The buzz around the Grant Park 165 is undeniable; with qualifying hours away, teams are ready to lay down their best performance on Chicago’s iconic Street circuit. Buzzing engines and the excitement are reaching a fever pitch. But amidst all the hype, one driver is drawing attention with a warning that’s harder than a city pothole.
While other drivers are soaking in the city skyline and admiring the lakefront, Joey Logano is focused on something far more ominous. A notorious bump. As the track crew fine-tunes the setup and strategically crunches numbers, Logano is setting the tone. This race isn’t just a scenic tour; it’s a high-stakes challenge every lap.
Joey Logano voices out his inhibitions
When it comes to turn 10 on the Grant Park course, Joey Logano is raising red flags, and he is far from the only one. This tight right-hand sneaking downhill from the fountain area is a hydraulic pump that can unsettle cars mid-turn. The Chicago Speedrace combines asphalt patches, concrete joints, and pedestrian path seams, creating a treacherous surface where a jolt isn’t just felt, it is feared.
The 35-year-old couldn’t underplay it. The Team Penske driver revealed his inhibitions in a pre-race interview, saying, “I mean, it’s sketch. You’re kind of booking around the waterfall there, and then you’re switching directions.” This tight chute, sandwiched between towering walls and positioned just below the iconic water fountain, can unsettle cars in a heartbeat. The bump itself lives in that narrow stretch, roughly 2 lanes wide, where braking for Turn 10 follows a downhill run from the previous chicane.
Street courses are unforgiving by nature, but Chicago amped up the challenge with its inconsistent surface. Fresh asphalt, aged concrete, and even repaired sections that meet poorly, thanks to daily truck use and harsh winter freezes for cycles. Specifically, the bump at 10 is located at the lowest point on the track, causing it to retain moisture and dry more slowly than the surrounding segments when it rains.
Joey Logano explains, citing experiences from rain-shortened races that left sections dangerously slick. He said, “You feel like you’re going really fast. You’re really not, right? But it’s such a tight area that you feel like you’re booking it. And the car, again, is bouncing all over the place. That’s another part of the track, too—when it rained, and if it does again—that part of the track doesn’t dry very well. Just kind of being at the bottom of the hill there. It seems like the water kind of puddles up there more and takes longer to dry. I don’t know if the sun doesn’t quite get there as good either.”
The drivers slam through this section at speed, bracing for wheels to bounce unpredictably in a space barely two cars wide. The physics of the bump intensifies the challenge; it can shift a car’s balance mid-corner and throw off the lean needed to hunt apexes and overtakes.
That inconsistent traction keeps drivers guessing each lap. Joey goes on to warn, saying, “Either way, that was the track that stayed the most wet throughout the whole race. So it’s tricky through there for sure, especially when it’s raining, you don’t know what your grip level is every lap, right? And you’re like, is it going to be slicker or is it going to be more grip? And if it catches you off guard, you’re wrecked.”
As per the weather forecasts, Mother Nature will be relentless on Sunday, so the drivers better gear up for this bumpy ride. But as debates go around the third and final year of Chicago, raising questions about its return in 2026, Logano has his own take on it.
Joey Logano clarifies a driver’s role in deciding race venues
As NASCAR debates whether the Chicago Street race will return after this year, drivers have continued to offer constructive feedback, most notably through the newly formed Driver Advisory Council. Joey Logano confirmed that, while he doesn’t weigh in on final location decisions, the council does influence race day execution when new venues appear on the calendar. Speaking on the pre-race interview, he said, “No, I do not get in the middle of that. I think, speaking for myself and maybe some of the Driver Council, we try to help when there’s a new venue or a venue we’ve been to before by offering suggestions we think could make things better.”
Formed in 2022 under the direction of Jeff Burton and including seven drivers such as Logano, Kurt Busch, and Denny Hamlin, the council acts as a liaison between competitors and NASCAR leadership. Logano pointed to the recent NASCAR return to Mexico City as an example of the council’s impact. He credited them with successfully advocating for added tire barriers through the challenging curve section, a move intended to enhance safety and race quality for both drivers and fans. That gesture showed the council’s effectiveness and fine-tuning races, though not and choosing where they take place.
Regarding Chicago, Logano emphasizes that the council will continue providing venue-specific input. He goes on to say, “So whether it’s racing here in Chicago, there can be suggestions on what we can do better. We voice those. And wherever the next one may be—if it’s here again or somewhere else—we’d like to be part of those discussions. We want to offer input on things we’d like to see, both on track and off track, to improve the experience for the drivers, the teams, and the fans.”
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