NASCAR ran its Chicago race for the third time last weekend, and there was a sense that both the city and the stock-car racing world had gotten the hang of this oddball event. All went reasonably smoothly, and the weather was (mostly) fine.
So now a decision needs to be made. With the three-year agreement between the city and NASCAR now ending, should the two sides keep this relationship going? Mayor Brandon Johnson said he is open to an extension, and NASCAR also wants to re-up.
But the mayor raised questions about whether the Fourth of July weekend is the right time for the race. He was right to do so, and we would go a step further. If NASCAR and the city cant find another mutually suitable time for this event, both parties should go their separate ways. No hard feelings.
After three years of experience, we agree with the mayor that the weekend of the Fourth stretches the citys resources too thin, particularly the Chicago Police Department. That weekend typically is among the most violent of the year, and its simple prudence to allow CPD to focus entirely on public safety.
In addition, the inconvenience to people who live downtown, as well as those just trying to get around the area during a weekend filled with barbecues and family activities, isnt worth enduring for the benefits the city gets from NASCAR. For anyone driving north to south in the area or vice versa, the DuSable Lake Shore Drive closure is a world-class headache.
In the before-NASCAR times, the Fourth also drew folks from outside the area for fireworks and simply to enjoy one of the world’s greatest summertime downtowns on a holiday weekend. NASCAR arguably isnt adding much in terms of tourism-related revenues to Chicagos coffers than it would be getting otherwise. A weekend when tourist traffic is comparatively light would make far more sense, at least economically for the city.
Consider the example of the Bank of America marathon, which takes place in October and each year is a major economic shot in the arm for Chicago at a time of year that otherwise would be comparatively quiet. A study commissioned by the bank sponsor and released last month estimated the economic benefit of the 2024 marathon at $683 million.
By contrast, an outside report estimated NASCAR in 2024 generated $128 million in value to the city, a figure critics of the event said was inflated. Last year, city government essentially broke even on NASCAR, so the event isnt a needle mover fiscally.
Beyond dollars and cents, though, we do believe the race provides value to Chicago. The views of the skyline as drivers navigate the track (and sometimes careen) around Grant Park are indeed excellent marketing for a city that could use as much positive PR as it can get. For many people whose views of Chicago are shaped largely by crime coverage in conservative media, the race offers a different, more beautiful picture.
But decisions of this sort are about costs and benefits. Those benefits will outweigh the costs in our view if NASCAR and the city can agree on a different weekend on the calendar. Otherwise, we all can fondly remember NASCAR in Chicago as an experiment worth trying and return celebrating the Fourth of July to downtown Chicago.
Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email letters@chicagotribune.com .
上周末，NASCAR（纳斯卡）第三次在芝加哥举办赛事。无论是这座城市还是赛车界，似乎都已适应了这项别具一格的比赛。整个活动进展相当顺利，天气也（基本）晴好。
现在需要做出决定。随着市政府与纳斯卡（NASCAR）为期三年的协议即将到期，双方是否应该继续保持这种合作关系？市长布兰登·约翰逊（Brandon Johnson）表示愿意延长协议，纳斯卡方面也有意续约。
但市长对独立日周末是否适合举办这场比赛提出了质疑。他这么做是正确的，而我们更想进一步指出：如果NASCAR赛事方与市政府无法为这项活动找到另一个双方都合适的时间，那么双方最好分道扬镳。好聚好散。
基于三年的实践经验，我们赞同市长的观点：独立日长周末会使城市资源（尤其是芝加哥警察局）过度分散。该周末通常是全年暴力事件高发期之一，让芝加哥警方全力聚焦公共安全是基本的审慎之举。
此外，对于居住在市中心的居民，以及那些仅仅想在充满烧烤和家庭活动的周末在该地区出行的人来说，忍受这种不便以换取纳斯卡赛事给城市带来的好处并不值得。对于任何在该地区从北向南或相反方向行驶的人来说，杜萨布尔湖滨大道的封闭简直是世界级的头疼事。
在纳斯卡赛事举办之前，独立日庆典就曾吸引外地游客前来观赏烟花，并在这个假日周末尽情享受全球最棒的夏日市中心之一。就旅游相关收入而言，纳斯卡赛事给芝加哥财政带来的收益未必比平常周末高出多少。若选择一个游客相对较少的周末举办赛事，从城市经济角度考量显然更为合理。
以美国银行芝加哥马拉松赛为例，这项每年十月举办的赛事为芝加哥经济注入强心针，在原本相对淡季的时节创造显著效益。赛事赞助方委托进行的研究显示，2024年马拉松预计将带来6.83亿美元的经济收益，该数据于上月正式发布。
相比之下，一份外部报告估计纳斯卡赛事在2024年为该市创造了1.28亿美元的经济价值，但赛事批评者认为这一数字被夸大了。去年，市政府在纳斯卡赛事上基本收支平衡，因此该赛事对财政影响甚微。
然而，除了经济效益之外，我们确实认为这场赛事为芝加哥带来了更多价值。当车手们沿着格兰特公园的赛道飞驰（有时甚至疾速漂移）时，天际线的壮丽景色无疑为这座城市提供了绝佳的宣传——芝加哥正需要这样积极的公关形象。对于那些主要通过保守派媒体犯罪报道来了解芝加哥的人们而言，这场比赛展现了一个截然不同、更加美好的城市画卷。
但此类决策终归关乎成本与收益。在我们看来，若NASCAR赛事与芝加哥市能就更换举办周末达成一致，其收益将远超成本。否则，我们大可将芝加哥NASCAR赛事视为一次值得尝试的实验，并让独立日庆典重新成为芝加哥市中心的焦点。
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