Route 66 Raceway

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 0.375-mile (0.604 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. The 2019 winners of the Route 66 NHRA Nationals were Tommy Johnson Jr. (Funny Car), Steve Torrence (Top Fuel), Deric Kramer (Pro Stock) and Matt Smith (Pro Stock Motorcycle).

Route 66 Raceway
LocationJoliet, Illinois
Time zoneGMT-6
Opened1998
Major eventsNHRA
World of Outlaws
Dragstrip
SurfaceAsphalt
Length0.25 mi (0.40 km)
Oval
SurfaceDirt
Length0.375 mi (0.603 km)
Turns4

Background

The 250-acre (100 ha) facility was built in 1998, funded by nine local entrepreneurs headed by Indy car owner 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.

The dirt oval was shorten to a 3/8th mile facility in 2017, since then the dirt track has seen a resurgence with top-flight series such as the World of Outlaws returning to the facility. [5]

References
  1. "History". Route 66 Raceway. Archived from the original on July 15, 2011. Retrieved November 28, 2010.
  2. "Article: Motorsports Alliance and Route 66 Raceway Announce Transaction and Land Purchase". Highbeam. May 5, 1999. Retrieved November 28, 2010.
  3. "Chicagoland's Route 66 Raceway Brings Professional Motorsports to the Midwest". Retrieved November 28, 2010.
  4. "Out With The Old...Racing Surface". October 21, 2010. Retrieved November 28, 2010.
  5. https://www.onedirt.com/features/dirt-oval-66-sets-aggressive-return-to-racing/

TORC: The Off Road Championship Official Website

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