Jeff Gordon achieved more than any driver could imagine during his illustrious 23-year NASCAR career.
Gordon wasn’t just a driver; he was a personality. He was a showman. Gordon was a four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, and, at 24, he became the youngest champion of NASCAR’s modern era.
He helped introduce the sport to the mainstream, and he’s pleased to see the sport continue to expand with the Chicago Street Race.
“It does take me back to, you know, those mid-to-late ’90s, when NASCAR was growing to new markets and experiencing new fans coming to races by going to Indianapolis, Texas, Southern California and Kansas,” he told the Sun-Times. “That’s why Chicago is such an important market and a great market to be in. It’s extremely important for the sport to bring in new fans and continue to innovate.”
The Chicago Street Race returns this weekend. The Loop 110 is on Saturday, and the Grant Park 165 will take place Sunday. It’s the third year of the Chicago Street Race — and the last of the original contract -NASCAR signed with former Mayor Lori Lightfoot. Rain significantly shortened the race the first two years.
There have been reports that San Diego will host a street race next year, leaving the Chicago Street Race in limbo.
Gordon doesn’t view the rain-shortened races as a hindrance to NASCAR’s growth in Chicago. The sport takes over Chicago’s downtown and has become a fixture in the area, but the average TV viewership for last year’s Grant Park 165 (3.87 million) declined from the inaugural event (4.8 million).
The novelty of the event is starting to wear off for Chicagoans, so the race needs to hold their attention. One way to do that is by having a complete race.
Fans were exposed to the sport’s competitiveness last year, when Bubba Wallace — who races for Michael Jordan’s 23XI Racing — intentionally hit 2024 Grant Park 165 winner Alex Bowman. It was retribution from Wallace after Bowman had clipped Wallace on the 25th lap.
“There are so many little rivalries,” said Katherine Legge, who’s making her Chicago Street Race debut this weekend. “Fans are drawn [when] you have somebody to support. With racing, you can either support a team, a driver or a manufacturer.”
Sports fandom is built on personal connections. When Shane van Gisbergen won the 2023 Grant Park 165, it was one of the most shocking results in NASCAR’s recent history. Bowman snapped an 80-race winless streak after recovering from major back surgery.
Gordon understands the importance of NASCAR continuing to build bonds with Chicagoans. He was adept at media relations and cultivated a following.
Gordon, Tony Stewart and Carl Edwards were iconic figures who served as ambassadors for the sport. Gordon remains the only NASCAR driver to host “Saturday Night Live.”
The sport is lacking that charismatic pop-culture presence, so bringing NASCAR to Chicago is paramount for the fans and the drivers’ sponsors. Though Gordon wants to see more street races, he would prefer for NASCAR to remain in Chicago, despite the rain and pothole issues that have popped up over the years.
“There’s no other circuit that’s going to have [the] backdrop of the city,” Gordon said. “For our partners, how they entertain and how they bring customers to the event is different, and you can’t duplicate that anywhere else.”