World Wide Technology Raceway

World Wide Technology Raceway sits in Madison, Illinois, just east of St. Louis, Missouri. The facility covers over 600 acres and serves as the largest outdoor entertainment venue in the St. Louis region. This motorsport complex features multiple track configurations that host NASCAR, IndyCar, NHRA drag racing, and other major racing series. The raceway combines an oval track, road courses, a drag strip, and a karting facility on one property.

Oval Track Specifications

The main oval measures 1.250 miles (2.012 km) in length. The track shape resembles an egg, similar to Darlington Raceway. This unusual design creates different challenges for drivers in each corner. Turns 1 and 2 feature sharper angles with banking between 9 and 11 degrees. These corners share characteristics with New Hampshire Motor Speedway. The backstretch runs parallel to Illinois Route 203, which creates the tighter radius in Turns 1 and 2. Turns 3 and 4 offer wider, flatter corners with 9 degrees of banking. These corners compare to Phoenix Raceway and allow higher exit speeds and side-by-side racing. Will Power set the oval track record in 2017, driving an IndyCar at 189.709 mph (23.7206 seconds). The grandstands seat between 57,000 and 78,000 spectators depending on the event configuration.

Additional Track Configurations

The facility includes two road courses built inside the oval. A 1.6-mile (2.575 km) road course hosts Trans-Am, SCCA, and Porsche Club of America events. Tony Cotman designed a new 2.0-mile (3.219 km) road course that opened in 2019. This course also accommodates the Formula Drift Series. The NHRA-sanctioned drag strip extends one-quarter mile (0.40 km). This strip hosts the annual NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Midwest Nationals. A modern kartplex serves amateur and professional kart racers.

Development History

The raceway began operations in 1967 as St. Louis International Raceway, a drag racing facility. The venue added a 2.6-mile road course in 1985 that incorporated parts of the drag strip. Promoter Chris Pook acquired the property in 1995 and demolished the existing tracks. He built the current oval speedway and infield road course. The new oval and drag strip opened in May 1997. Paul Tracy won the first major oval event, a CART ChampCars race on May 24, 1997. Elliott Sadler claimed victory in the first NASCAR Xfinity Series race in July 1997. The NHRA held its first National Event one month later.

Financial problems forced the track to close in November 2010. Curtis Francois, a St. Louis real estate developer and former Indy Lights driver, purchased the facility in September 2011. He renamed it Gateway Motorsports Park and invested over $40 million in improvements. The property expanded to more than 200 acres. World Wide Technology purchased naming rights in 2019, establishing the current name.

Major Racing Events

World Wide Technology Raceway hosts major events from NASCAR Cup Series, NTT IndyCar Series, and NHRA in the same calendar year. The track held its first NASCAR Cup Series race, the Enjoy Illinois 300, in 2022. Joey Logano won that inaugural event. Kyle Busch won in 2023, and Austin Cindric won in 2024. The IndyCar Series returned to the venue in 2017 after a 14-year absence with the Bommarito Automotive Group 500. The NASCAR Truck Series has competed at the facility since 1998.

Facility Features

The raceway received the 2017 Outstanding Facility of the Year Award from the Race Track Business Conference. Modern amenities include upgraded camping areas, an interactive fan zone, a renovated hospitality suite tower, and a two-story conference center. The facility acquired the adjacent Gateway National Golf Links in 2019, a 7,178-yard golf course. Spectators can bring soft-sided coolers (14x14x14 inches), but glass containers and alcohol are prohibited.