The historic and one of the most anticipated weekends of the season arrives for NASCAR as it heads to the Windy City of Chicago for the NASCAR Cup and Xfinity series’ first ever street race.
There are certainly several unknowns leading up to a weekend that is set to put NASCAR on a unique spectacle. And as the buildup continues, here is who will take part of a monumental weekend for the sport.
TV Broadcast: The Grant Park 220 for the NASCAR Cup Series will be on NBC on July 2 at 5:30 p.m. ET. On July 1, The Loop 121 will be broadcast on the USA Network at 5 p.m. ET.
National Anthem: Uniting Voices Chicago will perform the national anthem prior to the Grant Park 220. Uniting Voices Chicago will include more than 30 local performers to perform the rendition.
The Loop 121 national anthem will be performed by Roman Banks in a partnership with Broadway in Chicago. Banks will perform the title role in the play Michael Jackson.
Pre-race Concert: The inaugural Chicago Street Course event will feature a packed lineup of performers for the weekend concerts. The Black Crowes will perform following qualifying for both Cup and Xfinity, while The Chainsmokers will hit the stage following the Xfinity race. Prior to the Cup race, Charley Crockett and Miranda Lambert will perform pre-race concerts.
Official Pace Cars: NASCAR announced that all three manufacturers will take part during both races this weekend. All three OEMs will pace the field in both races, as the lineup will be determined based on the pole-winning manufacturer.
Entering his fifth year with Frontstretch, Luken Glover is the author of The Underdog House, shedding light on the motivation and performance of NASCAR's dark horse teams as they strive to fight to the top. Additionally, Glover reports for the site at various events, and he contributes in the video editing department.
A 2023 graduate of the University of the Cumberlands, Glover is a middle school math and PE teacher, as well as a basketball coach. He is passionate about serving in his church, playing/coaching a wide variety of sports, and researching motorsports history.