From virtual to reality, Chicago Street Race circuit and festival grounds take shape

CHICAGO – It's a bit surreal to see, after the creative renderings and computer simulations that imagined the Chicago Street Race circuit before it became a real-life thing. The haulers parked on Lake Shore Drive, the choose-rule marking painted on Congress Plaza Drive, inspection taking place on the corners of Columbus and Jackson – all real, and not a dreamscape. Friday's eve of on-track action in downtown Chicago had all the bustle of a quote-unquote normal race weekend, with teams from the Cup and Xfinity Series unloading equipment and setting up for tech day. The unusual metropolitan backdrop, though, came with the imposing city skyline surrounding the garage area footprint in Grant Park. RELATED: Full weekend schedule | Live updates: Chicago NASCAR racing will leave its long-awaited mark on the Windy City this Saturday and Sunday, culminating in the Cup Series' first street-circuit event, the Grant Park 220 (5 p.m. ET, NBC, NBC Sports App, Peacock, MRN, SiriusXM). The Xfinity Series kicks off the doubleheader with a Saturday lid-lifter, The Loop 121 (5 p.m. ET, USA, NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM). "It's a little different than Nashville, that's for sure," said Ross Chastain, the Cup Series' most recent winner last weekend in the Tennessee capital. "Being out on the race track, it's wild. I mean, I think we're all experiencing it, right? Whether you grew up in a city like this or not, it's different when we're coming here and the thought of racing a NASCAR race. So for me, it's a bit different than (hometown) Alva, Florida, and I am embracing it. It's just been an incredible feeling, just knowing that this is where we're going to work this weekend when I strap in on Sunday. It's right here, it's in the buildings, and it's going to be different. And I'm proud to be one of the drivers getting to be a part of this history-making moment." The parts and pieces involved in the course's assembly were falling into their final place Friday afternoon. The late hour was due to organizers working to keep as many of the city's thoroughfares open as long as possible heading into the holiday weekend. The barriers and catch-fencing – 12 feet tall together, and the same barriers used in street circuits at Nashville and Detroit – were largely in position, with a few remaining tire-pack barriers awaiting placement. But the stage was essentially set for not just the event, but the festival atmosphere surrounding it, with grandstands, suites and grounds for concert-goers awaiting their first guests. "I can only think of positives. I don’t see why anyone would be negative," said former Formula 1 champ Jenson Button, prepping for his second Cup Series start. "It’s one race out of many. We’re trying something new. I think it’s exciting. We’re going to see Cup cars and Xfinity cars racing on the streets of Chicago. I mean, it’s pretty crazy, right? I think it’s a great challenge for everyone. For the organizers that put this on, I’m impressed. But also for everyone involved. The logistics are difficult; I know from previous experience in street races. For the team and drivers, it’s all a big learning curve. I think to have got to this point already, we should congratulate everyone for what they've done." As for the course itself, the full day of allotted track-walk time had heavier participation than other weeks for the teams and drivers, who were there to make sure their visuals aligned with what they've experienced in computer simulation. Noah Gragson buzzed by the main straightaway on a bicycle, Justin Allgaier pushed along on a skateboard and other drivers walked in groups with their crew. What they found were some areas where sections seemed tighter, others where bumps and manhole covers might upset their cars' balance, and stretches where the course transitions from asphalt to concrete and back. MORE: At-track photos | Chicago Street Race 101 They'll fire the engines and try it for real in Saturday's preliminaries, but the 12-turn track has already presented challenges in computer-generated form. Button said he spun out leaving the pit lane in a sim session, losing it before he ever reached Turn 1. RFK Racing teammates Brad Keselowski and Chris Buescher said they left iRacing scars on every virtual patch of the 2,200 concrete barriers that outline the 2.2-mile course. Asked about trouble spots, Chastain said he counted. "Twelve of them. I wrecked every corner, OK?" "You can very easily lose a race car around this place," Buescher said. "I don't have to see the track in person yet to say that. I've lost many of them on the simulator, so it is going to be a tough one just in the fact that there's no room, there's no room for error. I watched a lot of other motorsports in their street races over the past couple of weeks, whether it's been IndyCar or F1 or some sports-car series. It's tight, and one person's mistake can cause three, four, eight people to have a really bad day. So we need to make sure to run as clean a race as possible to put us in the best spot to be able to set up for a win at the end." Julie Giese, Chicago Street Course track president, offered a guided track tour Friday afternoon atop one of Chicago's double-decker busses – another line she can add to her already impressive resume. She was appointed to head up the Chicago effort nearly 11 months ago, transitioning from the same role at Phoenix Raceway, where she helped to shore up NASCAR Championship Weekend there in recent years. Her expertise in pointing out all of the circuit's amenities – from the different suites, hospitality and entertainment areas, including the President's Club above a line of trees -- came naturally, especially since Giese's move to Chicago for an immersion in the project. Now those efforts – surreally – are coming to life. "I mean, it's really hard to describe, honestly," Giese said. "I think it's been months and months of a lot of hard work by a lot of people -- not just within the NASCAR industry, the city of Chicago and the departments that we've been working with, meeting weekly on the planning for this event. So it's really fun to see it come together. I mean, the first time that we started putting barriers in, it was like, 'OK, here we go.' And then every day, more work is being done. We're now less than 24 hours before we put race cars on course for the first time, so it's pretty special."