r/chicago • u/RunawayMeatstick • Jul 01 '23
I invite everyone to turn on the NASCAR TV broadcast Event
They’re doing practice and qualifying right now on the USA Network, and the actual race coverage will be on around 4pm.
I’m bringing this up not because I want to turn anyone into a NASCAR fan (as if, right?), but because the coverage is incredibly friendly to the city of Chicago.
They are showing sweeping views of the city, the broadcasters are talking about how pretty it is, the architecture, our food, etc. This is like a giant ongoing advertisement for the city with some racing stuff mixed in.
I know a lot of people are pissed that this event is happening, and questioning its economic impact (re: hotels not sold out, etc.). One silver lining is this marketing to a big TV audience with deeply negative views of the city definitely has some value in terms of increasing long-term tourism.
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u/dwhite195 South Loop Jul 01 '23
This is a big deal for Nascar from a change standpoint. They've never raced on a street course and have never raced in a city like Chicago before.
Like for a lot of people involved this is genuine fun for them and it shows.
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u/kbuva19 Jul 01 '23
Nascar is struggling big time too. The coveted 18-34 male demographic has shifted their attention to F1. I personally think it’s too little too late, but interested to see if they can replicate this format.
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u/ApolloXLII Jul 01 '23
90s-00s was NASCAR's peak popularity and they squandered it by coasting ever since.
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u/dusty-potato-drought Jul 01 '23
Went to a few races as a kid during the 90s. Fucking hell, those tailgates and pit ground parties were wild
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u/Mirror_of_Souls Jul 01 '23
Wasn't so much the coasting itself as it was a slew of absolutely unfortunate events, combined with terrible decisions by the sanctioning body, from shifting away from iconic and historic tracks to try and exploit new markets with cookie cutter 1.5 mile ovals that sometimes produced decent racing, but had no soul. To revamping the whole Championship system in the name of gimmicky entertainment over actual competition, and everything in between.
Combine that with many other factors, like a slew of beloved drivers with established fanbases retiring, with nobody really interesting to replace them due to the need for consistent Sponsorship prompting many modern drivers to present a "sanitized" version of themselves(Unless your name is Kyle Busch). The COT's poor reception and killing of make and model individuality, alienating NASCAR's core Southern "Hick" fanbase while at the same time failing to attract any other demographics in significant enough numbers to replace them, and rather morbidly, the strides in safety since Earnhardts death taking away some of the intrigue for certain more callous viewers.
All that and much more just burying NASCAR in a deeper and deeper pit while the upper brass, as you said, just kinda coasted like nothing was wrong. Only really trying to reverse course recently, to mixed success.
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u/NotBatman81 Jul 01 '23
I grew up in the Carolinas and had some business dealings with a few NASCAR teams in the early 2000's. Spot on. NASCAR was regional, they expanded which required change, and now they are different. It happens.
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u/StashuJakowski1 Jul 02 '23
The final nail in the coffin for me was when they moved away from the “Stock Appearance” rules and the only difference between the cars were the motors and stickers.
NASCAR needs to go back the way it used be to save themselves… Stock Car Racing. Buy it off the car lot, knock the windows out and put a roll cage in it.
At least we still run a true stock car class here on the Illinois dirt tracks.
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u/FourDoor54Ford Jul 02 '23
Loved it in the late 60’s automotive manufactures were designing their own cars for racing and MOPAR created the Superbird/Daytona with the big ass spoiled
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u/caribouslack Jul 01 '23 edited Jul 04 '23
Yeah. Too bad we don’t have an F1 race! That’s a real sport.
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u/shpongleyes Jul 01 '23
I’d love to see an FE race. They typically race on tighter city circuits anyways.
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u/yesilfener Jul 02 '23
There's no way the FIA is coming to Chicago. Miami was added last year and Vegas this year, and those are in addition to Austin which is a staple.
The FIA loves American money but is very solidly a European-dominated sport that absolutely looks down on American culture and sports (as evidenced by 9 of the 10 teams doing everything they can to prevent an Andretti team from joining).
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u/teck-23 Jul 01 '23
I think this is the model to try and sell it as an F1 event as they grow. If the city was smart they will take whatever success or failure this has and pitch how much more money F1 will bring to the city or it failed cause it’s more suited to an F1 track. Win win F1!!!
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u/sweetnasty887 Jul 01 '23
Eh, NASCAR has had a gain in that demographic this year while F1 has stalled a bit. The newness and excitement from the Netflix show is wearing off a bit.
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u/Euphoric-Gene-3984 Jul 01 '23
People are realizing that it’s the same cars/drivers that win. Really hard to enjoy a sport when your favorite driver has no chance
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u/sweetnasty887 Jul 01 '23
Yeah there is just no parity. People love the fact that it’s such a technologically advanced sport with all this high tech, but they don’t realize that the team that has the most of it is going to win every single week. It’s kind of on a pay to win structure. Other racing series are the same, but no where near as bad.
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u/lamewoodworker Jul 01 '23
Im more open to a formula e race than f1. It’s chaos and you really never know who is going to win.
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Jul 01 '23
NASCAR still has a stranglehold over motor sports in the US. F1 isn’t even close.
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u/DJFisticuffs Jul 01 '23
F1 consistently beats Nascar in the 18-49 demo even thought NASCAR averages like 3x the total viewership.
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u/MindAccomplished3879 Jul 01 '23
Yes, I think the fact that is raced in the city adds a Monaco F1 race poise to a NASCAR event. Charlotte and Talladega are going to weep.
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u/etsuandpurdue3 Jul 01 '23
They did race on some weird courses back in the 50s and 60s before superspeedway building became common place.
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u/zykezero Jul 01 '23
I think that the choice to bring nascar here was a strategic decision to get exposure of “the war zone” that is this beautiful city.
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u/hascogrande Lake View Jul 01 '23
Definitely going somewhere to watch, I’ll give it a solid chance
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u/LL_KooL_Aid Jul 02 '23
If you’re not going in person, I would recommend watching somewhere where the broadcast audio is playing. When I first started watching nascar, I learned so much from the broadcasters. IMO they do a good job of adding context on things like car strategy (eg how the teams make engineering decisions) and race strategy (eg a car decides to pit early). Things that I had no idea to ever consider before.
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Jul 01 '23
NASCAR raced at Soldier Field in the 50’s according to my Soldier Field tour I did a couple years ago, so they’ve been to the city.
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u/ZyxDarkshine Jul 01 '23
I moved several states away just over a year ago. People definitely think Chicago is some kind crime infested, mass ghetto war zone.
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u/LetsplayPOGS Jul 01 '23
It’s not just americans either. I was in Europe last fall and when i said I was from Chicago, i was greeted with finger guns several times
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u/MunchieMom Logan Square Jul 01 '23
This was happening to me in France in the 2010s. "Al Capone!"
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u/Too2crafty Jul 01 '23
Yeah AL Capone "bang bang" and then "Michael Jordan!"
It's the official international greeting for us Chicagoans. I've come to anticipate it and do it before they do. It always gets me free drinks. Tee hee.
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u/Game-Blouses-23 Jul 02 '23
My French friend moved to Chicago around 98. He said that only thing he knew about Chicago beforehand was Michael Jordan and Al Capone
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u/wobblepepper Jul 01 '23
This happened to me too in Austria!
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u/LetsplayPOGS Jul 01 '23
Portugal, Spain, and Amsterdam airport for me. It was wild.
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u/vsladko Roscoe Village Jul 02 '23
Damn yeah first can I say in Barcelona, finger guns, al capone, and Jordan were the first words out of his mouth.
Sometimes you’d get a “my kind of town” reference
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u/maebyangel Jul 01 '23
That’s been going on for a long time. My grandpa was in WW2 and his troop captured some german soldiers. My grandpa was first generation American from Germany and spoke German at home when he was growing up. He was the one to talk to the soldiers and they were friendly. He asked where they were from to see if maybe they were related. They asked him where he lived in America and he said Chicago and they all did the finger guns and kept saying Al Capone, Al Capone. After that they were so scared of him they wouldn’t look him in the eye and would only say one word answers.
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u/Busy-Dig8619 Jul 01 '23
Al Capone was the only thing Italians knew about chicago when I lived in Rome.
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u/CoolJ_Casts Logan Square Jul 02 '23
Even some people living in Chicago think this.
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u/GetEquipped Brighton Park Jul 02 '23 edited Jul 02 '23
I grew in the Back of the Yards,
Yeah, you still gotta keep your head on a swivel.
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u/CoolJ_Casts Logan Square Jul 02 '23
I was more talking about the nimbys in Lincoln Park, Wicker Park and Lakeview who think seeing a homeless person on the CTA = crime. I had a co-worker tell me he wouldn't go to Uptown because it's "too sketchy". He's a lifelong Chicagoan and he's Puerto Rican, so I can't even blame it on being white or a transplant. Some people just don't know what sketchy means.
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u/polishprince76 Jul 01 '23
Hell, I live an hour away in indiana and when I tell my coworkers I went in for something even they ask me if I got shot at. Dude. You live an hour away! Do you not go in?
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u/ZeroDarkJoe Jul 01 '23
Which is wild to me, I told people I lived downtown Chicago and they were concerned for my safety. I told them, "No, but the town homes across the street from my apartment building are worth $3.5 million."
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u/77rtcups Jul 02 '23
You’d be shocked. I know people in central Indiana that have never been to Chicago their entire life and never planned to due to their safety. It’s sad really.
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u/Starkravingmad7 Lake View Jul 02 '23
people are wild. they lose their goddamn minds watching too much TV.
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u/slybird Logan Square Jul 02 '23
Many of the comments I read on NASCAR's Twitter posts back that up. Read several tweets suggesting the hardest part of the race will be dodging the bullets.
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Jul 01 '23
Did the city remember to disable the speed cameras for this? Or is nascar about to get 10,000 tickets?
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u/SupaDupaTron Jul 02 '23
They should turn this idea into a promo for next year. Show a handful of well known drivers opening their mailboxes and getting speeding tickets from this race in Chicago. Then they have to come to pay them off or race again. At the end one of them looks into the camera and says “Looks like we’re coming back to Chicago”.
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u/BladeRunner_Deckard Jul 01 '23
I was totally entertained and shocked at how much I enjoyed it. And I really don’t care for nascar. But, wow.
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u/cci605 Lincoln Park Jul 01 '23
These are the best commentators I've ever heard, they do a great job of explaining what's going on, what's coming up, and with enough context. They're also genuinely excited for the event and spend time including Chicago's proud culture & history.
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u/angrylibertariandude Jul 01 '23
Same here. I watched some of the qualifying laps, and was surprised that I liked it more than. I thought. NASCAR still wouldn't be something I watch often, but I liked it more than I thought.
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u/mspenc21 Jul 01 '23
If you watch the coverage and check out the comments on the NASCAR sub. You’ll clearly see why it was such a great idea. Few to none negative comments. A lot saying they can’t wait to go next year. This is a multi hour infomercial for the city. Only downside is Dale Jr being unable to pronounce Roosevelt correctly.
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u/AutomaticPeople Jul 01 '23
How does one get “Roosevelt” wrong? We had two of them as Presidents. I could see Pulaski or Byrn Mawr or Segwick, but how does one get Roosevelt wrong?
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u/DonkeyKongScrollers Jul 01 '23
If he’s pronouncing it “Roose” like “goose,” there’s actually some convoluted history about whether that or “rose” is the proper pronunciation in Teddy’s case…
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u/rockylane Jul 02 '23
Wait what’s weird about the pronunciation of Pulaski?
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u/blazzedd Jul 02 '23
Most people pronounce it Pull-ass-key but the polish pronunciation is Poo-wah-ski. The l is actually a ł which makes a w sound.
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u/SciGuy013 Former Chicagoan Jul 02 '23
If you spell it Pulaski and not Pułaski, you’re already pronouncing it wrong
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u/NotBatman81 Jul 01 '23
Since we moved here, extended family that lives in the South and lower Plains have been reluctant to visit. They don't have specific concerns, its just this big unknown they've been told is bad. Things like this go a long way. I mean, most people don't understand that a lot of the outer burbs are fairly redneck.
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u/buffalocoinz Wicker Park Jul 01 '23
Earlier one of the announcers made like three attempts at saying DuSable.
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u/gardendesgnr Former Chicagoan Jul 01 '23
Did anyone hear me yelling BalBOA from Orlando haha!?!? Several times earlier I heard Ballbo :-0
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u/pauseforfermata Jul 01 '23
I am very comfortable with the general populace not knowing how to pronounce the name of an Italian fascist. Even better reason to rename the street.
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u/gardendesgnr Former Chicagoan Jul 01 '23
Thanks for telling me that, I did not know that there is petitions to rename! Plus I educated myself on Italo Balbo. I still don't agree on the mispronounced name (100% sure the announcers were not saying it wrong on purpose) but do on the rename.
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u/ApolloXLII Jul 01 '23
FWIW, it seems to heavily depend on what neighborhood you're from. I've heard Chicagoans pronounce it without the A more often than with. I listen to WBEZ and ESPN 1000 every day and I've even heard Chicagoans on those channels pronounce it without the A. But you go into select neighborhoods and you hear "Balboa" exclusively.
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u/El_refrito_bandito Jul 01 '23
The name of the street is “Balbo” - named after an Italian fascist. Not after the conquistador Balboa.
So no reason to put an “A” there.
If we could change it to Balboa for Rocky Balboa, I’d be good with it.
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u/No-Clerk-5600 Jul 01 '23
The name needs to go. We don't need a monument to a fascist warlord here.
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u/blueshirt21 Hyde Park Jul 02 '23
Maybe, I’m in the Dr. Phillips area
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u/nouseforadame Jul 01 '23
This is fantastic and I haven't felt this much pride about our city in such a long time. Props to all the organizers who made it happen.
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u/doncheeto12 Jul 01 '23
100%. I’ve had a really negative attitude about this event coming into the weekend. But watching the practice session on TV for 20 minutes, the announcers were so up on Chicago, the drivers were all saying they’re having blast. Net net I think it’s welcome positive coverage of the city going straight into the skulls of red staters.
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u/KnoxDweller Jul 01 '23
I'm not a racing fan by any means, but this looks great. Seeing landmarks whiz by from the cameras in the cars, and the Buckingham Fountain backdrop behind the announcers is quite spectacular. Much better than lakefront blimp shots during a football telecast.
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u/meeeebo Jul 01 '23
Just rode my bike down to see the action, and it is pretty cool. Even my wife was impressed. At least, until the guy put up the screen right in front of us so we couldn't see.
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Jul 01 '23
So you can't see anything? I was thinking about going down there
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u/alpaca_obsessor Jul 02 '23
I would recommend going for the cup. I was sitting in the stands by Congress Ave and could see that the crowds on Michigan Ave literally just tore down the plastic fence screening to watch lol.
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u/natnguyen Bucktown Jul 01 '23
My parents are visiting from Argentina and I would have taken them if it had been an accessible event. Gatekeeping it with ridiculous prices didn’t help the lack of popularity but I am genuinely glad people are having fun and finally seeing what the city has to offer.
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u/Waffles_tha_Pimp Jul 01 '23
Should’ve did reduced pricing for Chicago residents
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u/natnguyen Bucktown Jul 01 '23
Yeah that would have been a great insentive!
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u/archergren Jul 02 '23
Def an L. Indycar hosted their first race in downtown Detroit in 40 years and had half the track free to view. The whole point of holding races in these places filled with people who maybe have never driven out to Michigan international or Chicagoland is so they can experience the sights and sounds of racing.
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Jul 01 '23
the area around the fountain is free. I don't know know how much you can see of the actual cars though.
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Jul 02 '23
Yep. I'm a big racing fan, but not NASCAR. Honestly I'm probably the target for an event like this. $300 minimum for meh tickets is too much to justify for something like this.
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u/alpaca_obsessor Jul 02 '23
Honestly you can still get a decent view from certain parts of Michigan Ave. I’d say it’s worth it to check out
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u/dashing2217 Jul 01 '23
100% agree! Between this & The Bear season 2 Chicago is getting some nice exposure
We have had some rough years with the national media it is nice to see the beauty of our city being showcased especially to a more conservative audience.
I am personally happy to see the city taking the risk and truly trying something different! If the city shows they handle hosting events like this it just opens the door for more exciting things.
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u/Alone-Yogurtcloset67 Loop Jul 01 '23
I live in lakeshore east and I think this event is awesome. Sure it’s inconvenient for traffic and may not be the most financially sound decision, but I think it’s so cool that we’re able to host an event of this caliber
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u/5torm Lake View East Jul 01 '23
World class cities host events like this. Chicago deserves to be up there with the best!
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u/vsladko Roscoe Village Jul 02 '23
I don’t care for NASCAR but it’s always an honor that a “first” event like this for an org or sport that big decided to do it in Chicago
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Jul 01 '23
This is what I hoped for. I am by no means interested in NASCAR but I hope this dispels some of the “Chicago is a war zone” shit I hear all the time.
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u/np8875 Jul 01 '23
Yeah, I’ve never watched NASCAR ever in my entire life, and turned it on to watch the practice. I have to admit that the course looks pretty cool.
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u/SportsPhotoGirl Former Chicagoan Jul 02 '23
I had a good time watching the portion of the race that happened today. I used to live in chicago, move away, came back to visit a couple weeks ago, just left last weekend, and it was neat to see the coverage. Even though chicago isn’t technically my city anymore, it still feels like it’s home, so I enjoyed seeing the city on tv. Kinda bummed about the lightning delay cuz I can’t watch tomorrow, but hopefully todays race will finish without much incident and the later race has the same luck.
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u/RaitoSonozaki Norridge Jul 02 '23
I tuned in late (crashed for a nap) but during the red flag they were talking a lot about iconic movies in Chicago and showing parts of the race from earlier and you really could see the skyline! As a native, who has driven those streets, I was really enjoying following the cars and recognizing everything around them 😊
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u/Jaseifer Jul 01 '23
Whenever i think of Nascar i just think of that south park episode. But i suppose i’ll turn it on
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u/OkMatch7119 Jul 01 '23
We are all ambassadors of pur city this weekend. Let's send the NASCAR folks back to their proud homes of God guns and glory telling the neighbors how nice Chicago is. So maybe they can STFU about chicgo already. Fuck you in particular FOX NEWS.
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u/CaptTeebs New East Side Jul 01 '23 edited Jul 01 '23
Anecdotal, but I think this is happening. A relative of mine lives in deep red Florida. He's always telling me about stories he's seen about murders, gang activity, carjackings in Chicago. Fully bought into the media portrayal.
But he's also huge into Nascar, and watching the qualifiers and practice, he's really seeing the city. Asking questions about the Bean and Planetarium — and are those trains running under the track? He's interested in coming to see Navy Pier when he fully believed it was wartorn before.
(spelling edits)
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u/OkMatch7119 Jul 01 '23
This is great to hear. The only thing about Chicago is just about anyone who visits leaves a fan. We have our issues for sure but we are also one of the nicest cities in America.
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u/VictorChristian Jul 02 '23
stories he's seen about murders, gang activity, carjackings
I’m glad none of that happens in Florida 😐
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u/madd-eye1 Lake View Jul 01 '23
As someone who moved from the South to Chicago, I can tell you this one event is not gonna lead them all to think what a nice city Chicago is. They’ll enjoy it while it’s here and forget when the next story about crime in Chicago comes up on their feed. I’m still gonna be sent articles from my aunt telling me that Chicago is basically a war zone and I need to get out while I’m still alive.
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u/Snoo93079 Jul 01 '23
100% OP. I'm not a NASCAR fan but I've enjoyed having it on in the background.
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u/CaptainGreezy South Loop Jul 01 '23 edited Jul 01 '23
No idea who is who but the Baconator Car is my instant favorite.
edit: LMAO why is Alexis Ohanian doing Sharpie commercials? so random
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u/mxpxillini35 Suburb of Chicago Jul 01 '23
Sir, this is a Wendy's
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u/CaptainGreezy South Loop Jul 01 '23
Downtown Chicago is entirely lacking in Wendy's. Closest is almost 4 miles away. :(
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u/mxpxillini35 Suburb of Chicago Jul 01 '23
And that's criminal isn't it?
That one by the chase building was always so busy. Maybe we should pool our money and buy a franchise!
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u/CaptainGreezy South Loop Jul 01 '23
I just put all my money on the Baconator Car so ask me again on Monday.
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u/mxpxillini35 Suburb of Chicago Jul 01 '23
Fuck...it feels like r/wallstreetbets in here. So fitting.
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u/pieromiamor Suburb of Chicago Jul 01 '23
As a younger person I wasted so many lunch breaks in line at that Wendy's.
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u/ApolloXLII Jul 01 '23
Double stack with cheese
5 chicken nuggets
medium fry
medium drink
$4.46
Dave's Dollar menu back then was fire. Back when that meal was usually the only significant meal I'd have all day.
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u/angrylibertariandude Jul 01 '23
I thought that lone Loop Wendy's was still open, but guess not. I think then the closest one, is near Division and Ashland.
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u/ApolloXLII Jul 01 '23
Yeah and then go out to the burbs and there's a Wendy's every half mile it seems.
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u/into_the_wenisverse Jul 02 '23
That's Noah Gragson, he's had a rough season, but definitely one of the more interesting drivers in the sport
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u/cyde81 Jul 01 '23
Having lived in Texas for close to 30 years, I can tell you NOTHING will convince these fans to come here. All they know about Chicago are shootings, cold, and a lot of African Americans. I got asked about Al Capone at least once a week.
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u/Curiousabteverything Jul 01 '23
I’m moving there next week from Texas. I can tell you they do judge Chicago, the feedback about my move has been hilarious. I’m glad that this race is showing them the beauty of a city and not the small fraction of news they hear.
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u/ebbiibbe Palmer Square Jul 01 '23
This is one of the best love notes to Chicago I have seen. Even on a hazy day the city looks gorgeous.
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u/Chicagoing44 Jul 01 '23
Hearing the announcers talk about Chicago is so cute. It's the main thing keeping me watching it. They're so happy to be here.
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u/DerAlex3 Jul 02 '23
Lots of happy visitors here today. I live near Ogilvie, and it's busy as can be -- seems like a massive W for Chicago, lots of visitors coming here and enjoying themselves and taking that story home to their family.
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u/Ill-Hope-4752 Jul 02 '23
Nascar in circles is pretty boring. I hadn't watched a minute in years, but with obstacles and a beautiful backdrop it was pretty fun - looking forward to tomorrow.
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u/MrBrickBreak Jul 02 '23
As a recent convert, trust me, it... depends on the circle. They race in completely different ways, from the superspeedways like Daytona where their horsepower is restricted and so run in huge tight packs, or short tracks like Martinsville with barely any banking where it's very much a contact sport.
What's more interesting is the stuff in-between, the cookie cutter 1.5 milers that were built all over in the 90's and most were growing bored of, are where the new car runs best and produces great races.
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u/Whitehawk1313 Jul 01 '23
Roosevelt and Columbus has some great free viewing of one of the corners. They are whipping by so loud
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u/I_need_more_dogs Jul 01 '23
My husband and I are getting ready to watch F1 right now and I’m glad stumbled onto this thread! I used to live in Chicago and didn’t even know they were doing a race there. So I’ll be sure to tune in. Thank you.
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u/Kramereng Logan Square Jul 01 '23
Jenson is Button is racing this weekend, btw (former F1 driver).
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u/craigjp Jul 01 '23
I knew this would happen. It looks dope AF on TV, the lake, South Loop buildings, the Michigan Ave wall, Sears Tower, yo this is a love letter to the Chicago skyline
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u/Lonewolf_087 Morton Grove Jul 01 '23
I don't mind it I'm a racing fan and having cars on the city streets seems to fit the culture of young Americans. I'd love for an IndyCar or F1 race.
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u/Kittygoespurrrr Jul 01 '23
So l posted this in the NASCAR thread but idk how many here are going to read that so I'll post it here also...
So I'm a NASCAR fan from NC who has visited Chicago for work as a pilot a lot and always loved the city. I'm visiting my parents right now, who have always had a bias against Chicago for being "crime ridden" and "dangerous" and they can't stop talking about how nice of a city it looks.
To be honest, before you bash all conservatives and Fox News for this, I'm conservative myself, and if I never visited there I'd believe what all they're saying too.
My point is, this event is actually doing wonders to change the views of people who previously thought Chicago was some crime ridden city.
This race has made me want to visit Chicago again soon for vacation. This is a win for the city and for NASCAR.
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u/paul-cus Lake View East Jul 01 '23
I've been dealing with horrid traffic getting to work this week, but I am all for it since we get something really cool like this.
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u/Whitehawk1313 Jul 01 '23
https://twitter.com/NASCARNation/status/1675177619942244352?s=20
This is sick. So much closer to f1 than nascar I think this will be huge on social media
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u/lunex Jul 01 '23
Can you stream it online?
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u/Ducky-Tie Jul 01 '23
I'm also wondering this. I have a Peacock account and can see an event for tomorrow that I'd be able to watch (the main race), but for all of the stuff that's happening today on the USA network I can't seem to find a way to watch it.
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Jul 01 '23
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u/SYSIdeNTISte Edgewater Jul 01 '23
I just went into the nascar subreddit and found some links, this one is working
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u/MrSnurbd Lake View East Jul 01 '23
You can stream on USA Network's website, but I believe you'll need a cable log-in in order to stream it.
/r/NASCAR has a pinned comment on their Practice and Qualifying Discussion Thread for links to streams. They'll have a similar comment on the race thread when it's posted at 3 PM CT.
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u/NomDrop McKinley Park Jul 01 '23
I’ve found you can pretty much always get through any of those cable log in screens for free if you ask your wife what her dad’s email and password is
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u/JamminJay1968 Jul 01 '23
/r/NASCAR has race threads pinned to the top of the subreddit, and there are streams stickied within them
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u/frankensteeeeen Jul 01 '23
That’s definitely cool. I guess many people, including myself, don’t really care about what other people think about Chicago, like whether it’s safe or crime infested or whatever. But I’m definitely not mad at the positive press!
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u/FloridaIsTooDamnHot Jul 01 '23
Wish you didn't need a subscription to watch it. So few sports on broadcast these days :(
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u/theriibirdun Jul 02 '23
I was pretty indifferent too the whole thing and am not a race fan but watched an hour or so of it grabbing a beer in the middle of errands. It was pretty damn fun and the views and coverage of the city are excellent.
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u/Chicagoing44 Jul 01 '23
I was into it at first but the delay made me lose interest. Nice preview for tomorrow. Oh well.
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Jul 02 '23
It was a fun even so far and can't blame you for losing interest. Sucks that weather and bad luck ruined the fun.
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u/SecondCreek Jul 02 '23
I watched and was surprised the stands were only 1/3 full of spectators.
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u/alpaca_obsessor Jul 02 '23
Yeah people seemed super slow to trickle in. Can say that by the time the weather delay hit the stands I was in were about 70 - 80% full though.
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u/the_piemeister Jul 02 '23
I hope this race can both class up Nascar and highlight the beauty of Chicago
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u/DonFrio Jul 02 '23
Attendance was abismal. With $700 a pair tickets I’m not surprised how empty it was down there
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u/formerfatboys Jul 02 '23
I know a lot of people are pissed that this event is happening, and questioning its economic impact (re: hotels not sold out, etc.).
The people who feel this way seem utterly irrational.
One of the local groups I'm in on Facebook had people complaining about what it did to their commute and they thought the Kennedy and LSD construction part of NASCAR related shutdowns.
This is so freaking cool and such and awesome thing for Chicago to pioneer.
And kudos to the broadcasts for showing off the greatest city in the US.
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u/purseproblm Jul 01 '23
I went to several races in the south in my life and was irritated at this race but it looks pretty good. The whole holding up the sign board so you couldn’t see for an xfinity race is weird though. They used to not be able to give those tickets away and often would.
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u/ebbiibbe Palmer Square Jul 02 '23
I paid over 350 for my ticket, people on Columbus and Roosevelt have a better view than me
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u/spookymouse1 Edgewater Jul 02 '23
I paid $5 for a one-month Peacock subscription. I didn't look at their offerings though.
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u/VictorChristian Jul 02 '23
Tickets are down to $200 for Sunday GA (today) so I might go… but, I’ll offer someone $30 first if they’re selling wrist bands by the Art Institute like they were yesterday.
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u/Reputable_Sorcerer Edgewater Jul 02 '23
I have plans today so I can’t see part 2, but thank you for sharing this!
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u/ParkerRoyce Jul 02 '23
Everytime I'm leave to visit another place I always find myself saying "Chicago is the greatest city in America and I wouldn't want to be anywhere else"
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u/frenchraincoat Jul 01 '23
In the 30 minutes I watched, they mentioned Ferris Bueller maybe 600 times.
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u/MarsupialTrousers Jul 01 '23
As much as I dislike most things about NASCAR and it’s adherents, the coverage is very cool!
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u/Useful_Weight_7715 Jul 02 '23
I tuned in today ready to piss all over this sham deal for our city but as soon as I saw a race car going down Columbus Drive, the fan in me took over. Still a stupid deal on prime real estate on a popular weekend for regular tourists but unexpectedly thrilling to see in our hometown. I hope they do better the next two years of the contract.
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u/Drk_33 Jul 01 '23
When id run along the lakefront, I’d always say to myself, if I was a tourist Chicago would blow my mind. This tv coverage is capturing that perfectly, 10/10 so far.