JOLIET, IL – A return to Chicagoland Speedway after six years on the Fourth of July weekend highlights some of the quandaries NASCAR has with its schedule and also the opportunities.
Is it more important to try to reinvigorate an audience at a traditional oval or reach new fans through a downtown street race?
Did the pendulum swing too far toward road races in favor of traditional ovals?
Is Chicago, the United States' third-largest metro area, even the right place to race on Independence Day for a sport with rural roots and Southern traditions?
"We have a great facility here," said Cup Series driver Bubba Wallace, whose team owners include Chicago sports icon Michael Jordan.