Kenny Wallace reacts to NASCAR returning to Chicagoland in 2026
Kenny Wallace believes that NASCAR returning to Chicagoland for the 2026 Cup Series season is a good move for the sport. In his Coffee With Kenny video, Wallace reacted to the news of NASCAR reportedly replacing Mexico City with Chicagoland.
“This is just what the doctor ordered,” Kenny Wallace said. “I love this idea because this is what they do in Lincoln, Illinois, for the dirt track. This is what they do at Brownstown. Run about once a month. If you race less at that track, the fans will like it more because they can’t bitch as much.”
Wallace went on to say the Chicagoland “is a beautiful racetrack,” but it’s “in a bad area.” Chicagoland is in Joliet, which is a “very commercialized area,” but Wallace added, “I think everybody is going to like this one.”
“This will be a good way to compare between the amount of people and compare the TV ratings to the city of Chicago,” Wallace stated. “There’s still thinking that they might go back to the Chicago Street Course one day. That deal is not dead for some reason. So let’s see when we go to Chicagoland Speedway, let’s see how many people are in the grandstands, and let’s see the TV ratings.”
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Chicagoland will need around $4 million in improvements
Multiple outlets reported on Thursday that the NASCAR Cup Series would not return to Mexico City next year, and Chicagoland was expected to take its place. Chicagoland previously hosted races for NASCAR’s three national series (Cup, Xfinity and Truck) from 2001 to 2019 before the league shifted to different locations. NASCAR has hosted the Chicago Street Race in downtown Chicago for the last three seasons. It is hoping to make a return in 2027.
NASCAR driver Carson Hocevar recently visited Chicagoland Speedway and said it “still looks pretty decent shape … kind of abandoned, but obviously somebody is taking care of it.” If NASCAR announces it will return to Chicagoland in 2026, it would have to pay around $4 million in improvements.
Chicagoland is a 1.52-mile track that has an asphalt surface. Tony Stewart holds the record for the most wins at the racetrack with three. Kevin Harvick, Brad Keselowski, Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Busch have won there twice.