Chicagoland Speedway
Chicagoland Speedway at a glance
- Location
- Joliet, Illinois
- Type
- oval
- Length
- 1.52 mi (2.446 km)
- Turns
- 4
- Direction
- counter-clockwise
- Banking
- 18° in the turns, 11° on the frontstretch, 5° on the backstretch
- Surface
- asphalt
- Opened
- 2001
- Owner
- NASCAR
- Capacity
- 47,000
- Address
- 500 Speedway Boulevard
- Phone
- +1 855-796-7223
- Website
- chicagolandspeedway.com
Track map and layout
Chicagoland Speedway is a mile-and-a-half, D-shaped intermediate oval built to the same modern template as tracks like Kansas and Kentucky, with progressive banking - 18 degrees in the turns tapering down to 11 degrees on the frontstretch and just 5 degrees on the backstretch - that lets cars run multiple grooves at speed. That mix of high-turn banking and flatter straights is designed to produce the kind of side-by-side, multi-lane racing NASCAR intermediate ovals are known for, particularly with the sport's current Next Gen car, which has been credited with reviving interest in the layout. The track is a single-configuration oval with no road course or drag strip on site, unlike some of its regional peers.
Configurations
| Layout | Length | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Oval | 1.52 mi | Sole configuration used for all national-series racing at the track. |
Events and race weekends
Chicagoland Speedway hosted NASCAR Cup Series racing every year from its 2001 opening through 2019, after which NASCAR shifted its Chicago-market race downtown to a street circuit and the speedway went largely dormant for major national racing between 2020 and 2025. NASCAR announced in 2025 that the Cup Series would return to Chicagoland for 2026 and 2027, and the track hosted a full Independence Day weekend of national-series racing - Cup, the second-tier national series, and ARCA - on July 3-5, 2026, marking its first NASCAR national-series action since 2019.
| Event | Series | When | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| eero 400 (2026 title) | NASCAR Cup Series | July | Returned to the schedule for 2026 and 2027 after a six-year absence; Chase Briscoe won the 2026 running. |
| NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series race | NASCAR national series | July | Support race run the same Independence Day weekend as the Cup event. |
Getting there and parking
The track sits in Joliet, Illinois, about 45 miles southwest of downtown Chicago, making Chicago's two major airports the natural gateways for visitors. Most fans drive from the Chicago metro area; race weekends bring heavy traffic on the interstates and local roads feeding the speedway, and the track publishes route and shuttle guidance ahead of major events.
- Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) · about 40 min drive
- Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) · about 55 min drive
Parking
General parking is free; Preferred Parking closer to the grandstands, with extra room for tailgating, is available for purchase.
Hotels and camping near Chicagoland Speedway
Joliet itself has a reasonable supply of chain hotels close to the track, and many fans also base themselves in the wider Chicago southwest suburbs or in the city itself for a broader trip, given the roughly 45-mile drive. Rooms near the track can fill quickly for the returning Independence Day weekend given years of pent-up demand for a Chicago-area Cup race.
Where to look
Joliet has the closest hotel supply; the wider Chicago southwest suburbs and downtown Chicago itself are common alternate bases, roughly 45 minutes to over an hour away.
Camping
On-site camping is available across several named campgrounds - Speedway Ridge, Lower Ridge, and Lakeside - positioned along the backstretch and near a pond south of the track.
RV
RV and tent camping spots are sold in the track's designated campgrounds; specifics on pricing and hookups are published ahead of each race weekend on the official site.
Track days, driving experiences and lap records
Chicagoland Speedway does not run a public HPDE or ride-along program, and given its long dormancy between 2020 and its 2026 NASCAR revival, no active track-day operator was confirmed for this guide. Public access to the facility centers on its NASCAR national-series race weekend in early July.
Lap records
| Category | Time | Driver | Car | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IndyCar qualifying | 0:24.4216 | Buddy Rice | Dallara-Honda | 2002 |
Spectator guide
Grandstands run along the frontstretch with capacity for roughly 47,000, giving fans a wide view of the intermediate oval's progressive banking. Because the track sat mostly unused for several years before its 2026 return, some facility upgrades were part of NASCAR's revival plan; fans should expect a track brought back up to modern standards rather than one that had continued hosting major events uninterrupted. Early July weather in the Chicago area is typically warm and can be humid, with a chance of thunderstorms.
Seating
Grandstands line the frontstretch facing pit road and start/finish; the track's official seating chart lists individual sections for race weekends.
Best places to watch
Seats near the start/finish line and upper rows of the frontstretch grandstands give the widest view of the progressive-banking oval.
Bag policy
A maximum of two bags per person is allowed; backpacks, diaper bags, clutch bags and fanny packs are permitted up to 18" x 18" x 14", and one soft-sided cooler up to 14" x 14" x 14" is permitted per person.
Weather
- July: Warm, sometimes humid Chicago-area summer weather, with a chance of afternoon thunderstorms around the Independence Day race weekend.
History of Chicagoland Speedway
Building for the Chicago market
Chicagoland Speedway broke ground in September 1999 and opened on July 12, 2001, built at a cost of about $130 million to give NASCAR a purpose-built intermediate oval within reach of the huge Chicago media market. The 1.52-mile D-shaped oval quickly took its place on the Cup Series schedule and hosted a Cup race every year from its opening through 2019, becoming a fixture of the sport's late-summer stretch run.
Nineteen years, then a pause
Over those nineteen seasons Chicagoland built a solid, if not legendary, reputation as a good but rarely spectacular intermediate oval, producing competitive if sometimes single-file racing typical of similarly designed 1.5-mile tracks of that era. Attendance softened over the 2010s as NASCAR's overall crowds declined nationwide, and after the 2019 race NASCAR chose to move its flagship Chicago-market event to a new downtown street circuit rather than return to Joliet, leaving the speedway without a national-series date for the first time since it opened.
Dormancy and a modernized car
Between 2020 and 2025 Chicagoland saw only sporadic use, including a SuperMotocross event in 2023, but no NASCAR national-series racing. Sentiment around the track shifted as NASCAR's Next Gen car, introduced in 2022, produced markedly better multi-groove racing at similar intermediate ovals like Kansas, renewing interest in bringing Cup racing back to tracks of Chicagoland's style.
The 2026 return
In 2025 NASCAR announced Chicagoland Speedway would return to the national schedule for 2026 and 2027, with a full Independence Day weekend of ARCA, national-series, and Cup Series action. The track underwent maintenance and upgrades to bring it back to modern standards, and on July 5, 2026, it hosted its first Cup Series race in seven years, the eero 400, won by Chase Briscoe - marking a genuine revival rather than a one-off nostalgia date, with NASCAR having already committed to a second year in 2027.
Frequently asked questions
Is Chicagoland Speedway still active?+
Yes. After going dormant for NASCAR national-series racing between 2020 and 2025, the track returned to the Cup Series schedule for 2026 and 2027, hosting its first Cup race in seven years on July 5, 2026.
Why did Chicagoland Speedway stop hosting NASCAR races?+
After the 2019 season NASCAR moved its Chicago-market race to a new downtown street circuit instead of returning to the speedway, and the track went largely unused for major racing for several years.
How long is Chicagoland Speedway?+
It's a 1.52-mile, D-shaped intermediate oval with progressive banking from 18° in the turns down to 5° on the backstretch.
Who owns Chicagoland Speedway?+
NASCAR itself, which has owned the track since 2019.
How far is Chicagoland Speedway from downtown Chicago?+
About 45 miles southwest, in Joliet, Illinois.
Who won the first Cup race back at Chicagoland in 2026?+
Chase Briscoe won the eero 400 on July 5, 2026, edging Christopher Bell to the line.
Other tracks nearby
- Blackhawk Farms Raceway · 89 mi · road course
- RedBud MX · 93 mi · motocross
- The Milwaukee Mile · 107 mi · road course & oval
- GingerMan Raceway · 118 mi · road course
- Ironman Raceway · 119 mi · motocross
- Putnam Park Road Course · 142 mi · road course
Facts checked against 6 sources including the official circuit website. Last reviewed 2026-09-09.