Natalia Chi
You’ll see plenty of McDonald’s logos at the NASCAR Chicago Street Races in Grant Park on the 4th of July weekend.
The fast food giant was named Wednesday’s founding promotional partner for a two-day racing and entertainment event that will give Chicago-based McDonald’s a highly visible presence across pop-up racetracks.
McDonald’s essentially sponsors the ultimate drive-thru of 200 mph racing cars through downtown Chicago.
The Cup Series event, which airs on July 2, features a 12-turn, 2.2-mile racetrack where NASCAR’s top drivers race to Grant Park on closed streets lined with temporary fences, grandstands and hospitality suites. to navigate. McDonald’s will display the brand on portions of the course, the start/finish line in front of Buckingham Fountain, and additional locations throughout the event’s footprint.
Another Xfinity Series race, the second tier of NASCAR competition, is scheduled for July 1st.
“NASCAR plays such an important role in sports culture that we are thrilled to be the first founding partner of this race in our hometown of Chicago.”
The Chicago Street Race is McDonald’s first race-level NASCAR partnership, sponsoring the 23XI Racing Team with drivers Bubba Wallace and Tyler Reddick. 23XI Racing is now in its third season and is co-owned by former Chicago Bulls superstar Michael Jordan.
McDonald’s is the original founding partner of the Chicago Street Race, but NASCAR, which has an office in Chicago, plans to announce additional corporate sponsors as the event gets closer, a spokesperson said Wednesday. Landing McDonald’s could help NASCAR expand its sponsorship further in Chicago.
“McDonald’s is an iconic global brand with roots in Chicago, making it the perfect founding partner for one of the most anticipated sporting events in NASCAR’s 75-year history.
NASCAR expects 100,000 attendees to attend the weekend’s festival. Headlined by Miranda Lambert, The Chainsmokers and The Black Crowes, the festival also includes full-length concerts ranging from country to electronic dance.
General admission tickets for two days, including races and concerts, went on sale last month starting at $269.
In November, NASCAR began selling two-day reservation tickets starting at $465. Premium club seats are much more expensive. At the top of the list is a temporary hospitality suite above Pit Road, where tickets to the President’s Paddock Club cost him over $3,000 apiece.
NASCAR has signed a three-year deal to transform the area around Grant Park into a temporary racetrack. Under the terms of the deal, NASCAR will pay Chicago Park District $500,000 this year, $550,000 for him in 2024, and $605,000 for him in 2025, with a two-year renewal option. In addition, NASCAR pays the Park District a $2 fee per admission ticket and tiered commissions starting at 15% on food, beverages and merchandise sold at the event.
The course begins on Columbus Drive in front of Buckingham Fountain and continues along Dusable Lake Shore Drive and South Michigan Avenue.
NASCAR will have full access to the racetrack area for nine days before and three days after the event. However, the contract states that the entire staging window, the process of building and tearing down temporary facilities, will last for a month, starting three weeks before the race weekend.
Concerns are growing about the potential for disruption to the museum campus during staging and during the race weekend itself. NASCAR said Wednesday it is working with the city to finalize a transportation and event management plan to be submitted to the city council in the coming weeks.
