Illinois has spent nearly $7 million to sponsor a Metro East NASCAR race and build a temporary track in Chicago since 2022. The expenditures are part of a broader state tourism campaign.

The state-sponsored Enjoy Illinois 300 outside St. Louis is the NASCAR Cup Series’ second playoff race this season and creates $60 million of regional economic impact.

The Chicago Street Race is not returning in 2026 after generating a $128 million economic impact in 2024.

The fiscal year 2026 state budget includes $7 million of unspent grant funding for NASCAR plus another $5 million of new grants.

This summary was written by the reporters and editors who worked on this story.

NASCAR will not be returning to Chicago streets next summer as the racing series takes its road act to likely sunnier weath

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