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Route 66 Raceway

Address: 500 Speedway Blvd.
Pricing: See website for details
Phone: (888) 629-7223
Hours: Check website for season details
Parking:
parking lot on site
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Route 66 Raceway Pays Homage to a Historic Road.

Nov 10, 2009

Named for the historic stretch of road that begins in Chicago and concludes in California, Route 66 Raceway was founded in 1997 by auto racing fans in Joliet, Illinois.

The state-of-the art, 1/4 mile drag strip and 1/2 mile dirt oval track facility and 1.5 mile tri-oval speedway built along the legendary road draws thousands of spectators each season. With 75,000 grandstand seats, Route 66 has become one of the premiere sports centers in Illinois.        

Each season the raceway hosts a wide variety of events including two NHRA POWERade Drag Racing National events featuring Top Fuel, Funny Cars, Pro Stocks and motorcycle racing. It also features World of Outlaws, USAC Sprint and Midgets, demolition derby's, monster truck shows, Jr. Dragsters, car shows, bracket racing music venues, an NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing event and much more.       

The racing season generally begins in August and runs into early October. Ticket prices for events vary and it is best to check their website for pricing, times and other scheduled events.       

Operating under the motto "Making Our Own Memories on the Mother Road," Route 66 Raceway is less than an hour's drive from Chicago.  Once a sleepy community, Joliet has flourished and is now home to great restaurants as well as entertainment venues. If you plan a trip to the raceway, consider making it a weekend trip with spare time to burn in town.        

For history buffs, Route 66 was one of the nation's first highways, opened in November of 1926. The famous 2,448 mile highway originally ran from Chicago through Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and ended at Los Angeles. US 66 or the Mother Road as it was often called, was officially removed from the U.S. Highway system on June 27, 1985 after being replaced by interstate highways.



- by Lori Rotenberk , Chicago Reporter for HelloMetro  (Click to leave a message)

Lori Rotenberk

Lori Rotenberk graduated from Drake University and is a Chicago-based journalist whose work has appeared in The Boston Globe, Newsweek and various magazines. She worked as a staff reporter on The Chicago Sun-Times, the suburban section of The Chicago Tribune and The Des Moines Register. In addition, she has studied fiction writing in adult education at the University of Chicago.
"We employ our own Local professional journalists (not bloggers) to give you an accurate hyperlocal story"





 

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Click Images To Enlarge
Route 66 Raceway presents a variety of different events from drag to motocycle racing. Photo courtesy of Route 66 Raceway.
Route 66 is a major league raceway. Photo courtesy of Route 66 Raceway.
If you're a speed demon, head out to Route 66. Photo courtesy of Route 66 Raceway.
Many speed records are broken at Route 66 Raceway. Photo courtesy of Route 66 Raceway.
The grandstands seat 75,000 fans. Photo courtesy of Route 66 Raceway.
Named after the nearby historic road, Route 66 pays tribute to motoring history. Photo courtesy of Route 66 Raceway.
Located in Joliet, Illinois, Route 66 is a state-of-the-art stadium. Photo courtesy of Route 66 Raceway.
The grandstands provide great views of the track. Photo courtesy of Route 66 Raceway.
For an action-packed afternoon, spend it at Route 66 Raceway. Photo courtesy of Route 66 Raceway.
In addition to car shows, Route 66 features Funny Car and Top Fuel races. Photo courtesy of Route 66 Raceway.
The races are an event for the entire family. Photo courtesy of Route 66 Raceway.
Speed demons--unite at the raceway. Photo courtesy of Route 66 Raceway.




 



     
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