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What the L Is NASCAR Doing on Chicago Streets?
NASCAR takes a break from turning left with a road race in the Windy City on Sunday when the 2023 Grant Park 220 goes live. It’s a historic event and the first race of its kind for NASCAR.
While NASCAR has raced on street courses before, they don’t actually occur on the street but on a racetrack. Therefore, when the green flag drops at 7 pm on Sunday, NASCAR will be racing on an actual road for the first time in its 75-year history.
The start-finish line is on South Columbus Drive, directly adjacent to the historical Buckingham Fountain in Chicago’s Grant Park. The area surrounding Grant Park will transform into a 12-turn, 2.14-mile road course, including stretches on notable Chicago streaks like Michigan Ave. and Lake Shore Drive.
Not only is this the first time NASCAR takes to the streets of a major city in the United States, but it’s also the first time a race is taking place in Chicago since the Camping World 400 in 2019.
How fast will drivers go during next Sunday’s Grant Park 220, aka the Chicago Street Race?
“We’re going to see 150, 160 miles an hour,” NASCAR Hall of Famer Ray Evernham estimated. https://t.co/f8ZIDl23nA
— Chicago Sun-Times (@Suntimes) June 26, 2023
The move to the streets is an intelligent strategy by NASCAR to try and capture new fans, specifically those who watch Formula 1. A lot of F1 racing occurs globally on public roads, with Grand Prix events from Monaco to Mexico.
NASCAR is working hard to garner international interest and even fielded a car in the 100th running of Le Mans, the historic 24-hour road race in northwestern France. The event has traditionally been dominated by European cars, but a NASCAR-style Camaro made headlines as a participant this year.
As a member of the experimental class, the Camaro ZL1 was ineligible to win., But, with a grunt from his old-school V8, it quickly became a fan favorite. The car was also a significant success, and the team finished the 24-hour endurance race.
At several points during the race, the NASCAR test mule outran cars in the GT Class and would have placed high had it not been for a one-hour trip to the pits due to a transmission failure.
Betting on the Grant Park 220
The current NASCAR odds have as a +575 moneyline favorite to win the Grant Park 220. Other contenders, according to BetUS Sportsbook, are Martin Truex Jr (+650), Tyler Reddick (+650), and Kyle Larson (+675).
This being a truly unique race, it’s hard to say whether the value lies in the NASCAR betting favorites or further down the board with a guy like Denny Hamlin (+2200).
You can also wager on the winner of one of the four groups competing on Sunday. Truex is favored to win Group A at +250, Ross Chastain is +225 in Group B, Michael McDowell and Chris Buescher are tied at +250 to win Group C, and Joey Logano and Kevin Harvick are tied at +250 to beat the rest of Group D.
Bet on NASCAR Grant Park 220 Groups
If you prefer wagering on your favorite manufacturer, Chevrolet is -110 to win, Toyota is +185, and Ford is +350 to carry the winning driver to victory.
Bet on NASCAR Grant Park 220: Winning Manufacturer
