Joliet's NASCAR track now has a murky future, and it's possible that NASCAR racing is over for Joliet and Will County. NASCAR will race . This new Daytona is expected to open in July 2022. Race 19 - Sunday, Jul. But a proposal to develop warehouses on part of the tracks surplus land seems to have generated the most uncertainty regarding the future of the 20-year-old racetrack. Track News and Announcements. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. The Chicagoland Speedway hosted Nascar events for more than two decades, but now they are pulling out. Be part of the "ULTIMATE FAN EXPERIENCE" with driver meet-and-greets, pre-event tailgating, overnight camping accommodations, kid-friendly outdoor activities, fireworks shows, and more! The race track has also hosted events with the NASCAR Xfinity Series, NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoor Truck Series, ARCA, and the Indy Car Series. 5. 4 for Kevin Harvick commented, Saw this picture yesterday of them tearing down Concord Speedway. Then came the disappointing news late Thursday that local school districts looking forward to holding graduation celebrations on the Joliet track in coming weeks would have to make other arrangements. This trend isnt expected to reverse itself anytime soon as NASCARs popularity continues to rise, spurred on by the right formula of drivers, great tracks and the right marketing strategy. Jimmie Johnson has a track-record six wins. The same can be said for other iconic tracks such as Daytona International Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway. Won the 64k LMSC race, and the best Big 10 race I remember seeing with Clay Rogers. The $2 billion dollar merger gave NASCAR far more control of their schedule. R.A.C.E. ASA headlined two events at the track in 2001 and 2003. GIFT. A lifelong car enthusiast, Eric started the blog to share his love of all things automotive with like-minded enthusiasts. NASCAR fans looked forward to this years race events June 18-21 at the Will County track. 2 - Road America. Jeff Gordon won the first Cup race there. Track officials sent a letter to ticket holders in the fall of 2020 which included the following: "Due to the corresponding impact on the shared resources between Chicagoland Speedway and Route 66 Raceway, and the future uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic; Route 66 Raceway will unfortunately not be hosting drag racing events in 2021 . Temporarily located on the Streets of Chicago until 2025 (or until bureaucracy shuts it down) . Its another shot that these businesses are taking, hotel industry has struggled,riverboats seriosuly impacted, NASCAR was a great event and great weekend, said ODekirk. May 8, 2020. Thread starter klemmabyna; Start date May 11, 2020; klemmabyna Team Owner. Concord Speedway is officially dead. It's possible that professional motorsports returns to the oval. In 1986, Furr decided to pave the speedway. The county had a population of around 400k people. CoPart USA is now the owner of the track. The diagram distributed to Planning Commission members shows the race track split into seven sections that are to be discussed about a potential new industrial park. We hope you and your family continue to stay safe and healthy. 17 - Atlanta Motor Speedway (Night) Race 18 - Sunday, Jun. Let's hope they can make the 45 mile trip from the city to Joliet when it inevitably moves to Chicagoland Speedway after the street race runs its course. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. Route 66 Raceway last hosted an NHRA Camping World Series drag race back in 2019. In 1999, Laton repaved the track, replaced the barriers and fencing. Its sister facility, the Chicagoland Speedway oval, was also left off revised NASCAR schedules, leaving the complex shuttered and staff out of work. Mike McCain had this to say about his pics: THE FORK LIFT was heading back to the torn down . Wanneer u onze sites en apps gebruikt, gebruiken we, gebruikers authenticeren, veiligheidsmaatregelen toepassen en spam en misbruik voorkomen, en, gepersonaliseerde advertenties en content weergeven op basis van interesseprofielen, de effectiviteit meten van gepersonaliseerde advertenties en content, en, onze producten en services ontwikkelen en verbeteren. Lately, it seems, a lot of uncertainty involves Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet. Learn how your comment data is processed. Demolition of this iconic structure begins in earnest in April 2020 and will take roughly three months to complete. Discover The Ultimate Guide To Finding The Best Seats at Michigan International Speedway, The Shocking Truth About Roger Penskes Purchase of the Indianapolis Speedway, The Ultimate Guide to Choosing the Best Seats at Michigan International Speedway, Discover the Shocking Amount Roger Penske Paid for the Indianapolis Speedway. Route 66 Raceway, the lavish drag strip located outside of Chicago, Ill., will return to the NHRA's Div. Great seating and the suites are outstanding. As far as NASCAR racing at the Chicagoland Speedway, its difficult at this time to speculate on what 2022 might bring. View photos of the Concord Speedway construction below. In 2012, weekly racing was brought to a halt on the half-mile. Public Welcome. Will Chicagoland Speedway be Demolished for an Industrial Park? These iconic structures hold a special place in the hearts of many fans throughout the United States. The addition of the Pit Bike race adds to an already action-packed line-up of content, including the BBQ SmokeDown, the Carnival, concerts and more.. The race track was then built and debuted its race in 2001. International Speedway Corporation was purchased by NASCAR and merged in October of last year. All rights reserved. IndyCar by a nose: In the closest finish in the history of the NTT IndyCar Series, Sam Hornish Jr. nipped Al Unser Jr. by 0.0024 seconds Sept. 8, 2002 at Chicagoland Speedway. Chicagoland Speedway is back in the news and it is not for the good reasons fans have been hoping for. Not right that Chicagoland has no race. Last year, Forbes reported that the stands appeared half-full at the start of the annual NASCAR Cup Series race at Chicagoland Speedway in July, and that was after seating capacity in the stands had been reduced to 47,000 from 55,500 during the off season. It is an exciting time for the sport as it looks to build upon the successes of the past year and continue cementing its position as Americas #1 racing series. However, the thing that always struck me as odd. NASCAR is hitting the track again next year, but the Joliet learned there will be no races at the Chicagoland Speedway. Until 2010, the speedway has also hosted the IndyCar Series, recording numerous close finishes including the . Last week NASCAR announced they would not race at the track in 2020 due to COVID-19, and most of the staff at the racetrack were released from their duties. Joined Nov 25, 2007 Messages 1,596 Points 573 Location wi (ex-iowa) May 11, 2020 #1 just wondering if anyone knew anything about this: . Later that year, it was announced that David Laton had sold the facility. The Speedway was snubbed for the third consecutive year after the sport released the 2022 schedule earlier today. I'm not here to save you. "The weapons are stolen, the humanitarian aid is stolen, and we have no idea where the billions sent to this country have gone," a Ukrainian complained to The Grayzone. Nonetheless, the track should remain a popular destination and viable entertainment option for many years to come. Yes, sports ratings as a whole are down, but NASCARs fall is alarming: Daytona 500 viewership from 2001 to 2009 ranged from 16 to 19 million.. 7 pm. After 69 years, one of NASCARs most historic venues is set to be demolished. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. The Magnificent Mile And A Half: Chicago's Home For Stock Car Racing. In the meeting, the Commission was to talk about a new industrial development that will take over the Chicagoland Speedway; however, that specific item was tabled to a future meeting. This is mainly because Talladega Superspeedway is less than an hour drive from the fans home. This year marks the 69th anniversary of Chicagoland Speedwaya track located in Chicagos Joliet area. We have reached out to the City of Joliet for comment but have not received a response at the time of publication. We promise not to use your email address for anything but exclusive updates from the Power Automedia Network. Related: Texas World Speedway Former NASCAR track being torn down. News updates from the south suburbs delivered every Monday and Wednesday, By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our. However I have been to a lot of the drag racing events. In the beginning, it was a dirt track. The same can be said for Daytona International Speedway. I thought it was Road of the Americas in Texas that was getting a race? Lees ons privacybeleid en cookiebeleid voor meer informatie over hoe we uw persoonsgegevens gebruiken. They may not have to travel as far as they do for a Daytona race to feel like theyre back in their childhood. The track opened in the late 1990s, and for a number of years, it enjoyed hosting two NASCAR races, bringing huge revenue to the Joliet region, notably to the motels and hotels throughout Will County. Track crews scraped off a top layer of asphalt then repaved, just in the lower groove. But are we ready to say RIP Chicagoland Speedway? On Twitter Tuesday afternoon, there was a strong reaction to the news of Joliet losing its NASCAR weekend for the 2021 season. They're trying to go to the racetrack on a Friday, said Bressler. Even more good news for NASCAR fans is that they will not have to look far for replacements. JOLIET, IL Millions of people from across the U.S. have flocked to Joliet's Chicagoland Speedway for more than 20 years to watch NASCAR races that are televised across the nation, but Joliet's track may not have a future. The NASCAR Cup Series changed up its schedule a bit this year, so instead of the Chicagoland Speedway race being the first of the 10-race playoffs in the fall, it's this weekend just shy of the . The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". Link to the article: https://kickinthetires.net/news/exclusive-is-chicagoland-speedway-being-reduced-to-an-industrial-complex/ The sport still doesnt make enough money to support the entire industry, though. In addition, the NASCAR Xfinity Series, Gander Trucks and ARCA will also not be returning to Chicagoland Speedway in 2021.