Nascar kicked off the first-ever street race in its marquee series, as earlier downpours that flooded Chicago roads and forced the cancellation of other associated events abated.
The race, which was expected to bring $113.8 million to the local economy, has been menaced by heavy rain and flash flooding across the city. Nascar drivers, who were set to race a 2.2-mile course (3.5-kilometer) course snaking through downtown streets, took to the road more than an hour after the event was originally scheduled to start.
The organizers called off the smaller race in the Xfinity series and all of Sunday’s concerts taking place alongside the event. The rain impacting the event’s success is blow for Chicagoans who had already been contending with a month of traffic disruptions due to the race, and to local business which hadn’t been able to operate normally in what’s usually a big holiday weekend.
Read more: Chicago’s Nascar Weekend Offers Headaches, Little Economic Gain
Former Mayor Lori Lightfoot agreed to a three-year deal to bring Nascar to Chicago to help lure tourists back and accelerate the city’s recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic. The Midwestern financial capital has been struggling with a sluggish economy and rising crime, along with the exit of high-profile businesses like Ken Griffin’s Citadel.
The race was expected to bring in 100,000 people to Chicago and 24,000 hotel bookings. While Nascar doesn’t disclose attendance figures, it was clear from the empty seats that the first day of the weekend event wasn’t packed, and the second day was disrupted by rain.
The were already questions about the economic benefit of the event, with the boost brought by Nascar estimated to be just a third of the Lollapaloza music festival that also takes place at Grant Park in August.
