Former Knicks Guard to Tip Off Chicago NASCAR Race

Drivers at the NASCAR Chicago street event will take the green flag with a former bearer of the New York Knicks' blue-and-orange on the call.

Jul 2, 2023; Chicago, Illinois, USA; A general view as cars race along Grant Park during the Grant Park 220 of the Chicago Street Race viewed from the eRacing Association turn 7 Skydeck at Venue Six10. Mandatory Credit: Jon Durr-Imagn Images | Jon Durr-Imagn Images

The NASCAR Cup Series will get this Sunday's race start with the help of a former New York Knick.

The auto racing series announced on Tuesday that local legend Derrick Rose will serve as the Grand Marshal for the NASCAR Chicago Street Race on Sunday.

Known as the Grant Park 165, the race takes drivers on a 2.2-mile loop through the streets of downtown Chicago, the same city where Rose grew up and later starred for the Chicago Bulls before two stints with the Knicks. Rose will utter "the most famous words in motorsports" by giving the drivers the command to start their engines to embark on the 75-lap journey.

Apr 21, 2023; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Derrick Rose (4) brings the ball up court against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the fourth quarter of game three of the 2023 NBA playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

“It’s an honor to be part of such an incredible event in my hometown,” Rose said in a statement from NASCAR. “Chicago has always supported me throughout my career, and I’m excited to give back to the fans and be part of this amazing racing weekend in Grant Park.”

Rose played parts of four seasons with the Knicks, the latter three under the watch of his former Chicago overseer Tom Thibodeau. With the Bulls, who drafted him with the first overall pick out of Memphis in 2008, Rose reached three All-Star Games and took home the 2011 MVP award.

Though he never reached those elite heights thanks to numerous medical interruptions, Rose built a 15-year NBA career that also worked through Manhattan, Cleveland, Minnesota, Detroit, and Memphis. During his second season in New York, Rose was a finalist for the Sixth Man of the Year Award after coming over in an in-season trade with the Detroit Pistons.

Rose retired from the game last September and his career was honored by the Bulls prior to a visit from the Knicks in January. The Bulls later announced that the No. 1 Rose wore with the team would be retired and raised into the United Center rafters next to the threads of Windy City legends Michael Jordan, Bob Love, Scottie Pippen, and Jerry Sloan at some point during the 2025-26 season.

Sunday's event will be NASCAR's third tour of Chicago and last year's race was dubbed the "Sports Event of the Year" by Sports Business Journal. Alex Bowman, driver of the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, is the defending champion, beating out Tyler Reddick and Ty Gibbs for his eighth and most recent victory in the premier Cup Series.

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