NASCAR insider calls for Cup Series to return to Chicagoland Speedway

NASCAR has been looking for ways to improve their schedule over the past couple of seasons, trying to get creative to bring more fans out to the racetrack. Jeff Gluck of The Athletic believes the sport should look backwards to go forwards in 2026.

Evaluating the potential schedule for next year, Gluck believes a return to Chicagoland Speedway could work wonders for the sport. The Cup Series hasn’t raced at the track since 2019, and the NASCAR insider is thinking the Next Gen car could be phenomenal to watch at the intermediate speedway.

“The schedule is typically released late summer, early fall. Expect a similar timeline this year,” Gluck wrote. “As for which track not already on the schedule that would be a worthy addition, Chicagoland is the one that immediately jumps out.

“In its final years, it had evolved into a great showcase for what stock car racing should look like on an intermediate track and this was even with the previous generation of cars that didn’t often perform well on this type of track. Imagine how well the Next Gen car would do there.”

With NASCAR’s three-year deal to run the Chicago Street Race coming to an end after this season’s iteration, racing at Chicagoland could allow the sport to maintain their presence in the area. It almost makes too much sense for Gluck.

“Looking at oval options, a return to the Chicagoland Speedway certainly makes sense for multiple reasons,” Gluck added. “Although the track is located in Joliet, Illinois, it is still close enough to Chicago for NASCAR to maintain a presence in the United States’ third-largest market. That’s key. And Chicagoland, at a mile-and-a-half and with a worn surface, is an ideal fit for the Next Gen car, so the likelihood of a stellar race is high.

“Yes, Chicagoland needs some upgrades, as can be expected for a facility that last hosted a Cup Series race in 2019. But those improvements aren’t deemed cost-prohibitive, according to league sources, and would be significantly less than what it costs to build and host a race in downtown Chicago. From this perspective, if the Chicago Street Course isn’t on the 2026 schedule and San Diego is a year away, Chicagoland represents a worthy stopgap.”

The last time the Cup Series raced at Chicagoland, Alex Bowman won an exhilarating race. Who knows what would happen if NASCAR returned to the track, but Jeff Gluck brings up some solid points as to why it should be considered for 2026.