Chicagoland Speedway
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Chicagoland Speedway is an inactive Template:Convert tri-oval intermediate speedway in Joliet, Illinois. It has hosted various major races throughout its existence, including NASCAR and IndyCar races. The track is currently owned by NASCAR, and features a 47,000-seat capacity as of 2019.
During the 1990s stock car racing boom, NASCAR, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and Menards formed the Motorsports Alliance to find a new market to construct an intermediate oval, eventually deciding on the Chicago market. After failed proposals at the DuPage Airport and the town of Plano, the city of Joliet was chosen after the Alliance partnered with the Route 66 Raceway in 1999. Construction began within the year and was completed in 2001. After 18 years of racing, due to attendance woes, all major racing at the facility stopped. Since 2020, with the exception of a one-off SuperMotocross race in 2023, the facility has stayed largely dormant.
DescriptionEdit
ConfigurationEdit
Chicagoland Speedway in its current form is measured at Template:Convert, with 18° of banking in the track's turns, 11° of banking on the frontstretch, and 5° of banking on the backstretch.<ref name=":0">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Unlike most intermediate oval tracks, the backstretch is a singular continuous curve instead of a straight line.<ref name=":1">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The track's length has been disputed by varying sanctioning bodies; NASCAR utilized a length of Template:Convert<ref name=":0" /> while the IndyCar Series utilized a length of Template:Convert.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
AmenitiesEdit
Chicagoland Speedway is located in Joliet, Illinois, and is served by Illinois Route 53 and Interstate 80.<ref name=":13244923622">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> As of 2019, the facility has a seating capacity of 47,000 according to Forbes.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The entire facility encompasses approximately Template:Convert of land according to the Journal Star.<ref name=":1" />
Track historyEdit
Planning and constructionEdit
Failed proposalsEdit
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In December 1996, DuPage Airport officials began hearing proposals of the construction of a potential racing facility on land owned by the airport.<ref name=":13244">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> Out of three proposals, the one chosen by the airport's board was a Template:Convert intermediate oval funded by the Motorsports Alliance, a partnership between International Speedway Corporation (ISC), the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and Menards.<ref name=":132442">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> Initial plans for the $50 million proposal included seating capacity for 40–80 thousand and an opening date in 1999.<ref name=":132443">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> The proposed racetrack quickly faced opposition; by February 1997, numerous anti-racetrack groups were formed, including in West Chicago and Geneva.<ref name=":132444">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> Two months later, the plan was killed after numerous factors, including increasing public opposition, concerns about the track's environmental impact, and disagreements between DuPage Airport officials and the Motorsports Alliance in lease revenues made the location unfeasible.<ref name=":132445">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> In August 1997, the Motorsports Alliance announced plans to pursue a location in either Plano, Illinois, or northwest Indiana.<ref name=":132446">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> By February 1998, the proposal was narrowed to Plano;<ref name=":132447">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> however, by January 1999, the plan was scrapped in favor for a proposal in Joliet, Illinois.<ref name=":132449" /><ref name=":132448">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref>
Joliet proposalEdit
On January 6, 1999, The Charlotte Observer reported that the Motorsports Alliance was seeking to annex Template:Convert in Joliet, with a hearing scheduled on the 19th for its approval.<ref name=":132449">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> The location was later revealed to be a plot of land northeast of the Route 66 Raceway, with the owners of Route 66 Raceway partnering with the Alliance's proposal.<ref name=":1324410">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> On the 19th, the Joliet City Council unanimously approved the $100 million, 75,000-seat project.<ref name=":132449236">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> Within the month, the Motorsports Alliance spurred efforts for the plot of land to be included into the Des Plaines River Valley Enterprise Zone for a tax break worth up to $10 million over 10 years,<ref name=":1324492363">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> which was fully approved four months later.<ref name=":13244923616">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> In response to local residents' concerns regarding traffic, in February, the Alliance promised to invest $3.7 million towards nearby road improvements.<ref name=":1324492364">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> In May, the Alliance announced plans to start construction in the summer of 1999 and open sometime in 2001.<ref name=":1324492366">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> That same month, the Alliance and Route 66 Raceway owner Dale Coyne formed a joint company named Raceway Associates to run the facility, with the Alliance owning 75% and Coyne owning 25%.<ref name=":1324492367">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> Two months later, NASCAR executive Mike Helton confirmed discussions about adding a potential NASCAR Winston Cup Series to their schedule for the 2001 season.<ref name=":1324492365">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> By August, earthmovers began preparing the land for groundbreaking.<ref name=":1324492369">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref>
ConstructionEdit
Groundbreaking on the facility occurred on September 28, 1999, with NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt appearing as a dignitary.<ref name=":1324492368">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> On May 8, 2000, track officials officially confirmed the addition of the facility to both the NASCAR Winston Cup Series and the Indy Racing League (IRL) for 2001; additionally, the track was also formally named as the "Chicagoland Speedway",<ref name=":13244923610">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> with Joie Chitwood III being named as the general manager of the track.<ref name=":13244923611">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> By September 2000, construction on the facility was "more than half done" according to Southtown Star writer John Debberstein,<ref name=":13244923612">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> with the track itself being described as a Template:Convert oval with 18.5° of banking in the track's turns, 11° of banking on the frontstretch, and 5° of banking on the backstretch.<ref name=":1324492362">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> The first tests done on the facility were conducted on October 26, with drivers John Andretti and Scott Sharp driving a NASCAR Cup car and Indy-car, respectively.<ref name=":13244923613">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> On February 1, 2001, the only construction fatality occurred when worker Ehren Brandau fell while installing windows to a skybox.<ref name=":13244923614">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref><ref name=":13244923615">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> By the end of its construction, the entire facility cost approximately $130 million (adjusted for inflation, $Template:Inflation).<ref name=":13244923628">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref><ref name=":13244923629">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref>
Operating yearsEdit
Chicagoland Speedway officially opened to the public on July 12, 2001, for practice sessions for the 2001 Tropicana 400, a Cup Series race.<ref name=":13244923617">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> The track's first race, a second-tier NASCAR Busch Series (now called the Xfinity Series) race, was ran two days later with Jimmie Johnson winning the first race at the track.<ref name=":13244923618">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> A day later, the Tropicana 400 was ran, with Kevin Harvick winning the first highlight race at the facility.<ref name=":13244923619">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> The track's first Indy Racing League (now called the IndyCar Series) occurred on September 2, with Jaques Lazier winning the event.<ref name=":1324492342">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> A year later, the track recorded the closest finish in IndyCar history, with Sam Hornish Jr. winner over Al Unser Jr. by 0.0024 seconds.<ref name=":132449234">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> In 2003, Matthew Alexander replaced Chitwood as the general manager of Chicagoland Speedway.<ref name="PRIMARY1" group="‡">Template:Cite press release</ref> The following year, SAFER barriers were installed throughout the entire outside perimeter of the track at a cost of approximately $1.5 million.<ref name=":1324492343">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref><ref name=":1324492344">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref>
In February 2007, ISC bought out Raceway Associates for $102.4 million, taking full control over both Chicagoland Speedway and Route 66 Raceway.<ref name="PRIMARY2" group="‡">Template:Cite press release</ref> A month later, Alexander was promoted to president of the speedway.<ref name="PRIMARY1" group="‡" /> Within the year, Alexander announced the installation of lights to accommodate night racing;<ref name=":13244923621">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> the $17 million installation was completed in time for the 2008 LifeLock.com 400.<ref name=":13244923620">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> In 2009, Alexander stepped down as president of the speedway, with Craig Rust replacing Alexander.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Rust's tenure was brief; he stepped down in September 2010<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and was replaced by Scott Paddock four months later.<ref name=":1324413">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> In the 2010s, the track underwent two seating capacity declines due to attendance declines: one in 2013 that decreased capacity to 55,000,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and one in 2019 that decreased capacity to 47,000.<ref name=":02">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Also in 2019, the facility was bought out by NASCAR when the sanctioning body bought out ISC.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Departure of NASCAREdit
Although a NASCAR Cup Series race was scheduled in 2020, the race was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In May 2020, plans were made to convert Template:Convert of the facility's parking lots into warehouse storage;<ref name=":13244923623">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> however, the plan faced opposition from the Joliet City Council Economic Development Committee<ref name=":13244923624">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> and was rejected by the Joliet Plan Commission in August.<ref name=":13244923625">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> In September, NASCAR announced that all three national series would not return to Chicagoland Speedway for the 2021 season, leaving the track with an uncertain future.<ref name=":2">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Paddock resigned as president a month later.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The track was left widely dormant in the following years after NASCAR's departure. In 2022, the track was used to store vehicles awaiting computer chips from the Ford Motor Company in the midst of the 2021 global semiconductor shortage.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The following year, the SuperMotocross World Championship announced that they would host races at the facility for their 2023 season;<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> the races ran in September, becoming the first motorsports event at the facility in over four years.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=":3">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
EventsEdit
Racing eventsEdit
NASCAREdit
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Chicagoland Speedway formly hosted annual one NASCAR weekend: The NASCAR Cup Series' Camping World 400.<ref name=":4">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The facility also ran Xfinity Series races with Chicagoland 300 and the standalone Owens Corning AttiCat 300<ref name=":13244923630">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> and Truck Series' Camping World 225 as support events.<ref name=":4" />
IndyCar SeriesEdit
Template:See alsoFrom 2001 to 2010, Chicagoland Speedway hosted one annual IndyCar Series weekend: the Peak Antifreeze Indy 300. In 2006, the race was moved to become the season finale of the IndyCar season.<ref name=":13244923631">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> The move lasted for three seasons; in 2009, the season finale was switched for the Homestead–Miami Speedway.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The race was dropped after the 2010 season.<ref name=":13244923632">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref>
Other racing eventsEdit
- From 2002 to 2003, Chicagoland Speedway hosted the International Race of Champions (IROC).<ref name=":13244923633">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref><ref name=":13244923634">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref>
- In 2023, the facility hosted the second round of the SuperMotocross World Championship.<ref name=":3" />
Non-racing eventsEdit
From May 24–26, 2013, Chicagoland Speedway held a branch of the Electric Daisy Carnival, drawing an attendance of approximately 65,000.<ref name=":13244923626">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref><ref name=":13244923627">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref>
Lap recordsEdit
As of June 2019, the fastest official race lap records at Chicagoland Speedway are listed as:
| Category | Time | Driver | Vehicle | Event | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tri-Oval: 2.446 km (2001–present)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> | ||||
| IndyCar | 0:24.4216 | Buddy Rice | Dallara IR-02 | 2002 Delphi Indy 300 | |
| Indy Lights | citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> || Travis Gregg || Dallara IPS || 2004 Chicagoland Indy Lights round | |||
| NASCAR Cup | citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> || Kyle Busch || Toyota Camry || 2017 Tales of the Turtles 400 | |||
| NASCAR Xfinity | citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> || Cole Custer || Ford Mustang || 2019 Camping World 300 | |||
| NASCAR Truck | citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> || Brett Moffitt || Chevrolet Silverado || 2019 Camping World 225 | |||
ReferencesEdit
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