Where is the NASCAR course in Chicago? A look at how the Grant Park 220 will work

Here is the layout of the first-ever NASCAR race taking place in Chicago around Grant Park this weekend for The Loop 121 and Grant Park 220.

NASCAR, on streets? This may be either the most innovative thing NASCAR has tried to do, or a total disaster. Either way, you’re going to want to see it unfold this weekend for the Xfinity race on Saturday and the Cup Series race on Sunday.

The course constructed in Chicago has instantly become the most unique circuit on the schedule. It joins Watkins Glen and the Clash at the Colesium as the most characteristically vibrant tracks. It bests the Glen’s 11 turns with a total of 12.

Since the course cuts through streets that are normally filled with commuter cars and recreational areas in the city, it’s difficult to envision just how this might look until you actually see it for the racing this weekend.

That said, here’s how the course is laid out.

Grant Park 220: NASCAR Chicago Street Race map

Below is a look at the map NASCAR has provided for the race this weekend.

Pit lane and the start of the race runs along Columbus Drive just west of Buckingham Fountain between Jackson Street and Balbo Drive.

Turn one takes cars east (left) toward Lake Shore Drive on Balbo, which the cars turn right (turn two) to travel on for a gradual turn three (right) and then another gradual turn at four (right) onto Roosevelt Road.

Turn five is a hard right turn back onto Columbus. They travel that to turn six (left), which nearly touches turn one, to take Balbo again, this time west until Michigan Avenue. Turns seven (right), eight (right), nine (left), 10 (right), and 11 (right) go down Michigan Avenue and Congress Plaza Boulevard (turns eight, nine, ten).

A right turn at 11 takes the cars back east toward the start of the race down Jackson, and turn 12 ultimately brings it all back to Columbus.

For the city of Chicago, that means plenty of road closures throughout the weekend. The worst of which includes Lake Shore Drive being shut down, a road normally used to quickly connect the northern and southern parts of the city without having to move too far into city traffic.

How long is Chicago Street Race track?

The Chicago Street Race track is 2.2 miles.

How did NASCAR build the Chicago Street Race track?

Building a NASCAR track on streets that are normally filled with commuter vehicles, CTA busses, and pedestrians is a challenge that Chicago nor NASCAR has ever taken on.

While there is precedence in other cities since Formule One has plenty of street races on its calendar, this one is new for everyone involved.

Here is the full calendar of events that took place to build the course. But the sparknotes are as follows:

All throughout June, Columbus Drive was frequently closed for the preparation of the pit lane and starting line strip areas.

A small portion of Ida B. Wells Drive was closed on June 10 to construct the main viewing areas.

Then, on various days throughout June, Balbo, Michigan Avenue, Jackson, and other roads were closed intermittently to construct the course and the supporting structures around it. Roads were closed for automobile traffic and CTA buses were rerouted on occasion, but pedestrian access to landmarks like Buckingham Fountain mostly remained open.

This week, most of the streets around the track were closed completely so that the finishing touches around the track — such as barrier installation — could be completed.

The biggest closures include Michigan Avenue being closed Friday at 5 p.m. and Lake Shore Drive shutting down (northbound) between McFetridge Drive to Randolph Street at 5 a.m. on Saturday.

The course will be torn down in stages for the following week or so after NASCAR departs the Windy City.

Is NASCAR Chicago Street Race safe?

Is driving cars at speeds of well over 100 miles per hour ever really safe? Anyway, this race is held to the same standards of any other race. It’s notably closer to where people live and work than any other race on the NASCAR circuit, but plenty of safety measures have been put in place to ensure the safety of the drivers, fans, and residents in the area.

NASCAR sets up special concrete barriers in Chicago to protect fans

2,200 custom made concrete barriers were shipped up from a southern suburb for the race.

Each of the concrete walls weighs 9,500 pounds and are specifically designed to keep fans safe, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. NASCAR’s director of civil engineering told the Sun-Times that they were approved by the FIA, which governs motorsports. They’re the same type of barrier used for Formula One street races.

Unlike NASCAR, Formula One features sevearl street circuits on its regular calendar and has gotten the logistics of transportation, setup, and most importantly driver and spectator safety down to a science.

So these barriers are battle tested and have been really good for Formula One. Not to mention, stock cars will be a little less snappy on a street circuit like this than F1 cars are, so in the event of a crash, expect impact speeds to be lower.

How many tires are set up for protection around NASCAR Chicago track?

Tires are placed at areas of high crash likelihood beyond the aforementioned custom crash walls to help absorb crashes and shield spectators even more.

Sun-Times reports 9,000 tires were packaged in eight-tire heights around the track.

How far between track and fans for Chicago Street Race?

The mandatory distance between spectators and the action is at least 15 feet.

Who provides ambulances and fire trucks at NASCAR Chicago Street Race?

Chicago Fire Commissioner Annette Nance-Holt told Fox 32 Chicago that NASCAR is staging the emergency services, but that Chicago public services would be ready to step in in the event of a major issue.