The Chicagoland Speedway has been actively working towards a NASCAR return. The track, which is owned and operated by NASCAR, used to host races until 2019. However, since then, no national NASCAR championship has taken place at the 1.5-mile track in Illinois.
Joe Gibbs Racing veteran Denny Hamlin recently expressed his support for bringing back the tri-oval track to the sport. During an episode of his podcast, Action Detrimental, Hamlin’s co-host asked him about tracks NASCAR should consider returning to. Hamlin wasted no time in mentioning Chicagoland Speedway, which has a capacity of accommodating 47,000 fans.
Hamlin’s thoughts on Chicagoland Speedway were shared on the Action Detrimental podcast. He firmly believes that NASCAR should make a return to the track. To hear his full response and thoughts on Kentucky Speedway, you can listen to the podcast.
It would be exciting to witness NASCAR’s return to a prestigious and promising track like Chicagoland. The 1.5-mile oval track is particularly valuable in the Next-Gen era, as it has produced some of the most thrilling races on intermediate tracks. Bringing back Chicagoland would be a beneficial situation for NASCAR.
During the podcast, Hamlin’s co-host Allen raised an important question. He asked Hamlin if the Chicago Street Race should lose its date to make room for the return of Chicagoland Speedway. Hamlin disagreed, stating that there is room for both races and that another track should be removed instead.
If NASCAR decides to bring back Chicagoland, it will be interesting to see which track will lose its race date. Unfortunately, this decision is unlikely to please all racing fans, as it will likely be a short track that is affected. NASCAR faces significant challenges in making the final decision.