I spent a few minutes pre-race on Sunday talking to NASCAR fans about the second edition of the Chicago Street Race. I asked if they were enjoying themselves, if the race was better than the first edition, and what, if anything, NASCAR could change.
Two gentlemen, Dave and Ben, were happy that it was dry — I didn't have a chance to reconnect with them once the rain came.
Meanwhile, Chicago ex-pats Joe and Carmela, who now live in Tampa, said that except for the entrance gates, almost everything was improved from the first year. Carmela said the race needed to be more accessible because it was “ridiculous” to have to walk so far.
Zachary Brown, from the Chicago suburb of Antioch, said “it was the best NASCAR race he'd been to”. This was before the green flag dropped.
His friend John, who said he'd been to 47 races, added he'd “never seen [anything] like this”. Brown, John, and another friend of theirs loved how the skyline framed the racetrack's background.
The only thing these guys didn't like? The NASCAR EV prototype.
I can't quote them directly here based on the expletives they used when asked about it.
Obviously this is only a small sample of fans, and anyone who buys a ticket is more likely to think favorably about the race than not, but despite the rains once again causing a shortened race, it seems that NASCAR fans are glad to see racing on the streets of Chicago.
[Image: NASCAR]
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