Chicagoland Speedway
Encyclopedia
Chicagoland Speedway is a 1.5 miles (2.4 km) tri-oval speedway in Joliet, Illinois
, USA, southwest of Chicago. The speedway opened in 2001 and currently hosts NASCAR
racing including the opening event in the 2011 Chase for the Sprint Cup. Until 2011, the speedway also hosted the IZOD IndyCar Series, recording numerous close finishes including the closest finish in IndyCar history. The speedway is owned and operated by International Speedway Corporation
and located adjacent to Route 66 Raceway
.
President Tony George
and International Speedway Corporation
Chief Executive Officer Bill France, Jr.
in late 1995. Together they formed The Motorsports Alliance, a joint company owned by Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corporation and International Speedway Corporation. By 1995, a major racing facility had been built or was near completion near Las Vegas
, Los Angeles and Texas
. The Chicago area was an untapped market for motorsports that had potential to be very lucrative. In 1996, the search began for a site to build a speedway somewhere near Chicago. Several sites were considered but eventually attention turned to the Joliet area where Dale Coyne had negotiated to build Route 66 Raceway
. Coyne convinced Joliet officials to meet with the Motorsports Alliance to discuss building their speedway adjacent to Route 66 Raceway. The success of Route 66 Raceway, completed in 1998, led to the city conducting an impact study of the proposed speedway. The study revealed the new speedway would generate $300 million for the Joliet and Will County region and over 3000 jobs.
The Joliet city council unanimously approved the speedway on January 19, 1999. Following the approval, the Will County Board extended the Des Plains River Valley Enterprise Zone in order to give a tax break to the speedway developers. It was later found out that Will County Executive Chuck Adelman accepted a personal loan from George Barr, one of developers of the speedway. The tax break news also led to the Joliet High School district threatening to bail out of the enterprise zone, but a compromise was reached. In May 1999, The Motorsports Alliance combined with Route 66 Raceway LLC to form Raceway Associates, LCC with Conye as president alongside George and France.
Raceway Associates revealed the track would be a 1.5 miles (2.4 km) d-shaped tri-oval superspeedway. Joie Chitwood III
was named vice president and general manager of the facility. During the announcement, France stated the significance of the new speedway:
Architecture and engineering firm HNTB
, which has built stadiums and arenas such as the RCA Dome
, Los Angeles Coliseum and the Rose Bowl
, was selected to lead the design of the facility. Construction management company Bovis Lend Lease
headed the construction of the speedway. Construction started in August 1999, with groundbreaking September 28, 1999. On May 8, 2000, in a press conference on Chicago's Navy Pier
, the track's name and inaugural events were announced. Construction of the speedway saw only a few problems. In the Summer of 2000, homes near the speedway were flooded as a result of heavy rains and run-off from excavation. In February 2001, a worker was killed after falling from the skybox suites on top of the grandstands. Construction was completed in spring 2001.
The track has seen little expansion since its construction, with the only major addition being the installation of lights around the track in 2008. The Indycar Series ran at the track since 2001, recording three of the top five closest finishes in Indycar history, including the closest in 2002. Despite the close finishes, the speedway announced IndyCar would not return to the track for the 2011 season. The speedway also announced changes to the NASCAR schedule for 2011, with the Sprint Cup Series race moving to September 16-18 as the first race in the 2011 Chase for the Sprint Cup. The Nationwide Series and Camping World Truck Series will also race the same weekend, in addition, the Nationwide Series will have a stand-alone race day on June 4.
Joliet, Illinois
Joliet is a city in Will and Kendall Counties in the U.S. state of Illinois, located southwest of Chicago. It is the county seat of Will County. As of the 2010 census, the city was the fourth-most populated in Illinois, with a population of 147,433. It continues to be Illinois' fastest growing...
, USA, southwest of Chicago. The speedway opened in 2001 and currently hosts NASCAR
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
racing including the opening event in the 2011 Chase for the Sprint Cup. Until 2011, the speedway also hosted the IZOD IndyCar Series, recording numerous close finishes including the closest finish in IndyCar history. The speedway is owned and operated by International Speedway Corporation
International Speedway Corporation
International Speedway Corporation is a corporation whose primary business is the ownership and management of NASCAR race tracks. ISC was founded by NASCAR founder Bill France, Sr. in 1953 for the construction of Daytona International Speedway and in 1999 they merged with Penske Motorsports to...
and located adjacent to Route 66 Raceway
Route 66 Raceway
Route 66 Raceway is a motorsports facility located in Joliet, Illinois. The facility consists of a dragstrip and a dirt oval. The drag strip hosts several drag racing events including the NHRA. The dirt oval hosts many weekly dirt racing events...
.
History
First discussions of building a major speedway near Chicago took place in an informal meeting between Indianapolis Motor SpeedwayIndianapolis Motor Speedway
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway, located in Speedway, Indiana in the United States, is the home of the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race and the Brickyard 400....
President Tony George
Tony George
Anton Hulman "Tony" George was the former President and CEO of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Hulman & Company, serving from 1989 to 2009. He was also formerly on the Board of Directors of both entities. He founded the Indy Racing League and co-owns Vision Racing...
and International Speedway Corporation
International Speedway Corporation
International Speedway Corporation is a corporation whose primary business is the ownership and management of NASCAR race tracks. ISC was founded by NASCAR founder Bill France, Sr. in 1953 for the construction of Daytona International Speedway and in 1999 they merged with Penske Motorsports to...
Chief Executive Officer Bill France, Jr.
Bill France, Jr.
William Clifton France , nicknamed "Bill Jr." and "Little Bill," was an American motorsports executive who served from 1972 to 2000 as the head of NASCAR, the sanctioning body of United States-based stock car racing. He succeeded the founder of NASCAR, his father Bill France, Sr., as its head...
in late 1995. Together they formed The Motorsports Alliance, a joint company owned by Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corporation and International Speedway Corporation. By 1995, a major racing facility had been built or was near completion near Las Vegas
Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Las Vegas Motor Speedway, located in Clark County, Nevada near Las Vegas, is a complex of multiple tracks for automobile racing. The complex is owned by Speedway Motorsports, Inc., which is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina.-History:...
, Los Angeles and Texas
Texas Motor Speedway
Texas Motor Speedway is a speedway located in the northernmost portion of the U.S. city of Fort Worth, Texas – the portion located in Denton County, Texas....
. The Chicago area was an untapped market for motorsports that had potential to be very lucrative. In 1996, the search began for a site to build a speedway somewhere near Chicago. Several sites were considered but eventually attention turned to the Joliet area where Dale Coyne had negotiated to build Route 66 Raceway
Route 66 Raceway
Route 66 Raceway is a motorsports facility located in Joliet, Illinois. The facility consists of a dragstrip and a dirt oval. The drag strip hosts several drag racing events including the NHRA. The dirt oval hosts many weekly dirt racing events...
. Coyne convinced Joliet officials to meet with the Motorsports Alliance to discuss building their speedway adjacent to Route 66 Raceway. The success of Route 66 Raceway, completed in 1998, led to the city conducting an impact study of the proposed speedway. The study revealed the new speedway would generate $300 million for the Joliet and Will County region and over 3000 jobs.
The Joliet city council unanimously approved the speedway on January 19, 1999. Following the approval, the Will County Board extended the Des Plains River Valley Enterprise Zone in order to give a tax break to the speedway developers. It was later found out that Will County Executive Chuck Adelman accepted a personal loan from George Barr, one of developers of the speedway. The tax break news also led to the Joliet High School district threatening to bail out of the enterprise zone, but a compromise was reached. In May 1999, The Motorsports Alliance combined with Route 66 Raceway LLC to form Raceway Associates, LCC with Conye as president alongside George and France.
Raceway Associates revealed the track would be a 1.5 miles (2.4 km) d-shaped tri-oval superspeedway. Joie Chitwood III
Joie Chitwood III
Joie Chitwood III serves as president of International Speedway Corporation’s flagship motorsports facility -- Daytona International Speedway . As president of DIS, Chitwood oversees all speedway activities including event entertainment, fan amenities and ticket sales...
was named vice president and general manager of the facility. During the announcement, France stated the significance of the new speedway:
Architecture and engineering firm HNTB
HNTB
HNTB Corporation is an architecture and engineering consulting firm headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri that has designed many bridges, roadways, airports and professional sports stadiums across the United States and around the world.The firm started in 1914 as Harrington, Howard & Ash...
, which has built stadiums and arenas such as the RCA Dome
RCA Dome
RCA Dome was a domed stadium, located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and the home of the Indianapolis Colts NFL franchise for 24 seasons ....
, Los Angeles Coliseum and the Rose Bowl
Rose Bowl (stadium)
The Rose Bowl is an outdoor athletic stadium in Pasadena, California, U.S., in Los Angeles County. The stadium is the site of the annual college football bowl game, the Rose Bowl, held on New Year's Day. In 1982, it became the home field of the UCLA Bruins college football team of the Pac-12...
, was selected to lead the design of the facility. Construction management company Bovis Lend Lease
Bovis Lend Lease
Lend Lease Project Management & Construction is the international project management and construction division of Lend Lease Group.-History:...
headed the construction of the speedway. Construction started in August 1999, with groundbreaking September 28, 1999. On May 8, 2000, in a press conference on Chicago's Navy Pier
Navy Pier
Navy Pier is a long pier on the Chicago shoreline of Lake Michigan. It is located in the Streeterville neighborhood of the Near North Side community area. The pier was built in 1916 at a cost of $4.5 million, equivalent to $ today. It was a part of the Plan of Chicago developed by architect and...
, the track's name and inaugural events were announced. Construction of the speedway saw only a few problems. In the Summer of 2000, homes near the speedway were flooded as a result of heavy rains and run-off from excavation. In February 2001, a worker was killed after falling from the skybox suites on top of the grandstands. Construction was completed in spring 2001.
The track has seen little expansion since its construction, with the only major addition being the installation of lights around the track in 2008. The Indycar Series ran at the track since 2001, recording three of the top five closest finishes in Indycar history, including the closest in 2002. Despite the close finishes, the speedway announced IndyCar would not return to the track for the 2011 season. The speedway also announced changes to the NASCAR schedule for 2011, with the Sprint Cup Series race moving to September 16-18 as the first race in the 2011 Chase for the Sprint Cup. The Nationwide Series and Camping World Truck Series will also race the same weekend, in addition, the Nationwide Series will have a stand-alone race day on June 4.
Current
- NASCARNASCARThe National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
Sprint Cup Series - GEICO 400 - NASCARNASCARThe National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
Nationwide Series - STP 300STP 300The STP 300 is a NASCAR Nationwide Series race held at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Illinois. It replaces Gateway International Raceway as a part of the 2011 NASCAR Realignment.-Past winners:...
(June), Dollar General 300 (September) - NASCARNASCARThe National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
Camping World Truck Series - Fast Five 225 - ARCA Re/Max SeriesARCA RE/MAX Series-History:The series started as a local touring group. Led by John Marcum, the Midwest Association for Race Cars was formed with drivers like Iggy Katona and Nelson Stacy being early drivers.The series became a part of the Daytona Speedweeks in 1964...
- Messina Wildlife Animal Stopper 150
Former
- IZOD IndyCar Series - Peak Antifreeze Indy 300Peak Antifreeze Indy 300The Peak Antifreeze and Motor Oil Indy 300 was an IndyCar Series race held at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Illinois.In 2001, American open wheel racing debuted at the circuit with an IndyCar Series event...
(2001-2010) - Firestone Indy Lights - Chicagoland 100 (2001-2010)
- IROC (2002, 2003)
Track records
| Record | Date | Driver | Time | Speed/Avg. Speed | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NASCAR Sprint Cup Series | |||||
| Qualifying | July 8, 2005 | Jimmie Johnson Jimmie Johnson Jimmie Kenneth Johnson is an American NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race car driver. He currently drives the No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports.... |
28.701 | 188.147 mi/h | |
| Race | July 10, 2010 | David Reutimann David Reutimann Emil David Reutimann is the driver the #00 Aaron's Dream Machine/Tums/Best Western Toyota Camry for Michael Waltrip Racing in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series... |
2:45:34 | 145.138 mi/h | |
| NASCAR Nationwide Series | |||||
| Qualifying | July 8, 2005 | Ryan Newman Ryan Newman Ryan Joseph Newman is a driver in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. He drives the #39 United States Army/Tornados/Haas Automation Chevrolet Impala for Stewart Haas Racing under crew chief Tony Gibson. Newman graduated from Purdue University in 2001 with a B.S. in vehicle structure engineering... |
28.964 | 188.147 mi/h | |
| Race | July 10, 2009 | Joey Logano Joey Logano Joseph Thomas "Joey" Logano , nicknamed "sliced bread" by Randy LaJoie, is an American stock car auto racing race car driver who currently drives the #20 Home Depot Toyota Camry in the Sprint Cup Series and the #20 GameStop/Sport Clips Toyota Camry in the Nationwide Series for Joe Gibbs... |
2:02:10 | 147.34 mi/h | |
| NASCAR Camping World Truck Series | |||||
| Qualifying | August 27, 2010 | Todd Bodine Todd Bodine Todd Bodine is a NASCAR driver. Todd is the younger brother of former racers Geoff Bodine and Brett Bodine. Bodine is known for his bald head, which has given him the nickname The Onion... |
31.063 | 173.84 mi/h | |
| Race | August 27, 2010 | Kyle Busch Kyle Busch Kyle Thomas Busch, is an American NASCAR driver and team owner. He currently drives the No. 18 Mars/Interstate Batteries Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing in the Sprint Cup Series, the No. 18 Z-Line Designs/NOS Energy Drink Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs in the Nationwide Series, and the No... |
1:44:31 | 132.61 mi/h | |
| IZOD IndyCar Series | |||||
| Qualifying | September 6, 2003 | Richie Hearn Richie Hearn Richie Hearn , is an American IndyCar racing driver.Hearn was born in Glendale, California. He ran in the Toyota Atlantic championship for two seasons, winning the title in 1995. In 1996, he began driving for John Della Penna in both the IRL and Champ Car ranks... |
24.521 | 223.159 mi/h | |
| Race | September 10, 2006 | Dan Wheldon Dan Wheldon Daniel Clive "Dan" Wheldon was a British racing driver from England. He was the 2005 Indy Racing League IndyCar Series champion, and winner of the Indianapolis 500 in both 2005 and 2011... |
1:33:37 | 194.828 mi/h | |