DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – NASCAR took home honors for ‘Event of the Year’ for the first-ever Chicago Street Race during the 2024 Sports Business Awards, a ceremony hosted by Sports Business Journal in New York City last evening to celebrate the best in sports business over the past year.
The award, which highlights the most outstanding events in sports, was recognition for one of the most ambitious events in NASCAR history. The Chicago Street Race, a first-of-its-kind two-day sports and entertainment event, saw stock cars take to city streets for the first time in the sport’s 75-year history, resulting in extraordinary levels of fan engagement, including more than 80% of ticket buyers attending a NASCAR event for the first time; the most-watched Cup Series race on NBC in six years; and an economic impact of more than $108.9 million for the local Chicago community.
“We’re incredibly proud of the first-ever Chicago Street Race, and we’re honored to have Sports Business Journal recognize it as the ‘Event of The Year’,” said Steve Phelps, President, NASCAR. “Following the leadership of Ben Kennedy, Julie Giese and many others, the entire NASCAR industry and the city of Chicago banded together to pull off something truly extraordinary that has opened up an entirely new world of possibility for this sport moving forward. We can’t wait to get back to Chicago for the second running this July.”
In approximately 12 months lead-time, NASCAR established an event that was not just a race in Chicago but was an event about and for Chicago – an opportunity to showcase the best of one of the world’s most recognizable cities on a global scale. From local artists designing the race-winning trophies to becoming ingrained in the community through local partnerships with organizations like Chicago Public Schools, Special Olympics of Illinois, the Art Institute of Chicago, After School Matters and All Kids Bike, NASCAR quickly became a pillar of the community and invested nearly $2 million in local initiatives throughout Chicago.
What’s more, NASCAR immediately established a new, permanent Chicago office in Nov. of 2022 immediately following the announcement that NASCAR would be coming to the city. Led by longtime executive and track president Julie Giese, the office currently has nearly 20 full-time employees, all of whom live and work year-round in the community.
The NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series will once again take to the streets of Chicago, along with musical performances by Keith Urban, The Chainsmokers, The Black Keys, Lauren Alaina, and a special House Music 40th Anniversary Showcase, for year two of the event on July 6-7, 2024.
Joining the Chicago Street Race as finalists for the ‘Event of the Year’ award were the F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix, NHL Stadium Series, Super Bowl LVIII, U.S. Open Tennis Championships, and the World Baseball Classic.
As part of the ceremony, NASCAR was also recognized as a finalist for ‘League of the Year’, and NASCAR’s new media rights deal was a finalist for ‘Deal of the Year’.
Chicago Street Race
The Chicago Street Race is a unique two-day sports and entertainment event with a festival-like atmosphere that exemplifies NASCAR’s characteristic fan experience that puts attendees closer to the action than any other sport. Coupled with top-tier musical performances from global headliners, the Chicago Street Race Weekend is a once-in-a-lifetime experiential opportunity for any sports, music, and entertainment fan.
NASCAR has single-day ticketing options starting at $150. NASCAR also offers Youth General Admission Pricing for children 12 and under that are free on Saturday, July 6, and Youth GA tickets for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race are $45.
Two-day reserved tickets starting at $465 offer an array of opportunities that include reserved seating and a wide variety of premium experiences. Two-day general admission tickets start at $269. For a complete listing of ticketing options or to purchase tickets, fans can visit NASCARChicago.com or call 888-629-7223.
Fans can also visit NASCARChicagoExperiences.com for multiple options for travel, tickets, and hospitality experiences, courtesy of Quint, the Travel and Experience Package Provider of the Chicago Street Race.
To stay up to date with the Chicago Street Race, fans can subscribe to receive exclusive Chicago Street Race emails, follow @NASCARChicago on X 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 home to the first-ever NASCAR Cup Series street race in the 75-year history of NASCAR. Located in downtown Chicago, the 2024 event will once again take competitors past and through many of the city’s most renowned downtown landmarks on Michigan Avenue, South Columbus Drive, South DuSable 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 with global music headliners Keith Urban, The Chainsmokers, The Black Keys, and Lauren Alaina July 6-7, 2024. For more information, visit NASCARChicago.com.
About NASCAR
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 14 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 Canada Series, NASCAR Mexico Series, 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 five cities across North America, NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races annually in 11 countries and more than 30 U.S. states.