NASCAR’s Chicago exit draws praise from Illinois fiscal advocate
(The Center Square) – NASCAR will not return to the streets of downtown Chicago in 2027, a decision one Illinois fiscal policy advocate says could save taxpayers money as the city and state face ongoing budget pressures.
The NASCAR Chicago Street Race debuted in 2023 and ran for three years through 2025. After taking a year off in 2026, NASCAR had hoped to bring the event back to Grant Park in 2027. But the organization announced in August that there was not enough time to finalize plans with city and state officials.
Instead, NASCAR will hold its 2027 Chicago-area race at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet for the second consecutive year. The track returned to the NASCAR schedule in 2026 after a seven-year absence, and NASCAR said the event drew a sellout crowd.
Brian Costin, deputy state director with Americans for Prosperity, said the decision to keep the race out of downtown Chicago could benefit taxpayers.
“I think it ends up saving the taxpayers money,” Costin said. “I don’t think that entertainment is something that government should be subsidizing.”
Costin said NASCAR should be allowed to hold races in Chicago but argued the company should pay what he described as a fair market price for access to public roads.
“If they want to do that, it shouldn’t be banned,” Costin said. “But, you know, they should pay a fair market price for that.”
NASCAR and Chicago tourism officials reported that the 2024 race produced an estimated $128 million in total economic impact and $9.6 million in state and local taxes.
Costin questioned whether those types of economic incentives are the best way to encourage growth, arguing that government should focus on policies that apply broadly rather than providing special benefits to individual events or industries.
“The intention is bad because they are treating different businesses unequally before the law,” Costin said. “They are giving special benefits.”
He argued that the economic activity surrounding a major sporting event does not necessarily mean the government subsidy itself produces new economic activity.
“People have a limited amount of money for entertainment type of choices, and they have a lot of choices already,” Costin said. “So it doesn’t really end up benefiting the local economy of any more or less because it just shifts people’s economic preferences around.”
NASCAR, meanwhile, has not ruled out a future return to downtown Chicago. NASCAR Vice President Julie Giese said the organization remains in discussions with city officials and other stakeholders, but the timeline for putting together a 2027 agreement expired before a deal could be completed.
For now, NASCAR’s Chicago-area presence will remain in Joliet, with the 2027 race weekend scheduled for June 25-27 at Chicagoland Speedway.
Costin said the shift provides an opportunity for Chicago officials to reconsider how they approach economic development.
“They have a high tax, high spending problem, and that doesn’t get fixed by NASCAR,” Costin said. “They have to make tough decisions.”
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