CHICAGO — Today’s announcement of NASCAR taking to the streets of Chicago for the next three years, reminds one that NASCAR stock cars previously competed at Soldier Field in Chicago.
In 1956 and ’57, NASCAR racing was seen at the mammoth arena with a capacity of more than 100,000, located on Chicago’s lakefront with the association’s Grand National (NASCAR Cup Series) and almost-forgotten Convertible divisions seeing action.
Three NASCAR events were held at Soldier Field in 1956 — two NASCAR convertible races and one Cup Series event. Local favorite Tom Pistone and NASCAR legend Curtis Turner won the convertible races with Edward Glenn “Fireball” Roberts capturing the 200-lap Cup Series event.
Racing on a wet track caused by intermittent rain showers, Roberts, one of NASCAR’s early superstars, drove his factory-backed 1956 Ford to the checkered flag on Saturday night, July 21, 1956, ahead of NASCAR circuit regulars Jim Paschal, Ralph Moody, Speedy Thompson, Frank Mundy and Buck Baker as 14,402 fans watched.
Billy Myers, in a ’56 Mercury, started on the pole of the 25-car field, which raced on a said-to-be half-mile paved track.
Chicago-area drivers in the lineup that day included Fred Lorenzen and Pistone. Lorenzen, who cut his “racing teeth” during the weekly races at huge stadium, became NASCAR’s all-time, single-season, money winner in 1963, becoming the first driver to win more than $100,000.
Pistone, who was a three-time Soldier Field stock car champion, captured the first NASCAR Convertible division race at Soldier Field on June 30, 1956. Pistone and his ’56 Chevy convertible finished ahead of Turner and Kentucky native Bill Lutz in the 200-lap contest before a reported crowd of 38,341.
The NASCAR convertibles returned to Chicago on Sept. 9, with Turner winning a 500-lap contest on the Soldier Field oval. Turner, wheeling a ’56 Ford, defeated Joe Weatherly and Bob Welborn in front of 17,585 fans.
NASCAR returned to Chicago in 1957 with Glen Wood, of the famous Wood Brothers Racing team, winning a Convertible division 100-lap contest. Wood and his ’56 Ford finished ahead of Possum Jones and Larry Frank on June 29, 1957, with 14,721 in attendance.
NASCAR’s history in the Chicago area dates back to 1954 when Dick Rathmann won on the dirt at Santa Fe Speedway in Willow Springs. The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series raced at Chicago Motor Speedway in Cicero in 2000 and ’01 with Joe Ruttman and Scott Riggs winning.
Beginning in 2001, Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet hosted NASCAR racing. The $130 million, 1.5-mile, 75,000-seat tri-oval speedway hosted the first NASCAR Winston Cup Series event in the Chicago area since 1956 with Kevin Harvick winning the inaugural Tropicana 400 on July 15, 2001.
Chicagoland Speedway fell off the NASCAR Cup Series schedule after the 2019 season with Alex Bowman winning the last Cup Series race there.
NASCAR racing on the streets of Chicago will mark the return of “major league” auto racing to Chicago. Lake Shore Drive may never be the same!