NASCAR Partners with After School Matters to Create 200-Foot Mural Painted by Local Teens for Inaugural Chicago Street Race Weekend

April 28, 2023

NASCAR Cup Series’ Harrison Burton of Wood Brothers Racing Joins More than a Dozen Area Teens at Gately Park in Chicago’s Pullman Neighborhood 

CHICAGO, Ill. – NASCAR announced a new partnership with After School Matters, working with local teens to create an official Chicago Street Race mural to be featured on race weekend in Grant Park. At an event with Wood Brothers Racing’s Harrison Burton, the young artists showcased their work and had an opportunity to paint with the NASCAR Cup Series star at After School Matters at Gately Park in Chicago’s Pullman neighborhood. 

The artwork for the 200-foot, 50-panel NASCAR-themed mural began in February and will be showcased in Butler Field – which will be free and open to the public – during race weekend, July 1-2.  

“It’s so wonderful to watch these amazing young artists bring the spirit of NASCAR to life for all of Chicago to see,” said Burton. “They are perfectly capturing the excitement of this sport in this incredible work of art, and I’m just honored to be here on behalf of NASCAR to support public arts in Chicago.” 

“We want to ensure that our presence in Chicago will deliver benefits to residents, youth, and the local community,” said Julie Giese, Chicago Street Race President. “With an office of more than a dozen full-time employees here in Chicago, we are a true part of the Chicago community year-round, and we are honored to partner with organizations like After School Matters and these amazing young artists who are welcoming us to this city through their art.” 

After School Matters is a non-profit organization that provides life-changing afterschool and summer program opportunities to nearly 19,000 Chicago high school teens each year. The joint event with NASCAR was held at the After School Matters facility in Gately Park, which opened in 2021 on the city’s far south side. The teen-centric facility is a wing of the Gately Park field house operated by the Chicago Park District and serves up to 1,500 young people each year from the Pullman and Roseland communities. 

“We are proud to partner with NASCAR to provide our teens the opportunity to share their enthusiasm for our city and this race through their artwork. We look forward to seeing this amazing mural on display at Butler Field on race weekend,” said Mary Ellen Caron, After School Matters’ Executive Director.  

This partnership is the latest example of NASCAR’s continued and long-lasting commitment to the Chicago community. To date, NASCAR has already announced long-term partnerships with the Boys &Girls Clubs of America, Chicago Public Schools, the Art Institute of Chicago, All Kids Bike, and the Field Museum. For more information on After School Matters, visit afterschoolmatters.org. 

Chicago Street Race 

As part of NASCAR’s 75th anniversary season, the first-ever Chicago Street Race Weekend will feature the NASCAR Cup Series’ Grant Park 220 and NASCAR Xfinity Series’ The Loop 121 competing on a 12-turn, 2.2-mile street course, along with full-length concerts by The Chainsmokers and Miranda Lambert with the support of The Black Crowes and Charley Crockett over Fourth of July Weekend on July 1-2. 

General admission and reserved tickets are on sale for the Chicago Street Race. Two-day general admission ticket start at $269 and reserved tickets that offer an array of opportunities including reserved seating and a wide variety of premium experiences start at $465. To purchase tickets, fans can log onto NASCARChicago.com or call 1-888-629-7223.  

The Grant Park 220 will be nationally broadcast on NBC on Sunday, July 2 at 5:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. CT and The Loop 121 will be broadcast nationally on USA Network at 5:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. CT. 

To stay up to date with the Chicago Street Race, fans can subscribe to receive exclusive Chicago Street Race emails, follow @NASCARChicago on Twitter and Facebook and download the NASCAR Tracks App for the latest real-time updates on all aspects of the event. 

About Chicago Street Race 

The Chicago Street Race is the first-ever NASCAR Cup Series street race. Located in downtown Chicago, the event will take competitors past and through many of the city’s most renowned downtown landmarks on Michigan Avenue, South Columbus Drive, South Lake Shore Drive and the start-finish line near Buckingham Fountain. The Cup Series will be joined by the NASCAR Xfinity Series as part of a one-of-a-kind sports and entertainment festival headlined by Miranda Lambert, The Chainsmokers, Charley Crockett, and The Black Crowes over the Fourth of July Weekend on July 1-2, 2023. For more information, visit NASCARChicago.com. 

About NASCAR 

Celebrating its 75th Anniversary in 2023, the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for the No. 1 form of motorsports in the United States and owner of 16 of the nation’s major motorsports entertainment facilities. NASCAR sanctions races in three national series (NASCAR Cup Series™, NASCAR Xfinity Series™, and NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series™), four international series (NASCAR Brasil Sprint Race, NASCAR Mexico Series, NASCAR Pinty’s Series (Canada), NASCAR Whelen Euro Series), four regional series (ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East & West and the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour) and a local grassroots series (NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series). The International Motor Sports Association™ (IMSA®) governs the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship™, the premier U.S. sports car series. NASCAR also owns Motor Racing Network, Racing Electronics, and ONE DAYTONA. Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, with offices in eight cities across North America, NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races annually in 12 countries and more than 30 U.S. states. For more information visit www.NASCAR.com and www.IMSA.com, and follow NASCAR on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat (‘NASCAR’). 

About After School Matters

After School Matters is a nonprofit organization that provides high quality after-school and summer opportunities to Chicago public high school teens to explore their passions and develop their talents while gaining critical skills for work, college, and beyond. After School Matters programs are project-based, led by industry experts, and provide a pathway to progress in skills development and independence. Teens earn a stipend while participating in programs in the arts, communications and leadership, sports, and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). Over the span of three decades, After School Matters has engaged more than 400,000 teens throughout the city of Chicago. www.afterschoolmatters.org.  

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