Gateway International Raceway

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Gateway International Raceway
Gateway International Raceway Logo
Location Madison, Illinois
Capacity 65,000
Owner Dover Motorsports
Address 700 Raceway Blvd, Madison, IL 62060
Major Events NASCAR Nationwide Series, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, National Hot Rod Association
Oval
Circuit Length 2 km (1.25 mi)
Banking Turns 1 & 2 - 11°
Turns 3 & 4 - 9°
Straights - 3°

Gateway International Raceway is a race track in Madison, Illinois, USA, just minutes from Downtown St. Louis, Missouri. It hosts a NASCAR Nationwide Series event and a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race on a 1.25 mile (2 kilometer) oval, and also has a quarter-mile drag strip that hosts an annual National Hot Rod Association event. The facilities are owned by Dover Motorsports, a group that also owns Memphis Motorsports Park, Dover International Speedway and the Nashville Superspeedway among others.

The first major event held at the facility was a CART series held on Saturday May 24, 1997, the day before the Indy Racing League's Indianapolis 500. Rather than scheduling a race directly opposite the Indy 500 (as they had done in 1996 with the U.S. 500), CART scheduled Gateway the day before to serve as their Memorial Day weekend open-wheel alternative without direct conflict. After a couple years, track management grew increasingly dissatisfied with its apparent use, as seen by some, as a political pawn by CART, and its poor attendance as fans generally chose to travel to the Indy 500 for the weekend instead. For 2000, the race was moved to the fall. In 2001, its was dropped from the CART series schedule, and switched to the Indy Racing League. After mediocre attendance, the event was dropped altogether after 2003.

The 1.25-mile oval is a favorite of many of the drivers who race there due to the unique shape and different degrees of banking in each corner. Turns 1 & 2 have characteristics similar to New Hampshire Motor Speedway while Turns 3 & 4 are similar to Phoenix International Raceway and the track's egg shape mimics the legendary Darlington Raceway. Several NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams test at GIR in preparation for these events.

There is also an 1.6 mile infield road course used by sports car clubs and motorcycle organizations through the warmer months. This roadcourse hosted a round of the AMA Superbike Championship in 1995. Canadian Miguel Duhamel won the superbike class in blistering hot conditions.

In late 2006, Lenny Batycki took over as the vice president and general manager of the track. Unlike most of his predecesors, Batycki brought with him extensive marketing and PR knowledge of motorsports, having been a vice president at the North Carolina Speedway in Rockingham, NC and a vice president at Richard Childress Racing for a number of years, working with the late Dale Earnhardt for the last years of the seven-time champion's career. Many in the St. Louis area feel the track is now on an upswing with GIR being run by individuals with actual racing ties and knowledge rather than mainstream businessmen.

In early January of 2008, it was announced that the Missouri-Illinois Dodge Dealers would move their sponsorship from the NASCAR Craftsman Truck race to the NASCAR Nationwide Series race. The July 19th Nationwide Series will now be called the Missouri-Illinois Dodge Dealers 250. NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers such as Carl Edwards, David Ragan, David Reutimann, Clint Bowyer, and defending race winner Reed Sorenson are scheduled to race in the event. St. Louis native and fan favorite Kenny Wallace will race his #36 Fitz Motorsports Dodge at Gateway that night as well.


The winners of the 2007 NHRA O'Reilly Midwest Nationals at Gateway International Raceway.

2007 NASCAR Busch Series winner Reed Sorenson celebrates his victory at GIR with Miss Gateway Danielle Woodruff and Gateway Guy.

GIR GM Lenny Batycki congratulates Johnny Benson in Victory Lane after his win in the 2007 Missouri-Illinois Dodge Dealers Ram Tough 200.

Contents

[edit] Race history

[edit] CART & IRL Results

See main article Emerson Indy 250

[edit] Nationwide Series race history

[edit] Craftsman Truck Series race history

[edit] Records

[edit] Current Events

[edit] Other Events

Metallica's Summer Sanitarium Tour of 2000 made a stop at Gateway on July 3, 2000. Other artist featured at the concert were Korn, Kid Rock, Powerman 5000, System of a Down.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

v • d • e
Current NASCAR Nationwide Series racetracks
v • d • e
Current NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series racetracks
v • d • e
Tracks of the Indy Racing League
Ovals
Road/Street Courses
Former Tracks
Languages