Enthusiastic appreciation for initial Chicago Street Race

Chicago’s foray into NASCAR was anything but a sure thing. A town not known for racing and a new street-race format provided enough of a challenge; throw in some biblical downpours, rain-soaked delays and on-the-fly modifications and you’ve got yourself a real whammy to overcome. But despite the issues, most would agree that there’s a place for NASCAR in Chicago both today and tomorrow.

We talked with spectators, patrons and potential fans and here’s what they had to say:

“I had some eservations about the race and whether or not it belonged in a city like Chicago or if it would be welcomed but all of that was put aside when I was standing in the rain at Grant Park thinking that I’d never been to something like this in my life. The atmosphere here was really cool, unlike any of those. I don’t know enough about NASCAR to know all the ins and outs and all the drivers but it was unique to be at a huge sporting event where people were more fans of the event than the actual teams competing. At least it seemed that way.” -Jerry Stanwyck, Orland Park, Illinois

“So much fun. It says something that I got poured on and still had a great time.” -Rita Blanche, Chicago

“It’s too bad the weather didn’t cooperate because I think it could have been really special if it was sunny all weekend but even with the rain, it was pretty great. We came up from Kentucky and had a lot of fun. And we’re going to stay in Chicago until July 5 so now we have some time to see some more spots and eat some more food.” -Nick Labarbara, Louisville

“Bubba Wallace made the weekend for me and my family. His block party was an absolute trip. Now my kids are all into NASCAR. He even stopped for a selfie with my son and my daughter and they were thrilled, man, like their smiles took up their entire faces.” -Ron Jackson, Chicago

“I like it and thought it was really exciting but my biggest takeaway is going to be that I’ll never get rained on like that again in my life. I was walking down Michigan Avenue and I swear, it felt like I was fighting though the rain wearing 100 pounds worth of clothes.” -Ross Morales, Evanston, Illinois

“My hat’s off to NASCAR for coming here into the heart of the community and showing our kids what they can be. Bubba’s Block Party allowed youths to see that there are more ways to become part of a sport like NASCAR than just being a driver. To have Bubba and NASCAR here … and the pit crew and the marketing folks, the event folks and the vendors and the designers of the cars, the scientists and physicists who talk about the aerodynamic qualities of the car, all the different fields of study, all different career options that our kids now can be aware of. I think it’s just amazing.” -Perri Irmer, Dusable Museum president and CEO, Chicago

“I feel like I came to the party late. This is the first race I’ve ever watched on TV and I was mad I didn’t even think about going to see it live. I have to do some NASCAR homework. I could see myself becoming a fan.” -Lauren Nicole, Oak Park, Illinois

“Even with all the rain, it was so cool to watch on TV. It looked like a video game with the skyline and the lake when they’d pull away for the money shot of the city. I think Chicago won over a lot of people this weekend.”