Chase Briscoe had just won NASCAR’s eero 400 at Chicagoland Speedway on July 5. It was his sixth career win and his first of the 2026 season. The race had everything a holiday weekend should. Sold-out stands, a patriotic red, white, and blue car, and Briscoe holding off JGR teammate Christopher Bell by over two-tenths of a second on the final lap.
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On paper, that’s a perfect case for Chicagoland as the permanent 4th of July home. And NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin made exactly that case, saying, “You couldn’t have a more representative, a better representative of NASCAR racing than Chicagoland Speedway. We definitely want to see it back.”
However, the man who just won there did not agree. During an appearance on Wednesday’s episode of the “Rubbin is Racing” podcast, Briscoe said:
“I loved Road America on Fourth of July weekend,” Briscoe said. “I thought it was just a amazing spot to be at. All the lakes up there, it’s just a beautiful part of the country. The weather’s nice. Yeah, I would not be against going back to Road America 4th of July weekend. Road America, for me, was definitely my favorite if I had to pick one.”
He was not done. When asked to rank his options, Briscoe put the Chicago Street Race second; the downtown fireworks and riverside atmosphere were the reasons for it. But he did stand firm that Road America was the answer. Not Chicagoland.
Meanwhile, Martin’s argument, made on the Dirty Mo Overdrive podcast, besides backing Chicagoland, was more about ending the constant movement.
“Having it (Chicagoland) on the 4th of July in Chicago was not traditional. But the traditional race fan, the classic race fan, we all associate the 4th of July with the old Firecracker 400 at Daytona. I don’t think we have to go back for us all to embrace it. But I do feel like, wherever NASCAR settles on for their 4th of July race, needs to stay there.”
History is in favour of what he feels. Daytona’s Firecracker 400 used to be the holiday race. Then NASCAR went to Road America in 2021, where Chase Elliott won in front of nearly 100,000 fans.
Tyler Reddick won there in 2022. Then there was the Chicago Street Race, downtown, fireworks on the river, but also flooded tracks, shortened races, and tens of millions in annual setup costs. Now, Chicagoland has reopened after seven years with a reported $4 million infrastructure overhaul. Four venues in five years. So, Martin’s point lands.
A Moving Tradition, and a Track That Doesn’t Need NASCAR
Briscoe’s pick has a roadblock. Road America checks every box drivers care about. Scenic lakes, cool Midwest weather, a natural-terrain road course with real racing. Kyle Larson and Ryan Blaney have both publicly backed a return. Briscoe just added his name to that list.
The problem is that Road America is not waiting for NASCAR. The track’s summer calendar is completely full with IndyCar and IMSA. Track president Mike Kertscher has stated they would welcome NASCAR back, but are not “waiting around”. They do not need to.
That is the real problem right now. Drivers want Road America, but the track does not need NASCAR. The Chicago street race costs too much to sustain. And Chicagoland, even after delivering on race day, needed millions just to reopen safely. Drivers are specifically requesting that NASCAR skip a repave to keep the old bumpy surface that gives a better racing experience.
The schedule is also capped at 36 races. Adding any venue means dropping another. There is no clean solution.
The constant shuffling is not just a scheduling problem. It hits fans directly. Hotel rates, tickets, and camping costs spike dramatically over the 4th of July weekend. Families plan holiday trips around a race. When the location changes every two years, those plans and that loyalty erode.
Rural tracks like Road America sent 100,000 fans through two-lane country roads, creating parking lot gridlocks. Downtown Chicago left fans with no phone signal and residents dealing with weeks of road closures. Even Chicagoland’s comeback weekend brought rain, mud, and routing chaos in the infield.
Mark Martin is not asking for a return to Daytona. He is asking NASCAR to stop moving and let a new tradition take root, wherever that may be.
Briscoe just won on America’s 250th birthday in one of the most memorable holiday races in recent memory. Whether Chicagoland becomes that permanent home or Road America eventually opens a window is now NASCAR’s call. The Hall of Famer and the race winner may disagree on which track, but they agree on what matters most: pick one and stay there.