NASCAR Chicago Street Race to get underway soon

Race fans braved Sunday’s showers and thunderstorms, some taking refuge under the tents at the Jack Daniels Balbo Club waiting to hear when the NASCAR Chicago Street Race would get underway. While many remained in good spirits, some who showed up at the beginning of the day were critical of NASCAR’s communication.

Shortly after 5 p.m., NASCAR officials announced the race would be starting soon.

Driver Joey Logano said his crew had put rain tires on as he walked back to his car for the postponed start.

”It’s pretty sketchy on a street course in the rain, so we’ll see how that goes,” he said. “I’d say it’s not the safest thing we’ve ever done.”

Officials had told the Tribune they planned to start the NASCAR Cup Series Grant Park 220 race on time as late as 3 p.m. Meanwhile, water puddled at the race’s finish line, where Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson walked under an umbrella into the main strip’s stands.

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The rain picked up as drivers walked across a stage for introductions.

“We need it to slow down so they can get some water off the track,” driver Martin Truex Jr. said as he walked to his car. “We can’t see in this, so it’s impossible. I think there’s a lot of big puddles on the track too, and we’ll just fly off the road into the barriers.”

Another driver told the Tribune it would be “truly unsafe” to race as he headed toward his stock car after the introductions.

“We should not,” he said. “Hopefully this is all a formality.”

Star racer Kyle Busch walked away from the Grant Park track past fans still trudging through puddles toward sodden stands. Minutes later, a choir sung the national anthem at an indoor media staging area.

Fans who showed up Sunday morning were frustrated when they weren’t admitted to the event grounds when the gates had originally been scheduled to open.

“Even when it’s raining they let you in, take shelter under the bleachers,” said Matthew McGivney of Indiana, who said he was surprised there was less consideration shown to the waiting fans compared with other NASCAR events. “It’s like no coordination here. I know it’s the first year and all. See, I’ve been in a lot of races. Unorganized.”

The storms that triggered the postponement of Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race carried over to Sunday, causing further delays and uncertainty as staff struggled to communicate with fans about the future of the historic street race.

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The morning was supposed to start with the resumption of the Xfinity race, which was cut short Saturday because of lightning. That race start was quickly pushed back Sunday when torrential rains left race technicians holed up in their trailers and fans waiting in coffee shops on Michigan Avenue. Standing water covered parts of the track.

Early Sunday afternoon, NASCAR announced the final laps of the Xfinity race would not be completed and named Cole Custer the winner.

“It’s definitely one of the weirdest wins I’ve ever been a part of, for sure, but we’ll take it,” said Custer, who led through 25 laps before the race was canceled just before the halfway mark. “They said it’s a felony to jump in (Buckingham) fountain. So we’re probably not going to do that, I guess.”

In a statement released Sunday, NASCAR spokesperson Brent S. Gambill said standing water and significant flooding prevented the race from being finished Sunday. ”Returning on Monday for the completion of a NASCAR Xfinity Series event two laps short of halfway was an option we chose not to employ,” Gambill said.

Earlier in the week, at a news conference with the Chicago Office of Emergency Management and Communications, president of the NASCAR Chicago Street Course Julie Giese said the cars had a “wet weather package” that allowed the race to continue in the rain. The cars cannot race in lightning or during floods.

“I’m more optimistic about the second race. I think this first one is going to be a wash,” Chris Howard from Olathe, Kansas, said, noting he spent around $400 in cash on seeing this race plus points for his hotel stay.

Northeast Cook County is under a flash flood warning until 6:30 p.m., with officials advising to avoid nonessential travel until water recedes. Officials said roads and streets could be flooded, with some parts of the county receiving 3 to 5 inches of rain. Heavy downpours occurred throughout the morning and into the late afternoon, reducing visibility on highways. A few strong to severe thunderstorms were possible south of I-80 with a risk for hail and damaging wind gusts.

Ed Samson, a retired business owner from Northbrook, has volunteered to help organize events like the NASCAR race for the past 12 years.

After volunteering Saturday, Samson said it was one of the most disorganized events he’s ever worked.

Samson said he wasn’t given a map of the grounds and couldn’t direct people who had questions. Exit signs were sparse and other volunteer staff were similarly confused, he said.

”I would not go back,” he said.

Samson said he has worked several Chicago Marathons and other Chicago Park District events.

Samson pointed out that the pedestrian bridge — one of the only ways to cross the park — was frequently congested, with groups of people waiting in line to cross.

”People were orderly, but if there was some sort of event causing panic, that would’ve been chaos,” he said.

Many race fans also said they were frustrated by the lack of clarity from race coordinators as gates remained closed for nearly two hours after they were originally supposed to open and umbrellas were not allowed inside.

“They are doing the best that they can to communicate with fans,” Jack Brinson from Atlanta said while he waited in the downpour under a cellophane poncho. “I kind of wish at this point they can let us all in … and let us stay in there until we are safe.”

Someone asked if they were giving out ponchos. The response was no.

The delays left some wondering about the financial implications of the next several hours.

“I hope it doesn’t get canceled,” said Chicagoan Labdhi Jain after posing for a photo with her sister and mom. At the same time, she sees a positive in the alternative. “I think if the race gets canceled we get reimbursement. But if it doesn’t then we don’t.”

Michelle Bacus and her son, both from Chicago, sported matching animal umbrellas as they left the line to dry up.

Bacus bought VIP passes for the weekend to celebrate her son’s 11th birthday — Denny Hamlin who drives the No. 11 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing is his favorite racer.

“When things were running smoothly, it was incredibly well done,” Bacus said. “So it’s just you know, you can’t control the weather and it’s a disappointment.”

Bacus said this weekend was one of the “most expensive things we’ve ever done,” but they’re hopeful this afternoon’s race will still go on. Besides the rain, they said this weekend has had more positives than negatives.

“Today is just sort of null and void. You can’t really judge it because there’s nothing you do,” she said.

Bacus said the communication from NASCAR should be better. The many jurisdictions of the Park District, Chicago Police Department and NASCAR officials made the day frustrating, she said.

“There was all these different levels of people, and nobody was getting one message,” Bacus said. “So everybody’s been telling you different things.”

NASCAR needs the Park District to sign off on a possible postponement into Monday. The Park District could not be immediately reached for comment.

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