NASCAR will officially not return to the City of Chicago for a fourth installment of the Chicago Street Race in 2026, NASCAR confirmed in a statement shared by the NASCAR Chicago Street Race official social media channels.
In the statement, NASCAR thanked all that helped make the event such a success over the three years, and that there is hope that NASCAR can return to the Streets of Chicago in 2027.
”Thank you for all that you have done to make the Chicago Street Race one of the most iconic events in global sports,” the statement began. “Following the success of the first three years, the Chicago Street Race will hit pause in 2026 to afford us the time necessary to work collaboratively with the City of Chicago to explore a new potential date and develop a plan that further optimizes operational efficiencies, with a goal to return to the streets of Chicago in 2027.”
The statement continued, “Together, we have built and grown an expanded community of fans that consists of longtime NASCAR enthusiasts and first-time racegoers from around the globe, and for that, we are immensely grateful. Thank you for your continued support – we look forward to seeing you at the races.”
— NASCAR Chicago Street Race (@NASCARChicago) July 18, 2025
This announcement comes on the heels of a Thursday report from Racer.com that stated a deal had been reached for NASCAR to race on the streets of San Diego in 2026. According to the Racer report, an announcement on the 2026 San Diego street race could come as early as next week.
There have been rumors swirling for months that NASCAR could be nearing a return to Chicagoland Speedway in 2026 in order to tap into the Chicago, IL market while it awaits overcoming the obstacles needed to return to the streets of Chicago potentially as early as the 2027 season.
