NASCAR Must Answer For Chicago Street Race Ineptitude

After the weather-impacted chaos of NASCAR's inaugural Chicago Street Course race in 2023 was saved by Shane van Gisbergen's historic win , one would think the sanctioning body would take appropriate measures to ensure this one ran a bit smoother.

Yet instead -- with rain being in the forecast once again -- they started the race after 5 P.M. and then took their sweet time during a later delay, and the race completed only 58 of its scheduled 75 laps.

Keep in mind, that 75-lap distance was already shortened from the 100 that the 2023 race was supposed to be. This one also probably could have been scheduled for 100, had NASCAR given itself more than a barely four-hour window to complete the race -- given the unique nature of racing on city streets, it could not be postponed past Sunday as the track has to be deconstructed, and it could not run past 9:20 P.M. due to impending darkness.

Not starting the race much earlier in the afternoon was NASCAR's first mistake. Then, things got even worse when, midway through Stage Two, what had been a steady drizzle throughout the afternoon turned into hard rain, and the race was red-flagged. The rain lasted for about an hour before drivers were called back to their cars at 7:30, set to restart with wet-weather tires. Yet it took more than 30 additional minutes to get going again.

This was absolutely inexcusable. NASCAR should have been fully prepared to resume action as soon as the rain had lightened, and those were 30 valuable minutes that could have been spent completing the race. Instead, NASCAR was forced to set a time limit in which there would be two laps to go the moment the clock hit 9:20. With each lap taking just upwards of 90 seconds, 30 minutes could have meant close to 20 more laps. The race was ultimately shortened by 17.

For the second year in a row, fans showed up in droves to this highly marketed event, and were treated to a race full of weather delays that did not complete its scheduled distance. This time, it was completely avoidable on NASCAR's part, and there was no historic first-time winner to wash out the bad taste.

Those fans, and all who tuned in on TV, deserve answers. Elton Sawyer, Steve O'Donnell, and the rest of NASCAR's race control braintrust owe the people an apology, and must be better moving forward.

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