Blackhawks icon Chris Chelios, Bears great Matt Forte named grand marshals for NASCAR Chicago Street Race

Year 2 of the NASCAR Chicago Street Race is almost here. The race will get going this weekend around the city, and two Chicago sports greats will be the grand marshals.

Blackhawks legend and Hockey Hall of Famer Chris Chelios will give the command to start engines for the Loop 110 Xfinity Series race. For the Grant Pak 165 in the Cup Series, Bears great Matt Forte serve as the grand marshal.

“Chicago is one of the best sports towns in the world, and NASCAR is proud to be a part of that historic Chicago sports culture,” said Julie Giese, Chicago Street Race President, in a statement. “Chris and Matt are two of the most recognizable sports icons in the city, and we’re excited to welcome their winning spirit to this weekend’s races.”

Chelios – a Chicago native – is one of the iconic Blackhawks in history and the franchise recently retired his No. 7 jersey. He will deliver the famous “Drivers, start your engines” instruction ahead of the Xfinity Series race on Saturday before it gets underway at 3:30 p.m. ET.

As for Forte, he became a fan favorite with the Bears from 2008-15, making two Pro Bowls to become one of the franchises top 100 players of all time. He’ll be in attendance for Sunday’s Grant Park 165 to give the command to the drivers prior to the 4:30 p.m. ET start.

This year will mark the second for NASCAR around the streets of Chicago. The 2023 event was a hit with massive viewership and strong attendance as fans braved the weather to watch along the downtown track. Shane van Gisbergen brought home the checkered flag last year, and Giese recently pointed out he has a “fan base” in the city as a result.

As he gets ready for his return to Chicago, van Gisbergen said it’s been a “whirlwind” since last year’s race. Now, he’ll look to repeat when the Grant Park 165 gets underway Sunday afternoon – without rain in the forecast.

“When I came for [Chicago last year], it was a one-off race with Project 91 and Trackhouse,” van Gisbergen said, via Kyle Williams of the Chicago Sun-Times. “You always hope that you’re going to win a race, but you never expect to run up front like that and put on the show like we did. Since then, it’s just snowballed. Obviously, the recognition we got for what we achieved has been massive ever since. Everything has been a bit of a whirlwind.”