NASCAR Chicago Street Race

Level-1 delivered race-critical IT, AV, and wireless infrastructure for NASCAR’s groundbreaking Chicago Street Race, transforming downtown into a high-performance urban circuit.

For three consecutive seasons, Level-1 Global Solutions partnered with NASCAR to deliver the first-ever NASCAR Cup Series Street race in downtown Chicago, a one-of-a-kind motorsports event that transformed the city’s Grant Park into a 2.2-mile, 12-turn urban circuit. Drawing more than 80,000 spectators in person and almost 15 million viewers online, the Chicago Street Race redefined live-event engineering by merging motorsport performance with urban infrastructure, safety coordination, and large-scale communications planning.

Originally engaged in 2023 as a strategic consultant, Level-1 advised NASCAR on public-safety alignment, infrastructure logistics, and inter-agency coordination with the City of Chicago. Following the inaugural race’s success, our scope expanded in 2024 and 2025 to include full technical implementation, providing on-site “Smart Hands” support, event-wide wireless connectivity, structured cabling, audiovisual systems, and broadcast-network coordination under NASCAR’s Event Technology Group (ETG).

What We Delivered

• Design and deployment of a Cisco-based wireless communications network covering the 2.2-mile course and fan zones
• Installation of thousands of feet of Cat 6 and tactical fiber-optic cabling interconnecting race control, media, and hospitality areas
• Broadcast and media compound support, enabling seamless data and video transmission for live coverage
• Audio-visual integration for trackside screens, public-address, and entertainment systems
• Embedded “Smart Hands” technicians providing real-time IT, AV, and network troubleshooting throughout race weekend
• Coordination with city agencies and NASCAR ETG for safety, compliance, and post-event restoration

By combining consulting foresight with hands-on technical execution, Level-1 delivered enterprise-grade performance in one of the nation’s most complex live-event environments. The Chicago Street Race set a new benchmark for urban motorsport operations, and NASCAR’s continued partnership through 2026 including the modernization of the Joliet Speedway underscores the trust placed in Level-1’s ability to engineer reliable, adaptive, and high-impact technology systems.