‘Seeing is believing’ as NASCAR awaits adventurous Chicago Street Race

Tyler Reddick, who races for Michael Jordan’s 23XI team, won the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas. (AP Photos)

AUSTIN, Texas — There are aspects of a NASCAR race that simply can’t be grasped without seeing them in person. The sheer speed and roaring engines are startling, and the enormous scale of the scene is overwhelming — from the length of the track to the expansive garages and sprawling spectator areas.

Such an event is a big undertaking even at the Circuit of the Americas, an established track on a 1,500-acre property that hosted the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix on Sunday. And this summer, NASCAR will try to recreate it in a fraction of the space on the Chicago lakefront.