Route 66 Raceway
 | |
| Location | Joliet, Illinois |
|---|---|
| Time zone | GMT-6 |
| Opened | 1998 |
| Major events | NHRA |
| Dragstrip | |
| Surface | Asphalt |
| Length | 0.25 miles (0.40 km) |
| Oval | |
| Surface | Dirt |
| Length | 0.50 miles (0.80 km) |
| Turns | 4 |
Route 66 Raceway is a drag race facility located in Joliet, Illinois. The facility consists of a 0.25-mile (0.40 km) dragstrip. The complex also includes a 0.5-mile (0.80 km) dirt oval. The drag strip hosts several drag racing events including the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA). The facility is owned and operated by International Speedway Corporation and is located adjacent to Chicagoland Speedway.
Background
The 250-acre (100 ha) facility was built in 1998, funded by nine local entrepreneurs headed by Dale Coyne.[1] The inaugural season saw 90 days of racing activity between the two tracks. In 1999, ISC partnered with the founders of the facility when it purchased 930 acres (380 ha) of land adjacent to the facility to build Chicagoland Speedway.[2]
The quarter-mile, $20 million drag strip features a four-story, 38-suite complex. The 30,000-seat grandstand surrounds the start line and features 40 rows of fully backed seats.[3] In 2010, the dragstrip was repaved.[4]
Past events on the half-mile dirt track have included the World of Outlaws sprint cars, late models, and monster truck shows. In recent years the oval has been used exclusively for Team Demolition Derbies, as well as TORC: The Off Road Championship.
Also on the facility is a now-defunct two-mile (3.2 km), 15-turn road course, temporary one-mile (1.6 km) off-road track inside the dirt oval, and a 35-acre (14 ha) paved driving pad.
References
- ^ "History". Route 66 Raceway. Retrieved 28 November 2010.
- ^ "Article: Motorsports Alliance and Route 66 Raceway Announce Transaction and Land Purchase". Highbeam. May 5, 1999. Retrieved 28 November 2010.
- ^ "Chicagoland's Route 66 Raceway Brings Professional Motorsports to the Midwest". Retrieved 28 November 2010.
- ^ "Out With The Old...Racing Surface". October 21, 2010. Retrieved 28 November 2010.