View source for Route 66 Raceway

{{short description|Drag race facility in Joliet, Illinois}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2019}}
{{Infobox motorsport venue
| Name              = Route 66 Raceway
| Time              = [[UTC-06:00|UTC−6]] / [[UTC-05:00|UTC−5]] ([[Central Daylight Time|DST]])
| Location          = [[Joliet, Illinois|Joliet]], [[Illinois]], [[United States]]
| Coordinates       = {{Coord|41.4641|-88.0751|type:landmark_region:US-IL|display=it}}
| Image             = 
| Image_caption     =
| Address           = 500 Speedway Boulevard
| Logo              = [[File:Route 66 Raceway.jpg|200px]]
| Capacity          = 30,000
| Owner             = [[NASCAR#Tracks owned and/or operated by NASCAR|NASCAR]] (2019–present)<br />[[International Speedway Corporation]] (2007–2019)
| Operator          =
| Broke_ground      =
| Opened            = 1998
| Construction_cost =
| Architect         =
| Former_names      =
| Events            = '''Current:'''<br />'''[[NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series]]'''<br> ''Route 66 NHRA Nationals'' (1998–2019, 2023–present)<br />'''Former:'''<br />[[USAC National Sprint Car Championship]] (2001–2004, 2019)<br />[[World of Outlaws]] (1998–2002, 2005–2017)<br />[[AMA Supercross Championship]] (2000)
| Miles_first       = True
| Layout1           = Drag Strip
| Surface           = Asphalt
| Length_km         = 0.402
| Length_mi         = 0.250
| Turns             =
| Banking           =
| Record_time       =
| Record_driver     =
| Record_car        =
| Record_year       =
| Record_class      =
| Layout2           = Oval
| Surface2          = Dirt
| Length_km2        = 0.603
| Length_mi2        = 0.375
| Turns2            = 4
| Banking2          =
| Record_time2      =
| Record_driver2    =
| Record_car2       =
| Record_year2      =
| Record_class2     =
}}

'''Route 66 Raceway''' is a [[motorsports]] facility located in [[Joliet, Illinois|Joliet]], [[Illinois]], [[United States]]. It consists of a {{convert|0.25|mi|km|adj=on}} [[dragstrip]] and a {{convert|0.375|mi|km|adj=on}} [[Dirt track racing|dirt oval racetrack]] (Dirt Oval 66). The facility is owned and operated by [[NASCAR]] and is located adjacent to [[Chicagoland Speedway]].

==History==
The {{convert|250|acre|ha|adj=on}} facility was built in 1998, funded by nine local entrepreneurs headed by IndyCar owner [[Dale Coyne]].<ref name="History">{{cite web|title=History|url=http://www.route66raceway.com/About-Us/History.aspx|publisher=Route 66 Raceway|access-date=November 28, 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110715205334/http://www.route66raceway.com/About-Us/History.aspx|archive-date=July 15, 2011}}</ref> The inaugural season saw 90&nbsp;days of racing activity between the two tracks. In 1999, ISC partnered with the founders of the facility when it purchased {{convert|930|acre}} of land adjacent to the facility to build Chicagoland Speedway.<ref name="alliance">{{citation |title=Article: Motorsports Alliance and Route 66 Raceway Announce Transaction and Land Purchase|url=|access-date=|date=May 5, 1999}}</ref>

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&nbsp;rows of fully backed seats.<ref name="library">{{cite web|title=Chicagoland's Route 66 Raceway Brings Professional Motorsports to the Midwest|url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Chicagoland%27s+Route+66+Raceway+Brings+Professional+Motorsports+to+the...-a019746691|access-date=November 28, 2010}}</ref> In 2010, the dragstrip was repaved.<ref>{{cite web|title=Out With The Old...Racing Surface|url=http://www.route66raceway.com/Articles/2010/10/ROUTE-66-FACELIFT-BEGINS.aspx|access-date=November 28, 2010|date=October 21, 2010}}</ref>

Also on the facility is a now-defunct {{convert|2|mi|km|adj=on|spell=in}}, 15-turn road course, a temporary {{convert|1|mi|km|adj=on|spell=in}} off-road track inside the dirt oval, and a {{convert|35|acre|ha|adj=on}} paved driving pad.

The dirt oval was shortened to a 3/8 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.

However, in 2022 the dirt oval posted a full card of events, including concerts. Then, for no explained reason they removed the concerts and then canceled race events one-by-one about a week before the event was to take place. On-Line tickets have been sold for these events, and there have been reports of people having trouble getting refunds. As of July 27, 2022, online tickets for supposed upcoming events are now not for sale.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.onedirt.com/features/dirt-oval-66-sets-aggressive-return-to-racing/ |title=Dirt Oval 66 Sets Aggressive Return to Racing |website=www.onedirt.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191209091655/https://www.onedirt.com/features/dirt-oval-66-sets-aggressive-return-to-racing/ |archive-date=2019-12-09}}</ref>

==Events==
The dragstrip hosted a round of the [[NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series]] from 1998 to 2019, and returned in 2023. The [[AMA Supercross Championship]] raced there in 2000 on a Daytona-style course on the dragstrip.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://racerxonline.com/2014/12/21/40-years-of-supercross-2000 |title=40 Years of Supercross: 2000 |website=Race X |date=December 21, 2014}}</ref>

The dirt oval track has hosted the [[All Star Circuit of Champions]] in 1998, 2018, 2019 and 2021, the [[World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series]] from 1998 to 2002 and later in 2005 and 2017, the [[World of Outlaws Late Model Series]] in 2017, the [[USAC National Sprint Car Championship]] and [[USAC National Midget Series]] from 2001 to 2004, and the latter again in 2019. Route 66 has also hosted [[American Flat Track]] and [[TORC: The Off Road Championship]] events, as well as monster truck shows and demolition derbies.

==Current Track Records==

{| class="wikitable"
!Category!!E.T.!!Speed!!Driver!!Event!!Ref
|-
| rowspan="2"|[[Top Fuel]] || '''3.661''' || bgcolor="black"| || Doug Kalitta || rowspan="2"|2025 Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals presented by PEAK || rowspan="2"|<ref name="2025-event">{{cite web |title=NHRA Saturday Qualifying at Joliet: Track Record Keeps Surging Doug Kalitta No. 1 |url=https://www.autoweek.com/racing/nhra/a64802187/nhra-saturday-qualifying-joliet-track-record-surging-doug-kalitta/ |website=Autoweek |access-date=11 June 2025}}</ref>
|-
| bgcolor="black"| || '''{{convert|338.09|mi/h|km/h|abbr=on}}''' || Antron Brown
|-
| rowspan="2"|[[Funny Car]] || '''3.831''' || bgcolor="black"| || Robert Hight || 2023 Gerber Collision & Glass NHRA Route 66 Nationals presented by PEAK Performance || <ref name="2025-preview">{{cite web |last1=staff |first1=NHRA com |title=Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals Sunday preview |url=https://www.nhra.com/news/2025/gerber-collision-glass-route-66-nhra-nationals-sunday-preview |website=NHRA |language=en}}</ref>
|-
| bgcolor="black"| || '''{{convert|336.40|mi/h|km/h|abbr=on}}''' || J.R. Todd || 2025 Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals presented by PEAK || <ref name="2025-event" />
|-
| rowspan="2"|[[Pro Stock Motorcycle]] || '''6.672''' || bgcolor="black"| || Gaige Herrera || 2023 Gerber Collision & Glass NHRA Route 66 Nationals presented by PEAK Performance || <ref name="2025-preview" />
|-
| bgcolor="black"| || '''{{convert|204.26|mi/h|km/h|abbr=on}}'''|| Matt Smith || 2025 Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals presented by PEAK || <ref name="2025-event" />
|}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.route66raceway.com Official Website]
* [https://www.thethirdturn.com/wiki/The_Dirt_Oval_at_Route_66_Raceway The Dirt Oval at Route 66 Raceway] at The Third Turn

{{Joliet, Illinois}}
{{NHRA dragstrips}}
{{World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series race venues}}
{{World of Outlaws Late Model Series race venues}}
{{USAC National Midget Series race venues}}
{{POWRi National Midgets race venues}}
{{USAC National Sprint Car Series race venues}}
{{TORC race venues}}
{{AMA Supercross venues}}

[[Category:Motorsport in Chicago]]
[[Category:Motorsport venues in Illinois]]
[[Category:NHRA Division 3 drag racing venues]]
[[Category:Sports venues in Joliet, Illinois]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures on U.S. Route 66]]
[[Category:Off-road racing venues in the United States]]