Chicago Street Race Officials Will Host Special Olympics Illinois Representatives and Athletes During Inaugural Race Weekend
CHICAGO, Ill. – Today, the NASCAR Chicago Street Race announced a new multi-year partnership with Special Olympics Illinois. As part of the inaugural Chicago Street Race Weekend on July 1-2, Special Olympics of Illinois will be recognized as the beneficiary of the event’s 50/50 raffle contest.
“The thing that separates NASCAR from any other sport is the level of access that fans get, so we are incredibly proud to partner with an organization like Special Olympics Illinois that is so focused on providing access and opportunity to their athletes,” said Julie Giese, Chicago Street Race President. “With a full-time team of more than a dozen people who live and work here in Chicago, this is an extension of NASCAR Chicago’s ongoing commitment to our community that we are here to serve on year-round basis.”
NASCAR will also welcome representatives and athletes from Special Olympics Illinois to the first-ever street race in NASCAR’s 75-year history, when the NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series compete in the inaugural Grant Park 220 and The Loop 121 over the Fourth of July weekend. Special Olympics Illinois will have an additional promotional presence at the event, as they seek to drive awareness for the organization and its mission in advance of their upcoming “Chicago Ducky Derby” on August 10.
To download the Chicago Street Race and Special Olympics Illinois logos and images, please click here.
“With NASCAR, Special Olympics Illinois has found a truly remarkable partner as we have a shared vision for the impact that we can have on the lives of our athletes,” said Dave Breen, President and CEO,Special Olympics Illinois. “Between the Chicago Street Race Weekend and our Chicago Ducky Derby, when 100,000 rubber duckies will race down the Chicago River to benefit athletes with intellectual disabilities, this is going to be an exhilarating summer of racing, and we are proud to do it alongside an organization like NASCAR.”
To learn more about Special Olympics Illinois, please visit soill.org.
Chicago Street Race
As part of NASCAR’s 75th anniversary season, the first-ever Chicago Street Race Weekend will feature the NASCAR Cup Series’ Grant Park 220 and NASCAR Xfinity Series’ The Loop 121 competing on a 12-turn, 2.2-mile street course, along with full-length concerts by The Chainsmokers and Miranda Lambert with the support of The Black Crowes and Charley Crockett over Fourth of July Weekend on July 1-2.
General admission and reserved tickets are on sale for the Chicago Street Race. Two-day general admission tickets start at $269 and reserved tickets that offer an array of opportunities including reserved seating and a wide variety of premium experiences start at $465. To purchase tickets, fans can log onto NASCARChicago.com or call 1-888-629-7223.
The Grant Park 220 will be nationally broadcast on NBC on Sunday, July 2 at 5:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. CT and The Loop 121 will be broadcast nationally on USA Network at 5:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. CT.
To stay up to date with the Chicago Street Race, fans can subscribe to receive exclusive Chicago Street Race emails, follow @NASCARChicago on Twitter and Facebook and download the NASCAR Tracks App for the latest real-time updates on all aspects of the event.
About Chicago Street Race
The Chicago Street Race is the first-ever NASCAR Cup Series street race. Located in downtown Chicago, the event will take competitors past and through many of the city’s most renowned downtown landmarks on Michigan Avenue, South Columbus Drive, South Lake Shore Drive and the start-finish line near Buckingham Fountain. The Cup Series will be joined by the NASCAR Xfinity Series as part of a one-of-a-kind sports and entertainment festival headlined by Miranda Lambert, The Chainsmokers, Charley Crockett, and The Black Crowes over the Fourth of July Weekend on July 1-2, 2023. For more information, visit NASCARChicago.com.
About NASCAR
Celebrating its 75th Anniversary in 2023, the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for the No. 1 form of motorsports in the United States and owner of 16 of the nation’s major motorsports entertainment facilities. NASCAR sanctions races in three national series (NASCAR Cup Series™, NASCAR Xfinity Series™, and NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series™), four international series (NASCAR Brasil Sprint Race, NASCAR Mexico Series, NASCAR Pinty’s Series (Canada), NASCAR Whelen Euro Series), four regional series (ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East & West and the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour) and a local grassroots series (NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series). The International Motor Sports Association™ (IMSA®) governs the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship™, the premier U.S. sports car series. NASCAR also owns Motor Racing Network, Racing Electronics, and ONE DAYTONA. Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, with offices in eight cities across North America, NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races annually in 12 countries and more than 30 U.S. states. For more information visit www.NASCAR.com and www.IMSA.com, and follow NASCAR on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat (‘NASCAR’).
About Special Olympics Illinois
Special Olympics Illinois is a not-for-profit sports organization offering year-round training and competition in 18 sports to a community of more than 55,000 traditional athletes, Young Athletes, Unified partners, coaches, volunteers, and more. It strives to be a global leader in shaping a culture where people with and without intellectual disabilities are fully integrated into the community by providing year-round opportunities in competitive sports, health education, leadership and personal development.
If you are interested in being a part of Special Olympics Illinois and its vision, contact your local region by calling 800-394-0562 or visit our website at www.soill.org. You can also follow Special Olympics Illinois on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok.