tire wear and dirty air to create passing zones. And Hocevar is not the only one pushing for Chicagoland’s return.
The broader impact on Chicago’s racing scene
Hocevar’s campaign to help revive Chicagoland is part of a broader discussion about what NASCAR looks like in Chicago. The city’s motorsports landscape stands at an inflection point: the street race has added energy to the scene and exposed it to new audiences, but questions have swirled around its long-term viability and appeal. Some fans love the novelty and the spectacle of racing through city streets, while others, like Hocevar, long for the stability and tradition of a dedicated oval track.
Hocevar is not alone in his sentiment. Other drivers have voiced similar support for a return to Chicagoland Speedway. Ryan Blaney, the 2023 Cup Series champion, has been vocal about his desire to see the Joliet oval return. As shared by NASCAR insider Jeff Gluck, Blaney said: “I’d like to see it come back, because I think it’d be a great racetrack. It always was”
The very design of Chicagoland Speedway has been a talking point in the debate. At one time, a thriving venue that hosted NASCAR and IndyCar events, the track today is struggling to define its future. Factors such as local developments and infrastructure modifications have only deepened the unknown, but interest from drivers and the public offers optimism of a return. Investment and renovation are in the air, and for some fans, a reinvented Chicagoland could be the anchor that would fix NASCAR’s mapping in the Midwest for years to come.
As racing considers options, Carson Hocevar’s viewpoint is a cool passageway between then and now. His accessibility toward fans, his return visits to venues from years past, and his willingness to express opinions more freely are illustrative of a larger change in how drivers are crafting the narrative for racing’s future. Hocevar has made sure the debate about Chicago’s place in NASCAR stayed alive and has deep ties to NASCAR’s roots. What do you think of Chicagoland returning in place of the Chicago Street Race? Let us know in the comments!
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