Not only is it a historical weekend for NASCAR it's also a weekend where Rockford, Illinois will be in front of a national audience once again. It's not because of professional athletes/Rockford natives like Fred Van Vleet (NBA), Dean Lowry or James Robinson (both of the NFL), not even Dance Patrick. This appearance involves a Rockford landmark, in a roundabout way.

105th Running Of The Indianapolis 500
Getty Images
loading...

NASCAR AT THE BRICKYARD, INDIANAPOLIS

This weekend over in Indiana history will take place as NASCAR's best drivers endure a 14-turn, nearly 3-mile road course. This road course is a first for Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

NASCAR Cup Series Big Machine Hand Sanitizer 400 Powered by Big Machine Records
Getty Images
loading...

So, for the first time in history, racing fans will witness some serious;y stellar driving skills in Indy, more so than usual. And, as a former major NASCAR fan, this was my jam as a kid. I've since strayed away from the sport a bit but I still enjoy watching it from time to time.

HOW DOES ROCKFORD TIE IN?

The #12 car is where you'll want your eyes to be. The car, driven by Ryan Blaney, will have a decal near of side windows of his Ford Mustang GT, owned by Penske Racing.

NASCAR Cup Series Foxwoods Resort Casino 301
Getty Images
loading...

I'm not sure the correlation between the Rockford tie-in other than the sport. This weekend you're going to be looked for a Rockford Speedway decal. It's very noticeable.

Here's what the folks at Rockford Speedway shared this week.

You can watch the races on NBC, NBC Sports, and catch highlights of the actions on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook.

ILlinois sports fans will love these 50 most famous sports goofs

32 Stunning Google Maps Pics Show Just How Much Downtown Rockford Has Changed

Changes to downtown Rockford in a little over 10 years.

More From 96.7 The Eagle