Ben Kennedy is thinking big. As in big cities, big ideas and big plans.
That’s how NASCAR and Chicago got together.
Kennedy played an instrumental role in NASCAR bringing an unprecedented street race to downtown Chicago next year during its 75th season in yet another radical change to its once staid schedule.
The Cup Series will race against the backdrop of Lake Michigan and Grant Park next July 2 as part of a three-year deal with the city of Chicago. It will be paired with an IMSA sports car race the day before, as well as music and entertainment options located along the 12-turn, 2.2-mile street course.
The course will include Lake Shore Drive, Michigan Avenue, and South Columbus Drive, where the start/finish line and pit road will be located directly in front of Buckingham Fountain. It will pass through Grant Park and approach the northern edge of Soldier Field — the site of the only other Cup Series race to take place in downtown Chicago, in 1956.
The decision to hold a race in downtown Chicago presents all sorts of logistical challenges for NASCAR, mostly centered around the safety of drivers and fans. Kennedy said NASCAR had design, development, competition, and asphalt experts look at the surface, and he felt the roads were in “really good condition” when he drove around Grant Park on Tuesday.
For a Complete Look at All The Latest Sports CLICK LINK BELOW