Doing the dirty work: Chicagoland Speedway

NASCAR hasn't raced there since 2019, so I offered one day of free manual labor to help spruce the place up. It was rewarding. And sometimes gross.

No use in hiding my own personal bias for Chicagoland Speedway – the jewel of Joliet, Illinois. It’s roughly an hour from where I grew up in “The Region,” aka Northwest Indiana, aka Lake County, aka future home of the Chicago Bears because we’re a football state now.

“Anything can happen” is an overused cliche, but it applies perfectly to this 1.5-mile gem. Jeff Gordon can unleash retaliatory hellfire on Matt Kenseth. Underdogs like David Reutimann can shock the entire field like a taser, putting them all astern en route to Victory Lane. Giant, inflatable fruit can free itself from the tethers of confinement, roll onto the racing surface and provide meme material years before memes were even a thing.

When news broke that Chicagoland Speedway would return to the NASCAR schedule in 2026, it was sheer joy. A longtime friend on the outskirts of Chicago was back, but one that was in need of a makeover before hosting NASCAR on Fourth of July weekend. Much like a cicada, the track was dormant for several years, but now it’s reemerging and ready to generate some extremely loud noise. That means it needed some work done.

That’s why out of the kindness of my cold, cold heart, I offered up one day of free manual labor. Put me to work. No job is too repulsive. My will and stomach are both strong. Below is a video recap the sweat equity I poured into my tasks. When you walk into the track this weekend and marvel at the grandeur of its cleanliness, just remember, 0.6 percent of that was me.