NASCAR has named a veteran racing executive to oversee its first-ever street race in Chicago as it gears up for a Lollapalooza-like festival at Grant Park for next July 4th weekend.
Julie Giese, who heads the Phoenix Raceway, will be moving to Chicago and opening a year-round office to create the pop-up Chicago Street Course, which will include a weekend of activities, weeks of on-site preparation and a lot of planning to pull off.
“My role starts immediately,” said Giese, 45. “Now that we’ve got the concept and we’re moving forward, it’s assembling the team, having the conversations with the city of Chicago and really working on our commitment back to the city.”