ROUTE 66 RACEWAY

Years of operation: 1998 – present

Location: On U.S. Highway 53, two miles south of Interstate 80, Joliet, Ill.

Notes: facility held its first NHRA drag racing event in May of 1998…first oval track race (on ½-mile dirt track) held on 7/26/1998 with Stevie Smith winning 30-lap World of Outlaws sprint car feature…other sprint car feature winners during the first year included Frankie Kerr (IRA-sanctioned race on 8/23/98) and Joey Saldana (All Star Circuit of Champions-sanctioned race on 9/18/98)…first stock car race held on 10/3/98 and won by Ed Dixon of Washington, Mo. ($10,000-to-win “Super Bowl of Dirt”)…USAC sprint cars and midgets made their first appearance in 2001 with Bud Kaeding winning 30-lap sprint car feature on 8/31/01 and Tracy Hines winning 30-lap midget feature on 8/30/01…in recent years there has been little oval track activity except for team demolition events.