Postponed XFinity Chicago NASCAR race expected to take place Sunday morning, weather dependent
The 2023 NASCAR Chicago Street Race took off Saturday, but the XFinity Series was rescheduled for Sunday morning due to Chicago weather.
CHICAGO (WLS) -- It's the final day of the NASCAR street race.
This comes after the race was postponed because of the weather.
The NASCAR XFinity Series raced in The Loop 121 on Saturday at 4 p.m. before weather caused a delay around 5:30 p.m. The racers had completed 24 laps and were on lap 25. Cole Custer was in first place.
"We had an amazing time. We're really bummed that it got rained out, because we can't come tomorrow," said Gail Montenegro.
Drivers have 30 laps to make up Sunday morning, starting at 10 a.m. Doors will open at 9 a.m.
The pit road has plenty of wear and tear after just part of the first race.
Drivers navigated some very tight turns, while making up the speed in straightaways. Race cars are expected to hit speeds upwards of 100 mph.
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The course starts and ends at Buckingham Fountain, and loops through major city arteries like DuSable Lake Shore Drive, Michigan Avenue, Columbus Drive and select surrounding streets to form a 12-turn, 2.2-mile course.
And with more rain in the forecast Sunday, it's going to make the already challenging racetrack that much more difficult.
Drivers said the margin of error on this course is even smaller than on the typical oval tracks they race.
Two-time NASCAR Cup Series Champion Joey Logano said there's a lot of walls to hit here.
"You overcook the entry a little bit and get in there a little too hard, you slide into the wall, so a lot more risk," he said.
The biggest names in NASCAR take the track for the Cup Series race at 4:05 p.m.
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The weather also canceled the Chainsmokers concert, which was supposed to go on after the race.
That concert will not be rescheduled.
"It's too bad. I wanted to see The Chainsmokers. We saw the Black Crows earlier. They were awesome. If you're coming tomorrow, come. Hopefully this clears up," said Konstantinos Linverakis.
NASCAR released a statement, saying, "Due to the potential for continued lightning strikes and in the interest of public safety and caution, the facility needed to be evacuated. NASCAR had hoped to resume activities, but not until city officials allowed fans to return to the grandstands. The forecast for lightning extends into the next several hours, forcing NASCAR to postpone the completion of the NASCAR Xfinity Series race until tomorrow morning."
Charley Crockett and Miranda Lambert are set to perform later Sunday afternoon.
Despite being one of the most popular racing sports in the United States, NASCAR has seen declining attendance. This weekend's extravaganza helps celebrate NASCAR's 75th anniversary, and comes as the organization looks to reinvent itself by addressing changing fan demographics and economic challenges.
"We're really new to NASCAR, so this is our first time coming," April Chambers said. "We came because of Bubba Wallace. He had an event at DuSable, so that's why we're here."
NASCAR Village at Butler Field also opens at 9 a.m.
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In addition to the racing, there are also a number of pre- and post-race concerts at the Lakefront Green Mobil 1 concert stage.
Sunday:
12-1 p.m. - Charley Crockett
1:30-3 p.m. - Miranda Lambert
General admission tickets start at $269.
Source: WLS-TV
