Race cars will once again roll through downtown for the NASCAR Chicago Street Race, a two-day event that begins Saturday. And Chicago will be the center of attention, with tens of thousands of people attending the race and many more watching on television.
But business owners have mixed feelings about the massive event that will dramatically alter traffic and normal life in the heart of the city. Since June, some streets have already been closed as infrastructure is built to transform Michigan Avenue and the areas around Grant Park into a high-speed racetrack and festival.
This year, organizers have worked to apply lessons learned from last year’s debut in Chicago, which was NASCAR’s first street race in its 75-year history.
Roads are closed on East Ida B. Wells Drive near South Michigan Avenue ahead of the NASCAR Chicago street race, which will be held Saturday and Sunday.
NASCAR and the city have reduced track preparation and teardown time to 19 days, down from 25 days last year, in an effort to minimize disruption to businesses and residents. Mufflers will again muffle noise from race cars that can reach speeds of 100 mph.
In addition to physical improvements, boosting the local economy is a big focus at this weekend’s event.
NASCAR is working to “include as much of Chicago as possible in the event,” Chicago Street Race President Julie Giese said.
For example, the company held a vendor summit earlier this year to encourage bids from a variety of companies to provide event services such as security, printing, signage and more. It also expanded its free NASCAR Village at Butler Field in Grant Park, which will feature Chicago restaurants, retailers and partners. The village and its interactive NASCAR exhibits and car simulators are public, unlike race tickets, which cost between $150 and $465.
The company is once again offering an online Chicago Resource Guide in partnership with Canadian technology company FanSaves, where businesses and attractions can register to be included in the guide and attract more customers before and during race weekend.
Giese said NASCAR aims to use the race “as a platform to showcase local restaurants, retailers and partners and, in doing so, help expand their exposure to a broader market.”
Last year, more than 47,000 “unique attendees” from 50 states and 15 countries attended the Chicago Street Race, according to an economic impact report commissioned by Choose Chicago in conjunction with Temple University’s Sports Industry Research Center. The report said total attendance was 79,229, fewer than the 100,000 expected. Heavy rain had marred the race, and smoke from Canadian wildfires was also an issue.
The event generated an economic impact of $108.9 million, below the estimated $113 million. It also generated more than $8.3 million in tax revenue for the city and generated nearly 30,000 hotel room reservations.
The report claims that media coverage of the race cars speeding through Chicago’s iconic cityscape was worth $23.6 million in “media value” to the city – the equivalent of more than three national Super Bowl commercials.
Reviving Chicago’s Downtown
The Chicago Loop Alliance has partnered with NASCAR to bring area businesses to NASCAR Village. It’s part of the alliance’s ongoing effort to revitalize downtown Chicago, which is still trying to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Michael Edwards, executive director of the Chicago Loop Alliance, said Chicago would not have hosted NASCAR before the pandemic. “Stores were full, life was pretty good,” he said.
But in the wake of the pandemic, downtowns across the U.S., including Chicago, are struggling to bring back pedestrians and businesses. Edwards attended a national conference of downtown groups last year and recalled that other delegates were very interested in bringing NASCAR to their cities to jumpstart a revival.
NASCAR has been in contact with nearly 1,500 Chicago businesses to prepare them for the race, hosting one-on-one meetings, calls and webinars; handing out “Open for Business” signs to hang in windows; and distributing 78,000 brochures with race maps detailing street closures and other information.
Some establishments along the race route welcome the NASCAR Chicago Street Race.
The Gage, 24 S. Michigan Ave., offers a special NASCAR menu with drinks like the Pit Stop Rum Punch Bowl and the Racing Fuel Revolver.
“Last year, we saw a significant increase in foot traffic, which translated into increased sales and a vibrant atmosphere in our restaurant,” said a spokesperson for The Gage. “We anticipate an even larger crowd this year.”
Jackie Jackson, owner of the Kilwins ice cream franchise in Chicago, is equally optimistic. Kilwins has a location in the Loop at 310 S. Michigan Ave.
“We believe that anything that brings traffic and pedestrians to downtown and the Loop is a positive thing,” Jackson said.
Some businesses close during NASCAR
For the second time, Exile Bookstore in Bookville will close during NASCAR weekend. It also suspended hosting author events during the week leading up to the race due to construction noise and road closures.
The store is located in the Fine Arts Building, 410 S. Michigan Ave., and is near the NASCAR pit, so that part of Michigan Avenue is closed to the public.
Kristin Gilbert, co-owner of Exile in Bookville, inside the bookstore in the Fine Arts Building. The NASCAR grandstand is visible from the store.
“Because our street is closed and the noise levels are so extreme, a bookstore can’t operate,” said Kristin Gilbert, co-owner of Exile in Bookville. “It’s not like we’re a bar or restaurant where extreme noise levels are tolerated.”
Gilbert said independent bookstores rely heavily on summer sales to survive the slower winter months. Closing during the busy summer season and especially the Fourth of July holiday weekend is a tough blow.
“Every day counts for independent bookstores,” he said.
The Studebaker Theater, also located in the Bellas Artes building, will not host any shows during NASCAR for the second year in a row. The venue is typically rented out for concerts and shows like NPR’s “Wait Wait … Don’t Tell Me.”
“I wouldn’t want to put on a show that weekend either,” said Taylor Hobart, assistant box office manager at the Studebaker Theatre. “Of course, last year there was no one here.”
Osaka Sushi & Fresh Fruit Smoothies, located at 400 S. Michigan Ave., will close during the two-day NASCAR event.
Next door, Osaka Sushi & Fresh Fruit Smoothies will also close for a second year. Manager Barry Cheung said that because of the road closures, UberEats and other delivery drivers can’t get to Osaka Sushi, so the restaurant, located at 400 S. Michigan Ave., will close.
Gilbert, of Exile in Bookville, said, “If this race served the greater good of the city of Chicago, if it generated tons of money for the city that could be used to help serve the city as a whole, we wouldn’t mind the sacrifice of closing it.”
But that was not the case, according to media reports he read.
“When the city isn’t making the money it said it was going to make, when small businesses have to close or lose typical business as a result of the race, that’s a decision I don’t support,” he said.
A young customer reads a book at the Exile in Bookville store inside the Fine Arts building in the Loop. The grandstand at the NASCAR race can be seen through the window.
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