>>> THE STREET CLOSURES ARE COMING.

THE PARKING RESTRICTIONS START THIS WEEK AND.

ALL SIGNS POINT TO THE KICKOFF OF CHICAGO'S NASCAR STREET RACE, THE FIRST-EVER STREET COURSE FOR THE 75-YEAR-OLD RACING INSTITUTION.

TODAY, NASCAR LEGENDS DALE JARRETT AND DALE EARNHARDT JUNIOR GAVE ME A SPIN AROUND THE SPECIALLY DESIGNED TRACK THAT WEAVES IN AND OUT OF GRANT PARK AND PROVIDES SOME ICONIC VIEWS FOR SPECTATORS.

YOU'RE LOOKING AT A SIMULATION THAT NASCAR PROVIDED.

SO WE DIDN'T EXACTLY DRIVE A STOCK CAR, RATHER WE GOT INTO A GIANT CADILLAC SUV, AND THERE WEREN'T OTHER RACERS ON THE COURSE BUT CHICAGO TRAFFIC DID GIVE US A SIMULATION OF WHAT THIS MIGHT FEEL LIKE AS WE PULLED OUT FROM BUCKINGHAM FOUNTAIN.

>> THIS IS GOING TO BE A CRASH COURSE FOR THEM IN CERTAIN TERMS.

WE DON'T WANT IT TO BE A CRASH FEST BY ANY MEANS BUT WHEN I SAY A CRASH COURSE IT'S THAT THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO LEARN THIS VERY QUICKLY.

THERE'S LIMITED AMOUNT OF ACTUAL ON THE TIME TRACK PRACTICE SO THE DRIVER IS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHERE ARE YOUR BEST PLACES TO MAXIMIZE YOUR SPEED AND THEN NOT ONLY TO MAXIMIZE YOUR SPEED, BUT WHERE ARE GOING TO BE MY PASSING OPPORTUNITIES?

>> THIS IS DOWN THE STRETCH HERE.

>> YES IT IS.

>> YOU CAN MAKE YOUR MOVE.

>> PROBABLY THE HIGHEST SPEED PARTS OF THE TRACK.

UPWARDS OF 140 MILES AN HOUR THROUGH HERE.

BUT AS I DISCUSSED WITH OTHERS, AT EVERY WIDE PART OF THE TRACK COMES A NARROW PART AT THE END OF THAT AND THE DRIVERS ARE GOING TO HAVE TO FIGURE OUT EXACTLY HOW MUCH THEY CAN PUSH THE LIMIT TO TRY TO MAKE THAT PASS OR TO MAKE THAT, OUTBREAK SOMEONE GETTING INTO THE RIGHT-HAND CORNER THAT WE ARE GOING TO HAVE AT THE END OF THIS STRAIGHT.

WE ARE COMING DOWN FROM 140 MILES AN HOUR DOWN TO A HARD RIGHT-HAND CORNER.

EVEN THOUGH RIGHT NOW WE WILL BE ON THAT SIDE, MAKING THE CORNER, SO THERE'S A LITTLE MORE ROOM, BUT THIS HAS ALL BEEN LAID OUT AND MADE SO THAT IT'S BETTER FOR THE DRIVERS AND FOR PUTTING ON A GOOD RACE.

SO A LOT HAS GONE INTO THAT.

BUT I LOOK AT THAT, HOW MUCH BREAKING AND I GOING TO NEED, HOW MUCH IS THAT GOING TO UPSET THE CAR, AND ACTUALLY LOOKING AT WHAT PARTS ARE PAVED AND NEWLY FORMED ASPHALT HERE BUT THERE'S MORE GRIPPING THAT PART OF THE RACE TRACK.

I'M SURE THE FIRST FEW LAPS AROUND HERE THE DRIVERS ARE GOING TO BE A LITTLE BIT DISTRACTED BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT USED TWO SEEING THINGS LIKE THIS.

>> WHAT'S THE MENTALITY OF THE DRIVER GOING INTO THIS ONE?

THEY'VE NEVER BEEN ON THIS COURSE AND THEY'VE NEVER RACED A STREET COURSE.

>> EVERY DRIVER IS GOING TO BE DIFFERENT.

SOME WILL BE EXCITED ABOUT A NEW CHALLENGE.

SOME WILL BE MAY BE MISERABLE OUT OF THE GATE.

NOT SURE IF THIS IS SOMETHING THEY WILL ENJOY.

THE ONES WITH THE GREAT ATTITUDE PROBABLY HAS THE BEST SUCCESS IN THE RACE.

THE ONES WHO COME IN PESSIMISTIC OR EXPECTING THE WORST, EXPECTED TO STRUGGLE, WILL LIKELY STRUGGLE.

>> NASCAR OFFICIALS SAY THEY'RE ALREADY EXPECTING 100,000 SPECTATORS DOWNTOWN TO WITNESS THIS HISTORIC EVENT JULY 1st AND SECOND.

IT WON'T COME CHEAP, HOWEVER.

TICKETS START AT $259 FOR GENERAL MISSION, $352 FOR ENHANCED GENERAL ADMISSION AND $455 FOR PREMIUM SEATS FOR THE WEEKEND, WHICH WILL ALSO INCLUDE A FESTIVAL AND CONCERTS.

I GUESS IT IS CHEAPER THAN TAYLOR SWIFT TICKETS, SO THERE IS THAT.

REGISTRATION HAS NOT BEEN WITHOUT CONTROVERSY.

FORMER MAYOR LORI LIGHTFOOT STRUCK THE DEAL BEFORE CITY COUNCIL COULD WEIGH IN.

GROUPS LIKE FRIENDS OF THE PARTS HAVE A FEW CONCERNS ABOUT HOW THIS WILL ALL GO.

>> SAFETY, NOISE POLLUTION, AND THE FACT THAT THIS WAS BUT ONE OF MANY EVENTS THAT IS REALLY GOING TO CLOSE OFF GRANT PARK