NASCAR Chicago Street Race fans, organizers praise diversity efforts — 'There's always more work to do'

Christopher Boone fell in love with NASCAR in 2007 when channel surfing led him to the Daytona 500.

Over the years, he has seen the organization change, with different types of people represented behind the wheel and in the stands.

“The culture is drastically different,” said Boone, 27, a Chicago native who now lives in East Chicago, Ind. “It's more diverse than ever. I'm seeing a lot more people of color being NASCAR fans nowadays than back in the day.”

Boone was among some of those fans at NASCAR’s Chicago Street Race in Grant Park on Saturday. Broadening the audience for the sport has been a goal of the event since its inception in 2023. Reports show that the event has made gradual improvements in attracting more women, younger people and more ethnically diverse attendees, but the majority of fans are still predominantly white and male. Still, organizers and visitors alike celebrate the progress, even as the race’s future in Chicago has not been confirmed.

“I'm always of the opinion that there's always more work to do,” said Julie Giese, president of the NASCAR Chicago Street Race. “I’m really proud of the community engagement work that we've done over the last three years. Advice that I got from many people is that we needed to be present, but we needed to be authentic. I don't think the work is ever done, but I like where we are right now.”

The NASCAR Chicago Street Race Economic Impact Report finds 32.9% of last year’s attendees were female — up from 29.2% in 2023. Black and Latino fans accounted for 5% and 8% of 2024 attendees, respectively, compared with 2% and 5% the previous year.

Though the number of attendees between ages 18 and 24 has remained consistent at around 5%, the number of attendees between 25 and 34 has increased from 15.3% to 18.2%.

Giese says that 80% of attendees in 2023 said the event was their first NASCAR race.

“When we go to a new market, especially when you think about what we're doing in Chicago, it lends itself to attracting a new audience,” she said.

That was the case for Christine Gayden, 35, of Belleville, near St. Louis, who attended for the first time with her three sons, 8-year-old Caden Allen, 6-year-old Cyrie Allen and 13-year-old Darrell Allen.

“I just want them to have the experience,” she said, “and find something else that they like. And maybe when they get older, they'll consistently come to different events.”

Gayden said she is seeing more Black people from both Chicago and the St. Louis area seeking out new events.

“I think we need to find spaces where we can enjoy ourselves without being limited and then also be able to experience new things like NASCAR,” she said. “NASCAR is not necessarily considered a Black sport, but you find more people getting interested in it.”

And diverse fans are certainly seeing drivers who look like them, whether it's Bubba Wallace or Daniel Suarez, the first Mexican-born driver to win a NASCAR Cup Series race. And this year, Katherine Legge made her Chicago Street Race debut as the only woman in the field.

All three athletes have participated in community events in Chicago, and inspired street race attendees like Haylie Wargin, who attended Saturday with her husband, Andy, as well as their 3-year-old son, Aaron, and 4-year-old daughter, Isla.

“I love it," Haylie Wargin said of Legge's participation. "I'm all for it. I love that for [Isla], too, to see that she can do that if she wants to.”

By bringing their kids, Wargin said she was continuing a tradition; she also grew up watching NASCAR with her dad.

"The message that we want everyone to understand is that NASCAR is for everyone," Giese said. "It's a great experience. We want people to try it. And when you look at the fan experience, we've really tried to lean in to make sure that we have something for everyone."