As NASCAR drivers arrived for the sport's first-ever street race this weekend, some decided to explore downtown Chicago, but also taste iconic local dishes.
Austin Dillon, a four-time winner in the NASCAR Cup Series, was no exception.
In an interview with NBC Chicago's Ruthie Polinsky ahead of the Grant Park 220 Sunday afternoon, Dillon revealed he stopped by the legendary restaurant Portillo's - a longtime local favorite known for its Italian beef, Chicago-style hotdogs and more.
"I went by Portillo's, that was really cool, a great experience," he said.
While a lightning delay led NASCAR to initially postpone Saturday's Xfinity Series race, Dillon explained before that happened, he was "impressed" by the large crowd that had gathered.
"Yesterday there was a lot of people here," he said, in part. "Seeing new fans that don't really know who you are but know you're a driver and want to introduce themselves, want to talk about racing, and then the loyal fans that have been following NASCAR for a long time have also showed up."
Despite heavy rains and track flooding, the previously scheduled Cup Series race, the Grant Park 220, was still set to take place at 4 p.m., according to officials. Hours earlier, the weather issues led NASCAR to declare Cole Custer the winner of the inaugural Loop 121 Race.
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