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Today’s number: $5 million GRF for NASCAR operating expenses (Updated with Pritzker response)
Monday, Jun 16, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller * From the appropriations bill which will be signed into law today...
This is a reduction from the current fiscal year, which provided $7 million to NASCAR ($2 million for operating expenses and $5 million for “capital improvements, including prior year costs.” There are a ton of very worthwhile programs which desperately needed $5 million GRF this year. * If we won’t give money to the Bears and the White Sox, why are we appropriating $5 million in “operating expenses” (of all things) to NASCAR? …Adding… Isabel just asked Gov. Pritzker about the NASCAR appropriation. His response…
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- Alton Sinkhole - Monday, Jun 16, 25 @ 8:45 am:
Unbelievable. People need to be fired and/or publicly shamed for this decision.
- Downstate - Monday, Jun 16, 25 @ 8:54 am:
There are a myriad of “skills based” training efforts around the state that would be dramatically transformed with just 20% of the amount being sent to NASCAR.
- Leatherneck - Monday, Jun 16, 25 @ 8:57 am:
That $5 million could hire a lot of new staff at state agencies that still haven’t recovered from Ryan’s ERI, followed by 16 years of hollowing out state government under Blago, Quinn, and Rauner.
- City Guy - Monday, Jun 16, 25 @ 9:00 am:
NASCAR takes place at the height of the tourist season in Chicago. It does not drive revenue during a slow season. It does make downtown much less pleasant for everyone not attending the event. I just don’t get it.
- Pot calling kettle - Monday, Jun 16, 25 @ 9:11 am:
Imagine that $5 million spent on maintenance and upgrades at the state parks.
- DEE - Monday, Jun 16, 25 @ 9:12 am:
I’m no NASCAR fan but watched parts of the Daytona 500 and last years Chicago race. What is it worth to have hours of overhead TV shots of the Chicago skyline beamed to the world with announcers telling everyone how beautiful it is? $5M out of a $53B budget? I think so.
- Incandenza - Monday, Jun 16, 25 @ 9:14 am:
== It does not drive revenue during a slow season. It does make downtown much less pleasant for everyone not attending the event. I just don’t get it. ==
not to mention it now apparently requires subsidies from the state to operate. Is there any cost/benefit analysis done for this event? I’m genuinely curious, because from previous reporting it looks like it doesn’t even make much if any revenue for the city or state.
- Save Ferris - Monday, Jun 16, 25 @ 9:26 am:
“What is it worth to have hours of overhead TV shots of the Chicago skyline beamed to the world with announcers telling everyone how beautiful it is?”
The race got just under 4 million viewers. We could hit more people with “VISIT CHICAGO” mailers for less money.
It was a long time wish list project for a few people I know. My take would be: You’ve had your fun, 3 times. Go do something else.
https://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2024/07/nascar-chicago-ratings-rain-viewership-nbc/
- Dan Johnson - Monday, Jun 16, 25 @ 9:28 am:
Don’t we already spend $5M a year on White Sox Park out of GRF?
- Go Bears - Monday, Jun 16, 25 @ 9:44 am:
Maybe the bears should have NASCAR’s lobbyist
- Henry Francis - Monday, Jun 16, 25 @ 9:55 am:
There is another $2,000,000 reappropriated to Enjoy Illinois Tourism for NASCAR for operating costs, including prior years’ costs.
- Conserve_Protect - Monday, Jun 16, 25 @ 10:14 am:
Oh so they could have given Soil & Water Conservation Districts the funding they asked for and still had $1 million left over? That checks out.
- The Dude - Monday, Jun 16, 25 @ 10:15 am:
Trump made me ‘em do it.
- Google Is Your Friend - Monday, Jun 16, 25 @ 10:21 am:
==- City Guy - Monday, Jun 16, 25 @ 9:00 am:==
Putting together race calendars is difficult, but contrast this with the F1 race in Las Vegas, for example, which is specifically set to be November, when Vegas otherwise sees a big drop-off in tourism. And considering that NASCAR drives off a lot of other potential events with the setup and takedown time, is it really worth it?
- DuPage Saint - Monday, Jun 16, 25 @ 10:35 am:
I think this is a total waste of money but then I am not a NASCAR fan. I think more importantly this is just another example of finding out what is in the bill after it passes. Too bad it really isn’t read 3 times and let people see what is in bill.
- Cool Papa Bell - Monday, Jun 16, 25 @ 10:42 am:
I do not like watching motorsports. I did watch a little of the Chicago race and thought it was very cool looking.
I also detest the thought of giving the Bears or Sox any money to spend on a stadium. But I’m sure that if the Bears go to Arlington Heights or with the new Fire stadium, tens to hundreds of millions of dollars will be spent to improve infrastructure. It’s not like the Bears or Fire are fronting the entire project. They will benefit more than $5 million or by the $12 million or so in total spent here.
So I can get in the no money for NASCAR camp, I can also see where a $5 million investment is pennines per year compared to what the Bears and others may wind up with from one-side or the other.
I wonder if Lolla winds up with any tax dollars or credits? And for what it’s worth Riot Fest has a much better line-up this year.
- hisgirlfriday - Monday, Jun 16, 25 @ 10:57 am:
The NASCAR races in downtown are an experiment that should be ended as soon as possible.
The novelty has worn off and pretty overhead shots of Chicago do not justify that heavy of subsidies to NASCAR when all the hassle associated with the Grant Park shutdown likely hinders as much tourism downtown as it brings NASCAR fans to the city.
I recently had a chance to catch a Cubs game for the first time since all the renos were done at Wrigley and it was so beautiful and nice and even more special knowing the owners had to pay for it themselves. Every sports stadium should be the same way.
- Frida's Boss - Monday, Jun 16, 25 @ 11:00 am:
One of the most significant issues I always see is the disruption downtown for the time it takes to put it all together and removal for one weekend.
Was the revenue from The Taste of Chicago better than NASCAR? Did The Taste have more visitors over the same time frame? I know it didn’t cause a multiple-week disruption of downtown. And it had way more people working and small businesses receiving benefits.
- Rich Miller - Monday, Jun 16, 25 @ 11:17 am:
===including prior years’ costs. ===
Which means that money from last year was not all spent.
- James - Monday, Jun 16, 25 @ 11:18 am:
This is the mission creep of Illinois Government on display. Roads, Education, Public Safety? No. NASCAR. Yes.
- Lincoln Lad - Monday, Jun 16, 25 @ 11:23 am:
Money to burn I guess…
- Anyone Remember - Monday, Jun 16, 25 @ 11:27 am:
===“Practical men who believe themselves to be quite exempt from any intellectual influence, are usually the slaves of some defunct economist.”===
John Maynard Keynes
In Illinois, that is true as it relates to Ryan’s ERI and Edgar’s Pension Ramp …
- McD - Monday, Jun 16, 25 @ 11:40 am:
== Don’t we already spend $5M a year on White Sox Park out of GRF? ==
I believe the state and city both kick $5 million a year to the ISFA to help retire bonds on Sox Park and Soldier Field (that’s above and beyond what the Chicago hotel tax collects and contributes.) But the state share comes from the state hotel tax, don’t know if it’s GRF. The city share of the annual $5 million contribution comes from LGDF.
Allegedly, the NASCAR event creates $9.6 million in tax revenue. Not sure I believe that, but if it does, maybe the 5 million is worth it.
- Springfield Transplant - Monday, Jun 16, 25 @ 11:41 am:
I see most (if not all) of the comments assume that the funds are for the race in Chicago. I assume that the funds for the race at Gateway (WWT) in Madison (near St. Louis) After all, the race is the Illinois 300 sponsored by the State of Illinois. I will say as a NASCAR fan, this race does attract many, many out of state visitors that stay for the weekend and spend money. For this year’s race, it is now a playoff race which adds some excitement to the venue. Additionally, the Infinity Series race will also be held on that weekend. Justin Allgaier from Riverton and current series champion will be racing for the first time in the series in his home state. For all the central Illinois Allgaier fans (and there are many), this is truly special and will attract spectators to the event. Now, I don’t know if this is worth Illinois spending $5 million but I will say that when I attended a couple years ago, I spoke with several NASCAR fans that were shocked that Illinois was spending money on an event like this in downstate. “I thought all the money went to Chicago” was often quoted. Does this convert into votes for the Governor? Probably not, but it can certainly be a talking point against the forgotten downstate Illinois.
- Pot calling kettle - Monday, Jun 16, 25 @ 11:44 am:
==Was the revenue from The Taste of Chicago better than NASCAR?==
The comparison to Taste has been my question as well. I feel like Taste was a much bigger draw, people-wise, employed a lot more folks, brought more customers to downtown businesses and museums, etc. However, my perception is not data. I’m guessing someone has some numbers.
- Juvenal - Monday, Jun 16, 25 @ 11:56 am:
Can’t we just put cameras on Lake Shore Drive and stream it Friday/Saturday nights from 10 pm - 4 am?
- Rich Miller - Monday, Jun 16, 25 @ 12:00 pm:
By the way, Isabel got that question in (her second) by talking over a Chicago TV reporter. That almost never happens.
So, huzzahs for Isabel.
- ChicagoBars - Monday, Jun 16, 25 @ 12:07 pm:
I still can’t believe Taste of Chicago essentially got killed off so quietly over the past several years. I still remember how people freaked out a decade ago about even the idea of researching an admission fee to that festival because it was so popular and affordable.
NASCAR needs one clean weather weekend to see if it is worth keeping. Haven’t had one yet, hopefully this year the organizers and City Hall finds out.
- Save Ferris - Monday, Jun 16, 25 @ 12:23 pm:
“NASCAR needs one clean weather weekend to see if it is worth keeping”
The sliding / crashing was the only good part. Gimme more rain.
- 5th Floor Watch - Monday, Jun 16, 25 @ 1:02 pm:
I’m guessing this grant may be for sponsorship of a downstate NASCAR event and not the Chicago Street Race.
https://dceo.illinois.gov/news/press-release.24620.html#:~:text=To%20learn%20more%20about%20the,Tourism%2C%20visit%20EnjoyIllinois.com.&text=World%20Wide%20Technology%20Raceway%20(WWTR)%20is%20the%20home%20of%20NASCAR,life%20benefits%20for%20Illinois%20residents.
- ChicagoBars - Monday, Jun 16, 25 @ 1:08 pm:
“The sliding / crashing was the only good part. Gimme more rain.”
Yeah it was definitely TV gold, everyone at the North Dakota hotel I watched the first one at agreed (and thought TV shots of City were amazing) But last week of sales ticket purchases, even with decent bands, are dicey with bad weather forecasts.
- Just a Citizen - Monday, Jun 16, 25 @ 2:19 pm:
Good for you Isabel. Also, 5 million dollars is not chump change and could have been put to better use IMHO.