NASCAR has come to Chicago in early July and shut down streets in the heart of downtown in order to stage two races on those same streets. For three years, rain cast a literal and figurative cloud over the event.

As NASCAR's Chicago Street Race embarks on its third, and perhaps final, edition, drivers spoke fondly about the experiment's legacy.

The current contract between NASCAR and the City of Chicago ends with this year’s Grant Park 165 Chicago Street Race (2 p.m. ET Sunday on TNT, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). There’s a two year mutual option that could extend the event,