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NASCAR Introduces Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois as a Founding Partner of the Chicago Street Race Weekend
March 28, 2023
CHICAGO — Today, NASCAR welcomed Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois (BCBSIL) as a founding partner of the first-ever Chicago Street Race Weekend. The partnership was unveiled as part of a press conference at the BCBSIL headquarters in downtown Chicago, which overlooks the footprint of the first-ever NASCAR Cup Series street course.
As a founding partner, BCBSIL will have official presenting, marketing and promotional rights for the Chicago Street Race Weekend, including the Cup Series’ Grant Park 220 and NASCAR Xfinity Series’ The Loop 121 races in downtown Chicago over Fourth of July Weekend, July 1-2. BCBSIL joins McDonald’s as the first two founding partners of NASCAR’s Chicago Street Race Weekend.
“Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois is part of the fabric of Chicago and Illinois. The NASCAR Chicago Street Race Weekend is taking place on the doorstep of our headquarters building, and we expect it to be an exciting addition to Chicago’s sports legacy,” said Stephen Harris, BCBSIL president. “NASCAR has demonstrated its commitment to Chicago beyond the races — which aligns with our commitment to help improve the health and wellness of people across Illinois. We ‘DRIVE ACCESS’ to care and will work to drive access and opportunities for people from around Chicago to be part of the excitement surrounding the event.”
This builds on the legacy of BCBSIL supporting the city and its people. BCBSIL was the first and remains the only insurer to consistently offer individual and family coverage in every county across Illinois. The company opened three Blue Door Neighborhood Centers on Chicago’s South and West Sides to help improve the health of those communities and opened a service center in Morgan Park that created nearly 500 jobs. Those investments represent a force multiplier — showing others the benefit of what can happen when people come together to invest in and support our neighborhoods and provide opportunities for residents.
The BCBSIL brand will have a visible presence throughout the Chicago Street Race Weekend with on-course branding in a dedicated founding partner section, as well as the historic start-finish line near Buckingham Fountain, fan entrances, concert stages, wayfinding and additional locations throughout the event’s footprint.
“Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois has been making a positive influence in the health and wellness of families for generations, so we are proud to partner on the NASCAR Chicago Street Race to expand our united impact in the community,” said Julie Giese, Chicago Street Race President. “Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois’s downtown Chicago headquarters overlooking the footprint of the first-ever NASCAR Cup Series street course, so we welcome them as a new NASCAR partner.”
To download the BCBSIL and Chicago Street Race logo, click here.
“The Chicago Street Race is one of the most anticipated events in NASCAR’s 75-year history and we are grateful to partner with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois as a Founding Partner,” said Matt Lawson, Vice President, National Sales, NASCAR. “Like NASCAR, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois is an organization that is committed to making a positive impact on the community. We look forward to introducing NASCAR to new fans and communities through partner activation that drives access and opportunities for all.”
BCBSIL and the Chicago Street Race have committed to share future announcements on the organizations’ collaborative support for programs that will have a positive and lasting impact in the Chicago community.
Chicago Street Race
As part of NASCAR’s 75th anniversary season, the first-ever Chicago Street Race Weekend will feature the NASCAR Cup Series’ Grant Park 220 and NASCAR Xfinity Series’ The Loop 121 competing on a 12-turn, 2.2-mile street course, along with full-length concerts by The Chainsmokers and Miranda Lambert with the support of The Black Crowes and Charley Crockett over Fourth of July Weekend on July 1-2.
General admission and reserved tickets are on sale for the Chicago Street Race. Two-day general admission tickets start at $269 and reserved tickets that offer an array of opportunities, including reserved seating and a wide variety of premium experiences, start at $465. To purchase tickets, fans can log onto NASCARChicago.com or call 1-888-629-7223.
The Grant Park 220 will be nationally broadcast on NBC on Sunday, July 2 at 5:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. CT, and The Loop 121 will be broadcast nationally on USA Network at 5:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. CT.
To stay up to date with the Chicago Street Race, fans can subscribe to receive exclusive Chicago Street Race emails, follow @NASCARChicago on Twitter and Facebook and download the NASCAR Tracks App for the latest real-time updates on all aspects of the event.
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About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois is the largest health insurer in Illinois, serving 9 million members and operating in all 102 Illinois counties. In 2022, J.D. Power named BCBSIL #1 in Member Satisfaction among Commercial Health Plans in the Illinois/Indiana Region. BCBSIL is a division of Health Care Service Corporation, a Mutual Legal Reserve Company and an Independent Licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.
About Chicago Street Race
The Chicago Street Race is the first-ever NASCAR Cup Series street race. Located in downtown Chicago, the event will take competitors past and through many of the city’s most renowned downtown landmarks on Michigan Avenue, South Columbus Drive, South Lake Shore Drive and the start-finish line near Buckingham Fountain. The Cup Series will be joined by the NASCAR Xfinity Series as part of a one-of-a-kind sports and entertainment festival headlined by Miranda Lambert, The Chainsmokers, Charley Crockett, and The Black Crowes over the Fourth of July Weekend on July 1-2, 2023. For more information, visit NASCARChicago.com.
About NASCAR
Celebrating its 75th Anniversary in 2023, the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for the No. 1 form of motorsports in the United States and owner of 16 of the nation’s major motorsports entertainment facilities. NASCAR sanctions races in three national series (NASCAR Cup Series™, NASCAR Xfinity Series™, and NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series™), four international series (NASCAR Brasil Sprint Race, NASCAR Mexico Series, NASCAR Pinty’s Series (Canada), NASCAR Whelen Euro Series), four regional series (ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East & West and the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour) and a local grassroots series (NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series). The International Motor Sports Association™ (IMSA®) governs the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship™, the premier U.S. sports car series. NASCAR also owns Motor Racing Network, Racing Electronics, and ONE DAYTONA. Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, with offices in eight cities across North America, NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races annually in 12 countries and more than 30 U.S. states. For more information visit www.NASCAR.com and www.IMSA.com, and follow NASCAR on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat (‘NASCAR’).
Media Contacts
Tonita Cheatham
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois
313.505.1693
Tonita_cheatham@bcbsil.com
Brent S. Gambill
NASCAR Communications
704-348-9740
bgambill@nascar.com