Exit Chicagoland, enter Chicago.
These are dizzying days in the world of NASCAR schedule making.
The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and World Wide Technology Raceway near St. Louis hosted Cup Series races for the first time this season.
Kentucky and Chicagoland, race sites as recently as 2020 and 2019, respectively, are off the schedule.
Coming next year will be the first race on the streets of Chicago.
“I would say every race track right now on the circuit is fighting for their lives to keep their spot on the schedule,” driver/owner Brad Keselowski said Tuesday.
“As much as I love Michigan, it’s in the same spot.”
Michigan International Speedway hosts the FireKeepers Casino 400 at 3 p.m. Sunday.
It’ll be the 105th Cup race — and the only one this year — at the 2-mile oval, which had two race dates for all but one year from 1969 through 2020.
Could MIS, which has for years been an important stop because of its proximity to automakers’ headquarters, be in danger of eventually having no race dates?
“I don’t think NASCAR will ever abandon the market, but I think that everything is on the table, as it should be,” Keselowski said.
“The ability of race tracks to perform is being measured and held accountable. I think that’s a good thing. That doesn’t mean we should abandon markets, but we should definitely challenge ones that don’t step up to the plate.”
Keselowski, a 38-year-old Rochester Hills native, left Team Penske after the 2021 season and bought into an established team to form Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing.
He drives the No. 6 Ford Mustang, and Chris Buescher drives the No. 17 for RFK.
“Everybody has to perform,” said Keselowski, who has 13 top-10 finishes in 24 Cup races at MIS. “The race car drivers have to perform on the track. NASCAR has to perform with their rights holders and partners, and the tracks have to perform with their fans.
“Fans vote ultimately with their tickets. Whether they buy them or don’t buy them — that’s their way of voting for race tracks.”
Infield camping sites sold out at MIS several days ago, officials said.
The weekend includes NASCAR Xfinity and ARCA races on Saturday, which also is the day Cup cars will qualify for Sunday’s 200-lap race.
“I think in Michigan’s case, they’ve done a pretty good job in recent events of having great crowds and a great atmosphere — having the kind of racing and atmosphere on the track and off the track that we would expect to be a part of NASCAR’s tough schedule,” Keselowski said.
The Next Gen car will make its MIS debut Sunday.
Keselowski said he doesn’t know what kind of race to expect.
“There are so many variables,” he said. “I would say this is about as much a wild card as a wild card can get.”
MIS hosted one test session with the new car, and it “didn’t go that smoothly,” Keselowski said.
“We’ll have to see,” Keselowski added. “It could be complete and utter chaos. It could be the best race ever. It could be somewhere in between.”
Keselowski, who finished 20th at Indianapolis last weekend, is looking for his first Cup victory at MIS. He’s scheduled to do a question-and-answer session with fans who purchase Pre-Race tickets. Go online to MISpeedway.com for more information.
