Mayor mum on NASCAR's future in Chicago

Mayor Brandon Johnson dodged direct questions along pit row Sunday afternoon about whether the NASCAR Chicago Street Race return for another lap next y year, while Ald. Brendan Reilly (42nd) said Chicago needs a deal that benefits both parties.

When asked if he or his administration would be meeting with NASCAR to discuss a future extension, Johnson deflected to talk about the weather, a topic of concern for many race attendees this weekend.

“Right now, we’re just going to talk with God and make sure we keep the clouds back. That’s the most important conversation right now,” Johnson said. “When I get done praying, and the weather holds up, then we’ll have a conversation afterward.”

Regarding the race itself, Johnson said he was rooting for the team co-owned by Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan, and for British driver Katherine Legge, who is making her Chicago debut.

“Well, Team Jordan is here, No. 45, local Chicago. You always gotta root for local,” he said. “But I’m really excited about, for the first time, a woman qualifying for this moment. That’s a big deal for sports and for this particular race. So, of course, I’ll be rooting for the woman. You always gotta root for the woman.”

Reilly said discussions about NASCAR’s future in the city are in the works.

“Obviously, we know that there’s a two-year extension that needs to be discussed,” Reilly said. “The administration’s going to sit down with NASCAR in the coming weeks to try to work that out.”

Reilly emphasized that city officials will be watching any upcoming negotiations closely.

“I think local aldermen that represent portions of wards that surround the race want to make sure that it remains a good deal for Chicago taxpayers and that NASCAR continues to uphold its high standards for protecting quality of life and those concerns,” he said. “We’ll see, but certainly it’s become a popular event in Chicago. Hopefully, we can work out beneficial terms that work for NASCAR and for the city of Chicago.”

When asked his own thoughts about the weekend, Reilly kept it simple: “Praying for sun today.”