Roughly four and a half miles of streets in and around Grant Park were closed to the public for three weeks as the third-annual NASCAR Chicago Street Race took over downtown.  

As crews cleaned up the concrete barricades, metal fences and risers that helped define the race track last week, Chicagoans wondered if the event would return again next year. Last year, the city estimated the race generated $128 million and brought in 53,000 visitors, a boost to Chicago’s revenue. But local businesses along the race route said this week that they have seen foot traffic grind to a halt and struggled to bring in business during the last three weeks.