What would you do if a new race track popped up in your city overnight, ready to be torn down again in three days? Most people would attend a race, complain about the interruptions to traffic, or both. One Corvette owner took another approach: he snuck onto the new NASCAR street circuit in Chicago late last night in the hopes of getting a lap or two in.
He was arrested soon afterward.
According to a report from the Chicago Sun-Times, an unauthorized car was reported on the track at around 9:00 at night. Police stopped the driver and another man, presumably a passenger, shortly afterward. The C8 Corvette and the two men were then escorted off the track by police.
Photos shared by the Sun-Times show that the Corvette is a bright yellow C8, with a wrap accented by red flames and references to 93 octane gas. There is no word on if the car actually completed any laps, or how many it may have completed before finally being noticed, but the street circuit in Grant Part is not in a particularly remote part of the city and any unexpected track time would have caught the attention of locals immediately.
Adding in the car’s memorable wrap and the fact that NASCAR racing was suspended for lightning strikes hours earlier, the driver had little to no hope of getting away with it without being noticed. Given that street circuits often need overnight maintenance from staff that would immediately be able to recognize that an unauthorized car is on track, it was neither a particularly safe nor particularly good idea.
Keyword: Corvette Owner Caught Sneaking Onto Chicago's New NASCAR Street Circuit for Hot Laps