NASCAR's Chicagoland Speedway getting major SuperMotocross transformation

This weekend the SuperMotocross World Championship Playoffs heads into Round 2 at a very familiar venue for NASCAR fans, Chicagoland. Between its first year in 2001 and 2019, the Cup Series raced around the 1.52-mile tri-oval. However, the speedway is entering a new era.

At least for this week, Chicagoland Speedway is the new home of SuperMotocross. A brand-new playoff format that has never been done before. Last week at ZMax Dragway, the playoffs opened with a course unlike any other. Combinations of Supercross-style sections as well as Motocross-style rollers and elevation changes.

Haiden Deegan, who won the first 250 Moto last Saturday, said “I live to send it” on challenging tracks such as last week’s playoff course. This Saturday at Chicagoland might be even more challenging.

I spoke with Mike Muye, the Senior Director of Operations for Supercross, about how SuperMotocross is transforming Chicagoland, the progress of the playoffs, and his “dream” venue.

Turning Chicagoland into a SuperMotocross course

Talking with Muye on the phone, it was clear that he was more than happy to have Chicagoland on the schedule. Supercross has gone to Daytona, there have been baseball stadiums, and football stadiums – indoors and outdoors, it’s been done.

However, working alongside NASCAR, who owns the speedway, Muye and his team have one of the largest spaces they have ever had to work with.

“This is arguably one of the biggest footprints that I’ve ever had to work with. Kind of like a blank canvas,” Muye said. “The NASCAR folks that own the stadium have been awesome and very accommodating in some of our ideas, including removing the SAFER barrier and the catch fence and going outside the track, it gives us some elevation that’s traditionally only found in motocross races.

“So we’re going to have a really nice hybrid of both Supercross and Motocross coming together.”

Taking out the SAFER barrier and fence allows the course to go up the Turn 1 banking, and out of the track. Working once again with Dirt Wurx, they have planned out a course that will test the mental and physical endurance of these riders.

Getting a foot into the Chicago market

One thing that is clear, as motorsports keeps riding this wave of increased popularity it has seemingly found, Chicago remains a coveted market. NASCAR ditched Chicagoland Speedway on the schedule, but not Chicago, opting for the street race this season.

For SuperMotocross, a big factor that brought them to Chicagoland is that same market. Bringing Supercross to this area, which traditionally races from January to May, has always been a challenge.

These playoffs change that, according to Muye.

“Chicagoland area is a market that we wanted to tap into with Supercross specifically and now SuperMotocross. Unique opportunity for us to get into this market.”

It helps that there was so much support from NASCAR and the Chicago Street Race president, Julie Giese.

“So this gave us the opportunity and the market that we wanted to be in. In addition to that, NASCAR has been a great partner, we’ve worked with them over the years at Daytona and a host of other initiatives. We thought of this place, we reached out to them [NASCAR]. Julie Giese, who is the track president for the Chicago Street Race, has an affinity for Supercross.”

For NASCAR fans hoping that Chicagoland could return to the schedule one day soon, there is some good news. Muye and the SuperMotocross team were happy to see the track looked as though it was still operating as normal.

“Honestly, we were shocked at the condition the facility is in, it was immaculate as if it hadn’t been dormant for a couple of years.”

SuperMotocross Playoffs moving forward

While this year’s playoffs are still underway, SuperMotocross can just about call this a success. The track layouts and designs for Chicagoland and the finale at LA Memorial Coliseum are unreal. With how well Charlotte went, we can expect more awesome action.

Jett Lawrence went down for the first time all year after more than 20 wins, Haiden Deegan and Jo Shimoda battled it out in the 250 category and put on a show. There was a real energy to the weekend and it should carry over into more exciting racing this weekend.

As far as the future goes, it is hard to say if there will be a lot of change. Muye and the Supercross team feel “comfortable” with where the season is at right now and that includes the playoffs. 31 weekends of racing is a ton. Especially in this type of racing.

“We might down the road look at options that we can expand the playoff format but right now, I think we’re pretty comfortable with where we’re at,” Muye told me.

As for Muye’s own desires and passions, it just so happens NASCAR is heading to his “dream” track this weekend. Bristol Motor Speedway. Muye says if he can ever pull off an event at The Last Great Colosseum, that is when he can finally retire from track building.

After they take on LA Memorial Coliseum this year, and with all the dirt NASCAR has put on the track in the last few years, why shouldn’t Muye get a shot at Bristol?