In addition to the Chicago Street Race, Chicago-area tracks that have hosted a NASCAR Cup race consist of the following:
Santa Fe Speedway, 1954
Located about 20 miles southwest of Chicago in Willow Springs, Santa Fe Speedway hosted one Cup Series race way back in 1954.
The race, held on July 10, 1954, was won by Dick Rathman driving a Hudson Hornet. Rathman led 154 of 200 laps in the race, taking home the prize money of $1,000. Several NASCAR Hall of Famers competed in the event, including Lee Petty, Herb Thomas, Hershel McGriff and Buck Baker.
Santa Fe Speedway held its final local races in 1995 before being torn down in 1999. Today, the
former track site is home to an upscale housing development.
Soldier Field, 1956-57
In 1956, three NASCAR-sanctioned races were held at Soldier Field – one NASCAR Cup Series race and two NASCAR Convertible Division races. The Cup Series race was held at the quarter-mile, paved track inside the stadium on July 21, 1956. NASCAR Hall of Famer Fireball Roberts
won the race, earning $850.
Chicagoland Speedway, 2001-19
NASCAR’s most recent trip to the Chicago area was in 2019, when Chicagoland Speedway hosted its 19th Cup Series race.
From 2001 to 2019, an annual NASCAR race was held at the 1.5-mile tri-oval speedway. Located in Joliet, about 35 miles southwest of Chicago, the track hosted the opening race of the NASCAR playoffs from 2011 to 2017. For the final two years at Chicagoland, the race was moved to Fourth of July Weekend.
The race was scheduled to host a race in 2020, but it was canceled due to the pandemic. Chicagoland didn’t return to the NASCAR schedule in 2021 and it remains off the calendar.
Information lifted from this site:
NASCAR roots in Chicago date back to 1954, including races at Soldier Field