While taking a break from the Chicago Street Race in Grant Park next year, NASCAR will return to the Chicagoland Speedway in southwest suburban Joliet for the July 4th weekend.

It mark's NASCAR's first time back in Joliet in seven years, with an O'Reilly Auto Parts Series points-paying race on Saturday, July 4, 2026; and a Cup Series race on Sunday, July 5.

"Our fans have been asking for a race in Joliet (Illinois) for the past several years," said Ben Kennedy, NASCAR executive vice president, chief venue & racing innovation officer. "If you look at the racing product on our mile-and-a-half tracks, they've been some of the most competitive and compelling events that we've had in our season, and we're confident that Joliet is going to deliver exactly that."

The Cup Series race in Joliet will be the second race of NASCAR's five-race In-Season Challenge, with drivers competing head-to-head in a bracket-style competition for a $1 million prize.

The announcement comes weeks after NASCAR announced the Chicago Street Race would not return to downtown Chicago in 2026, after three years in Grant Park, as organizers work with the city to find a possible new date for the race and a more efficient plan in 2027.

Meantime, NASCAR will hold a new street race event in San Diego on June 19-21 at Naval Base Coronado, as the U.S. Navy celebrates its 250th anniversary in 2026.

The first-ever NASCAR races on an active military base, the NASCAR San Diego Weekend will include a Craftsman Truck Series race on June 19, an Xfinity Series race on June 20, and a Cup Series race on June 21.