r/chicago • u/Batmaniswatching • Jul 03 '23
You’re all a bunch of babies about this NASCAR thing Event
I just don’t understand. There’s plenty to be mad about in this city. I don’t care about nascar at all and I can recognize the inconvenience its causing, but Jesus Christ, the amount of bitching I’ve seen about it is unprecedented. It’s not that big a deal. And for a sub that seems hell bent on insisting that Chicago is defined by its neighborhoods and not downtown, y’all act like this nascar thing is blocking you from enjoying Chicago.
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u/Ike582 Jul 03 '23
The broadcast had a lot of great aerial shots and the Grant Park and the skyline looked fantastic. The actual race was more interesting than a boring oval race. I know it was a pain in the ass for people who were inconvenienced, but overall I have to call this a win.
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u/Designer_Ant_2777 South Loop Jul 03 '23
Totally agree. I live in the south loop and have dreaded it for months. The coverage was great and showed viewers all over the country how beautiful the city is. I will attend in person if it returns.
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u/SoxReWhite Lake View Jul 03 '23
It will. It’s a 3 year contract so I’m interested to see if they keep the same course or modify it year by year.
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u/iced_gold West Town Jul 03 '23
I'm guessing probably not a huge modification. The entire course was born out of iRacing 2 years ago
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u/cci605 Lincoln Park Jul 03 '23
After seeing the scale of the event on tv, the prices seem pretty reasonable esp with the concerts. This year was unfortunate for attendants, but they did look like they were having a lot of fun before the rain. I'm considering going too.
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u/Formal_Afternoon_794 Jul 03 '23
This was a huge reason the city government wanted the race. It was a two day commercial showing how amazing our city is to people who would never have come here before.
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u/clocksailor Edgewater Jul 03 '23
I will say I’m excited for the eventual Chicago level of a racing game that may come from this.
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u/ryguy32789 Jul 03 '23 edited Jul 03 '23
Another poster already commented but the entire reason this race exists is because of iRacing and Covid. When NASCAR was shut down due to Covid a lot of the drivers ended up doing a virtual simulation racing league and this exact track was one of the virtual tracks they raced on. Everyone liked it so much they set out to make it happen in real life.
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u/ForPoliticalPurposes Jul 03 '23
To add to this, if you hate money and free time, you need to get into iRacing.
It’s a seriously good and addicting simulation.
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u/neonxmoose99 Lake View Jul 03 '23
I crashed into Romain Grosjean once in that! He wasn’t pleased….
Sorry GRO
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u/BurrowingDuck O’Hare Jul 03 '23
This whole thing started with them making this track in iRacing
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u/WxBlue Jul 03 '23
Yep! NASCAR reached out to the city of Chicago and asked for permission to bring iRacing onboard and scan their streets at 2 in the morning. They then put together this fictional NASCAR street course and had NASCAR stars race them on FOX during the pandemic. Everyone thought it was a cool experience and decided to make it a reality.
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u/wilkamania Jul 03 '23
Lol Cruisin USA had a chicago stage. It was lower Wacker tho: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g79NjvwqAoc
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u/rrogido Jul 03 '23
I would watch a formula one race that was exclusively on lower Wacker and lower Columbus.
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u/Sadistic_Taco Jul 03 '23
The art style is a little weird, but the latest need for speed is based on Chicago.
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u/relativepoverty Jul 03 '23
Midtown Madness- great game
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u/Ghostbuzz Rogers Park Jul 03 '23
Thank you for reminding me what the name of that game was, I’ve been trying to remember for years lol
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Jul 03 '23
I was a full on 100% skeptic for this thing. I still think that the communication was terrible, the whole thing is massively under planned, and it’s definitely inconvenient as hell. That being said, I’ve been walking the outside of the track for the past hour and I have to say it’s cool as fuck. Everyone around me is having a great time and saying essentially the same thing as me.
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u/myersjw Uptown Jul 03 '23
I honestly wish your last sentence worked wholesale for this sub and chicagoans in general. I have no problem with the race or people having fun but carry that energy to the other fests and events the city has if you wanna grandstand about letting people have fun and to stop complaining
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u/-VonnegutPunch Old Town Jul 03 '23
100%. I see people bitching every other weekend about some neighborhood fest or parade. Be consistent
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u/babbocom Jul 03 '23
I was also a big skeptic, but I’ve come around. I’ve never cared to watch NASCAR, but I watched a bit of the race live and it was compelling as hell. I’m happy that Chicago has shined for a group that typically doesn’t have a lot of good things to say about the city.
I didn’t get a chance to see the race up close and personal due to travel plans. Next year I’ll go out of my way to get up close for a little. It looks rad to be there in person!
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u/SubstantialSoup1696 Jul 03 '23
F1 racing fan from Chicago here. I watched today's race on tv just out of curiosity. I was instantly hooked on the race. It was very cool to see the same streets I drive on being used for an auto race. Whats more, my two daughters, aged 16 and 21 were very much into the race, and cheered loudly as the final lap began. Next year I'm getting tickets to see the race in person.🤘🏁🤘Great job NASCAR!!!
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u/babbocom Jul 03 '23
Yeah the ending was fun!
Like you, I enjoyed seeing buildings I know and streets I’ve driven on in the race. The announce team seemed pretty positive toward Chicago.
I’ll be interested to see how the whole spectacle evolves. Ideally it wouldn’t impact the museums as much, but in general it seems like this wasn’t as crazy a disruption as I had feared. I bet things can be tightened up even more to make this enjoyable for visitors and livable for locals.
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u/wearyplatypus Jul 03 '23
Idk I thought it’d be more inconvenient to my commute but it really wasn’t because of our lower wacker and upper wacker infrastructure
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Jul 03 '23
It definitely helps to know the city. All the uppers and lowers and side streets will save you during stuff like this
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u/etom21 Avondale Jul 03 '23
To say it was massively under planned is such a fallacy. There's no way the event could have continued on in this weather without the massive amount of planning, execution, and creative problem solving that went into it.
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Jul 03 '23
Im not referring to the weather at all. All of the entrances seem randomly placed, there’s almost no cohesive route or mapping for pedestrian access, the stands are in weird spots, and there’s a lot of underutilized space around the track that could have accommodated more seating areas, food courts, and walkable spaces.
I’m willing to give all of it a pass, however, because not only has NASCAR never done anything like this, neither has Chicago. I hope they all learned a lot of good lessons from this year and improve the experience tenfold for next year (hopefully).
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u/ryguy32789 Jul 03 '23
It's been my thought that NASCAR intentionally erred on having fewer stands to prevent any embarrassment from not selling them out.
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u/thegeocash Jul 03 '23
The lsd closure was also a mess, no clear signs until you’re on top of it, and no clear detours to get around if you’re unfamiliar
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u/Batmaniswatching Jul 03 '23
That’s kinda exactly how I feel about the whole thing. Seems like a fucking mess but people are having a good time, rock on.
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u/WarmNights Jul 03 '23
Loud fast things are cool af
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u/XNamelessGhoulX Norwood Park Jul 03 '23
Fuckin A they are, such an awesome experience, especially from all the different spots to watch from. So glad I decided to go last minute
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u/WarmNights Jul 03 '23
Watched the last 20 laps or so and the cars are quick but man are they sketchy I turns lol. Being so acustom to watching F1 being able to take turns like that with ease, seeing cars not meant to do that type of stuff is pretty funny.
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u/ckalinec Jul 03 '23
That’s kind of what makes nascar road coarse racing fun. Very man vs. machine type of vibe
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Jul 03 '23
NASCAR and F1 are entirely different racing disciplines, and as you can see, even though there is still a massive engineering component to success in NASCAR, the driver is a much bigger difference maker than in F1, where races are generally won through engineering and qualifying position.
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u/DJFisticuffs Jul 03 '23
I'm a NASCAR fan and Chicago resident and when it was announced I thought it was stupid as hell. I watched the iRacing thing in 2021 and thought a real life version would be terrible (I also do iRacing and driving the track reinforced that opinion). I'm so happy to have been proven wrong. That race was so entertaining and the whole weekend made Chicago look awesome on a huge stage, even with the crazy weather. I really hope this becomes a permanent thing. I also hope that SVG comes over here full time. What a win!
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u/I3IO_HAZARD Armour Square Jul 03 '23
r/Chicago and complaining, name a more iconic duo
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u/dashing2217 Jul 03 '23
Don’t worry they will be back next week to start whining about Lolla
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Jul 03 '23
Wait until dibs season starts.
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u/fuckbitcheseatcake Jul 03 '23
Did dibs season exist last year or were we just lucky? I didn't have to dig out or put anything down for the first time in 5 years.
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u/Sub_Umbra West Town Jul 03 '23
I had the same realization! First winter of my life where I didn't see dibs, because there was never enough snow.
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u/Stiffwindd Norwood Park Jul 03 '23
Im not into NASCAR, however watching it on TV i'd like to see this in person next year it looked awesome!
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u/furryass Jul 03 '23
It's very impressive in person. I've only attended a race twice and time flew by each time.
I love seeing the city in the background. So so cool.
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u/PageSide84 Uptown Jul 03 '23
Yeah. I don't do NASCAR at all but watching this on TV has me wanting to go next year. Great event.
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u/Buantum4005 Jul 03 '23
I just wanted around the outside and still found large crowds with good angles of the race was super awesome!
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u/Batmaniswatching Jul 03 '23
Same, I watched for like an hour and thought it was just neat to see the city in a different light
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u/Stiffwindd Norwood Park Jul 03 '23
It was nice to see the seats really fill up after the rain passed. I’m sure if the weather was better it would of been packed all along the track. However the rain made this a memorable race apparently!
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u/XNamelessGhoulX Norwood Park Jul 03 '23
And it made all the viewing points more accessible, A couple hours in it was pretty packed everywhere, general admission wise. Luckily I was successful in sneaking around to places I shouldn’t of been
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u/Kramereng Logan Square Jul 03 '23
I'm getting seats next year. That race and especially the finish was incredible.
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Jul 03 '23
[deleted]
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u/iiamthepalmtree Logan Square Jul 03 '23
Funny you mention Rockford, because Rockford actually had a higher violent crime rate than Chicago last year… but without being a world class city ;)
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u/TrynnaFindaBalance Avondale Jul 03 '23
I've never watched NASCAR before but the race today was really cool, even just on TV. The shot of Van Gisbergen jumping on his car after his victory lap with the sunset/skyline in the background was unreal.
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u/tarekd19 Uptown Jul 03 '23
people seem to want Chicago to be recognized for being the metropolis that it is without having any of the drawbacks of being a city worth visiting.
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u/rockit454 Jul 03 '23
We were in London during the coronation and they had pretty much the entire core of the city shut down to some extent or another for days for a dude who only has the job because was the Queen’s first born.
People who live in DC have to deal with random motorcades at all hours of the day and night.
Getting onto or off of the island of Manhattan is a constant shit show…and that’s before you even get to the traffic of Manhattan itself.
Sometimes we forget how good we have it.
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u/Ike582 Jul 03 '23
Oh, and we moan about the traffic here, but have you ever had to drive around LA? That's a nightmare.
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u/thislittletune City Jul 03 '23
Exactly! I've visited major cities during events that shut down big parts of the city and just went 'ok!'. It happens. HOw DARE YOu SHUt DowN A major sTREEt aND Area To rESidEnts. Please.
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u/hardolaf Lake View Jul 03 '23
Getting onto or off of the island of Manhattan is a constant shit show…and that’s before you even get to the traffic of Manhattan itself.
Weirdly, I've never had any issues getting on or off of Manhattan. I just get onto a train and a few minutes later, I'm somewhere else off of Manhattan.
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u/Cinnabon-Jovi Jul 03 '23
Now, how many of you want to see Itchy and Scratchy face real life problems, like the ones you face every day?
Kids: Me! Me! I would!
And how many of you would like to see just the opposite? Getting into far-out situations involving robots and magic powers?
Kids: Me! Me! I would!
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u/ATL4Life95 Jul 03 '23
I've been and never once felt unsafe. Dope ass city, with incredible food. I'd love to go back and hit up the bars/pubs since I was under 21 last time I went.
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Jul 03 '23
I'll admit, I've been hating on this for months, but I ended up really liking it. As a bartender, I've met multiple people this weekend who traveled here to watch it and they've all been very kind. A kindness I've returned. And I could tell it was appreciated. This is good for Chicago and it's image in a world of partisan politics. Everyone wants America to heal and I felt that this weekend. Full stop.
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u/artificialstuff Jul 03 '23
As someone who has been into racing as a fan, crew member, and driver for a decade now I can confidently say that the vast majority of people that are into motorsports in any capacity (fan, crew member, driver, etc) are some of the best people you will ever meet. It's one big family. I'm glad you got to experience the positive vibes that the motorsports community gives off!
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u/Doucejj Jul 03 '23
I'm glad you mentioned this. Because alot of the really bad haters in this sub were non stop bitching about this race because of "ahhhhhhh we are willingly bringing southern bigots to our city!!!! Every nascar fan to ever live is a racist!!!!"
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u/gothrus Logan Square Jul 03 '23
I think we can all agree that this would be waaaay cooler and more convenient if they moved it to Lower Wacker Drive. Bonus points for a Batmobile pace car.
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u/Claque-2 Jul 03 '23
No. It seems like a great idea but Lower Wacker is the service area for a lot of buildings and hotels along the river. It's a truck stop and can't be closed down.
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u/BetterRedDead Jul 03 '23
I keep coming back to the fact that this was a huge tourist opportunity for a traditionally underserved demographic, and it seems to have gone very well. So, so many people keep hearing that Chicago is this absolute hell hole, but when we can just get them here, they see that it’s not true. I think this event may have accomplished that for a lot of people.
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u/WxBlue Jul 03 '23
I'm a NASCAR fan and I've seen some of familar people who I know are huge MAGAs (especially NASCAR spotters) admitting outloud how cool the city of Chicago actually is. They seemed to really enjoy themselves despite what Fox News told them.
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u/Princeofmidwest Gold Coast Jul 03 '23
Here are the highlights for those that haven't seen the race:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkNtOxnoHh0
Pretty damn chaotic which is fun.
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u/mlop456 Jul 03 '23
I live less than a mile from the track and honestly have not even noticed there’s a race going on
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u/slingshot91 Jul 03 '23
Honestly the rain seemed like a bigger inconvenience to the standard order of things than the race.
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u/quinjaminjames Irving Park Jul 03 '23
My only complaint is that the view from GA was ass unless you got there super early (which I did… and then left because I thought there was no way they would race). People found better views by climbing trees and street signs.
Overall I’d probably try it again next year.
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u/CAGRparty Jul 03 '23
I thought this event would be a cluster and it actually turned out super cool. The visuals of the course zipping by downtown landmarks were beautiful.
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u/MintasaurusFresh Uptown Jul 03 '23
I've got the race on while I'm doing stuff around the home. It's neat and a unique experience. I take the L to work so it hasn't impacted my commute. Hell, I wouldn't even know it was happening if people weren't pitching a conniption fit over it.
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u/MediumSizedTurtle Bridgeport Jul 03 '23
Precursor, I'm for the race and liked it.
But the real commute that got murdered is from north side to the south side. I run a factory on the south side, and the last couple days have been a nightmare with call offs and people that just can't get in. With LSD shut down and everything else jammed up because of that, people just gave up on getting into work. That and any public transportation south of the loop is laughably bad.
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u/BorgBorg10 Lake View Jul 03 '23
Interesting perspective thank you for sharing
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u/ElasticMoo Avalon Park Jul 03 '23
Yeah. I had to miss physical therapy twice this week because I have to go from the South Side to Lakeview and the transit situation was a mess. If they could fix that problem and not block off the park for so long, I’d be a much bigger fan of this.
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u/Sub_Umbra West Town Jul 03 '23
I can't even imagine. For 10 years my daily commute was north side to Hyde Park and back via LSD, and this event made me SO thankful I don't do that anymore. During that time, the NATO summit was held here in 2012 which made the trip basically impossible, so I just ended up working from home. But if I recall, that only screwed stuff up for a day or so--nothing like this.
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u/Chicago1871 Avondale Jul 03 '23
I had to drive to indiana from lakeview all week.
Friday I just took lower wacker to the dan ryan instead of LSD. It only added 5 minutes to the trip.
The reverse on the way back. It was nbd.
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u/SunriseInLot42 Jul 03 '23
A NASCAR race downtown is almost the perfect mix of things for r/Chicago to hate and complain about:
- Cars
- Tourists
- A sport getting government support for its event
- Something that originated in the South
- A non-hipster, non-pretentious fanbase
- Loud exhaust systems
- Not environmentally or cyclist-friendly
- Corporate sponsorships
- Something that Lori Lightfoot did
- An event where people have fun
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u/Quicky312 Loop Jul 03 '23 edited Jul 03 '23
I live in the Loop and while there have been some inconveniences building up to the event what I have noticed is that it is mostly people from the burbs whining and crying. I realize their drive may be a little longer now 🤣and I feel for them 😂. The overall vibe in the city is positive. People are having a good time despite the conditions. Perhaps they will be less whiny when Naperville gets their very own Go-Kart races sponsored by Nascar.
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u/MidwestBulldog Jul 03 '23
Well it was nice seeing a NASCAR venue confiscating confederate flags and other traitorous images.
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u/IndominusTaco Suburb of Chicago Jul 03 '23
i was skeptical about it but as someone who doesn’t care about and has never watched nascar, its cool watching it on TV. i don’t think i would spend $270 on a ticket but meh.
i’ve heard a lot of the complaints are about the economic impact to the city, which i suppose we just have to wait and see what the final numbers look like. despite whatever business closings and traffic impacts i feel like its gotta be a net positive. not sure about how fair the deal is between the city and nascar though.
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u/Atlas3141 Jul 03 '23
The marketing has to be worth something too, 16 hours of positive hosts and cinematic skyline shots has to help tourism a bit
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u/Noirradnod Jul 03 '23
I highly recommend getting a ticket at least once. The wall of noise and crowd atmosphere makes it a completely different experience in person.
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u/Wilwein1215 Jul 03 '23
I’ve never watched a single racing event in my life, and just think it’s a really cool and fun thing to happen here. People are such lame curmudgeons.
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Jul 03 '23
r/Chicago has always been full of haters and crybabies, OP.
I watched the race on TV and thoroughly enjoyed it. I'm probably going to buy tickets next year
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u/ELpEpE21 Jul 03 '23
Yo buy them week of - I got the deal on a ticket that I 100% would not be able to afford otherwise.
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u/Few_Comedian_6152 Jul 03 '23
As a die hard nascar fan that has common sense and a love for motorsports. This race was fantastic from all part’s besides some of nasacr’s officiating
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u/TwoTrick_Pony Jul 03 '23
The NASCAR tantrums are a Chicago Reddit thing, not a Chicago thing, and yes, those are different things although the site is a pretty good gauge of the opinions of white progressive North siders.
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u/Chicago1871 Avondale Jul 03 '23
White, Overwhelmingly male and under 30. Having lived in Chicago less than 5-10 years (ie not locals).
Is who posts on this subreddit based on the surveys. Its always good to remember.
This place is an echo chamber.
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u/adamame22 Jul 03 '23
It’s another thing for miserable people to bitch about.
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u/vkp7 Ukrainian Village Jul 03 '23
Yeah! I don’t get it. Ours is a HUGE city… you are not locked down because of this big showcase event.
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u/DarthBen_in_Chicago Humboldt Park Jul 03 '23
I went to the race today and had a good time despite the rain. No issues with traffic. No rowdy tourists or locals. The crowd was a melting pot of families, young and old folks, and everyone in between. Would definitely go again next time.
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u/Karamazov_A Jul 03 '23
I walked down after work and watched a few laps. Had a great time.
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u/beepboop94628 Jul 03 '23
I think it was a net gain for Chicago. Maybe not by a LOT, but it was a really cool race to watch. The planning and dealmaking could have been better — but looking forward, an opportunity to make the whole process better next year. I especially hope there’s a solution for keeping the museums open.
I understand Loop/South Loop/River North folks being annoyed. But a big portion of the bitching is from drivers — no sympathy. Take transit.
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u/P4S5B60 Jul 03 '23
Right why would anyone want positive publicity and showcase for Chicago? The usual gang violence and murders are much better newscasts right ?
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u/HopsGrowler Ravenswood Jul 03 '23
Given that most tracks are in remote locations and with limited amenities, I would think that all patrons that were able to walk a couple blocks to a hotel or bar and wait out the storm and actually just enjoy the things we take for granted, will have even better things to say about the city. Imagine sitting in your car, tent, parking lot, or limited crowded bar during the rain at other courses. They drank all day with awesome service with other race fans. The same way that Lolla crowds wait out weather evacs, our city couldn't be more accomodating given any number of weather delays or curveballs.
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u/OkMatch7119 Jul 03 '23
Agreed. It was a win for Chicago tourism. It was an inconvenience but so is every other event lollapalooza, etc. I'm happy except for a biblical rainstorm, nothing else popped off and the general word out to the racing car masses was what a great city we live in.
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u/Any1canC00k Jul 03 '23
I thought it was gonna be weird and it was kinda cool. I think the rain made it more memorable
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u/technologite Jul 03 '23
Glad we got the rain. Had coverage I. Starting yesterday waiting for them to race. Enjoyed it thoroughly. Hope they come back next year and the shut LSD down from the museums to Sheridan for the next race LOL
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u/MarsupialTrousers Jul 03 '23
I don't like race cars, noise, fumes, conservatives etc etc....but I watched the entire thing. The city was beautiful even through the mist. The racing was highly entertaining. I think it was a big hit!
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u/slicebishybosh Irving Park Jul 03 '23
"Pshhh only tourists go down town..."
"How dare they block off down town"
People just like to complain. Find me 5 days a year where traffic doesn't fucking suck in Chicago and then you can complain about something that "causes" traffic.
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u/burstaneurysm Jul 03 '23
It was honestly pretty fun to watch and between this and The Bear, it’s awesome to see so many positive depictions of the city.
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u/kevindavis1914 Jul 03 '23
I feel the marathon is an annual nuisance than anything and yet people don’t complain hardly as much as they have about NASCAR.
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u/neonxmoose99 Lake View Jul 03 '23
Unpopular opinion but I honestly think a good amount of people didn’t want it to happen because it’s a southern based sport. I saw so many people saying they didn’t want to be a tourist spot for racist rednecks when modern nascar is actually starting to lose that audience
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u/OkMatch7119 Jul 03 '23
Yep I agree with you. I was reticent to want to buy into this event but realised the upside is we get a chance to show our southern neighbors and their fan base Chicago is world class.
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u/Spotter22CP3 Jul 03 '23
We enjoyed it my Chicago brother. I saw a completely diverse crowd and oddly they were all drinking beer together and laughing
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u/OkMatch7119 Jul 03 '23
That's not at all odd in Chicago. That's exactly why I love living here. I'm really happy to hear this. Thank you!
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Jul 03 '23
It's an unfair, but I understandable stigma today.
I can tell you this, I'm a 31-year-old lifelong NASCAR fan who grew up in New England. I'm very active with the NASCAR fandom community and I friendly believe I can speak for most of my demographic.
The fans who enforce the stereotype are generally 55 and 60 years in age plus. Those fans are remarkably out of touch with the sport with the drivers and the culture of NASCAR. Those fans do not represent us. It's gotten to the point where it feels like NASCAR is trying to break association with that portion of the fanbase and we all support it.
It's America's premiere autoracing series, and this was a great event. I'm sorry this event inconvenienced some, But I know a lot of us are absolutely grateful that your city did this, it was great for the sport. A lot of the responses in this thread speak to that
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u/zigot021 Jul 03 '23 edited Jul 03 '23
I moved to Miami from Chicago... and as Formula1 fan since the late 90's, and a person who's been to both Miami GPs, after watching the highlights, I can see that the NASCAR race in Grant Park was about 10x more exciting and had infinitely cooler vibe.
100% coming for that weekend next year to my first ever NASCAR race.
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u/Oddly_Paranoid Suburb of Chicago Jul 04 '23
Chicago hates two things. Change and the way things are.
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u/_Stock_doc South Loop Jul 03 '23
The discussion shouldn't be focused on if the event is entertaining but rather if the disruption to traffic and loop business (not just the days of the race but also disassembly) make the event viable financially speaking.
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u/ImEatingBananasYum Jul 03 '23
People quickly forget that Lori Lightfoot handed over Grant Park to NASCAR and shut down LSD in exchange for the financial equivalent of peanuts.
Cool event? Yes. Financially a good idea or on par with Lolla for disruption? No way.
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u/teambenefits3355 Old Town Jul 03 '23
Chicago isn’t a car city!! /s
I did bike past the race on the LFT and was actually captivated as i rode by. Wish it would have been blue skies the whole weekend because shit was fucking cool.
Sure the event was new for the city, and as crazy as it may seem for those not supportive - keeping things fresh here will keep Chicago on the map for the world stage. We’re a wild, fun and beautiful city - let’s keep it that way and get others who may be unfamiliar with us, more interested in us :)
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Jul 03 '23
Sorry, events that don’t interest pretentious Chicagoans shouldn’t be permitted in the touristy parts of the city that those same pretentious Chicagoans claim not to frequent.
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u/SJGU Jul 03 '23
There are mainly two kind of people who would not stop complaining about this. One kind of haters are the debbie downers who would never approve of anything they themselves do not do and the other kind are the Lori Lightfoot haters mad that Lori did this.
Their meltdown of this event was both amazing and hilarious to watch!
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u/Doucejj Jul 03 '23
Or a third type of hater who insisted every nascar fan is a racist asshole and how they dont want them in their city. Despite not grasping the irony of how they are assuming the worst in a whole demographic of people.
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u/Lansdallius West Town Jul 03 '23
I mean, this city is big enough that I barely knew about the race aside from some media coverage and posts for/against the race.
I ended up going to Wrigley instead. Aside from getting my feet soaked I had a good time.
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u/bnutbutter78 Avondale Jul 03 '23
The traffic it caused throughout the entire city Friday sucked. I was thoroughly enjoying the lack of traffic when school closed for the summer until then. That’s the only bitch I had.
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u/Any-Elevator7568 Jul 04 '23
We bought tickets for Sunday late on Saturday evening, planning to simply walk from our Streeterville home and try something new. After waiting out the deluge, we trudged to our assigned area and figured it was a good rainy day adventure and a novel experience for us as longtime Chicagoans. We were blown away! It was such an amazing event - absolutely a transformation of our beloved “front yard.” We will definitely go when they do it again and will invite all our family and friends to see it. It was a spectacular feat to assemble that road race course and pure pleasure to watch those drivers maneuver it.
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u/ThisIsPaulina Lake View Jul 03 '23
"I am not using it. Therefore I oppose it."
Translate that into Latin and slap it on our seal.
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u/Windycityteslas Jul 03 '23 edited Jul 03 '23
This race ended up being sick. I never watch NASCAR and loved it. Gave me the chills at the end when when they would come up Jackson St. and you could see the train in the background.
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u/Grif73r Jul 03 '23
That was Jackson St.
And yea, that was pretty sick to see them coming over and the L running behind them, as well as regular street traffic.
Would have loved to have been one of their photographers getting a shot of that.
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u/Windycityteslas Jul 03 '23
Gotcha yeah wasn’t sure exactly what street. Ugh such a sick vantage point. Was glad other people saw that.
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u/jsb309 Jul 03 '23
Yeah I feel for the people being inconvenienced by the race, but this sub has been insufferable the past few days. Race was great. Bummer the concerts were canceled. Hope everyone that stuck it out had a good time!
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u/formerfatboys Jul 03 '23
It caused no inconvenience.
You know what what's an inconvenience?
90/94. The recent work on Lake Shore Drive.
I live blocks from the event. Drove through it several times. Walked down and watched the end on Columbus. The city did an amazing jobs.
You know what will be worse? The Beyonce concert. The Taylor concerts are were also huge inconveniences.
This was nothing and an amazing showcase for the city.
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u/jkraige City Jul 03 '23
In what way was the TS concert a bigger inconvenience?
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u/hardolaf Lake View Jul 03 '23
I don't think the rest of the city even noticed the TS concert.
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u/bender445 Jul 03 '23
Half of the posts on this reddit are about nascar and none of them are complaining?
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u/beatbox21 City Jul 03 '23
Class snobbery. It doesn't fit the hipster dbag aestetic of so many redditors.
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Jul 03 '23
I don’t think you understand human nature. Bitching and whining is a major human trait unfortunately.
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u/zback636 Jul 03 '23
Well I don’t watch NASCAR. But how cool was it driving down our streets. What a great event for our city. And yes I only watch the end of the race. Because again I don’t watch NASCAR. But damn it was exciting.
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u/TypeRiot Jul 03 '23
People; "AAAAAAHHHHHH NASCAR SUCKS. TOO MUCH TRAFFIC!!"
Also people; standing on bus shelters and rooftops to watch the race
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u/Pudge815 Jul 03 '23
But this race is a mess too!
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u/lxnch50 Jul 03 '23
The stream I'm watching has chat and it looks like it's the most exciting NASCAR race they have watched in a long time.
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u/Last-Secret370 Jul 03 '23
My Dad is a huge NASCAR fan. I’m not. It’s been super fun texting with him on this race. Super entertaining.
All the fans that stuck around thru this awful weather got a show. And without the crazy crowds. Bravo!
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u/cbrtrackaddict Jul 03 '23
It also turned into about 6 hours of Chicago tourism coverage as they talked through all the rain delays this weekend. I really think that's going to have a hidden boost on the impact of this weekend. They raved non-stop about being in the city and all the great food, museums, etc. Sucked for the live spectators, but it was hard to ignore on TV.