NASCAR Winston Cup and Indy Racing League Drivers Take Historic First Laps At Chicagoland Speedway
27 October 2000
NASCAR Winston Cup and Indy Racing League Drivers Take Historic First Laps At Chicagoland Speedway
JOLIET, Ill.--Oct. 26, 2000--The stars and cars of NASCAR Winston Cup Series and the Indy Racing Northern Light Series took the historic first laps at Chicagoland Speedway today, officially marking a new era of racing in the Chicago Metropolitan area.NASCAR Winston Cup driver, John Andretti drove the #19 Dodge Dealers Intrepid R/T while Scott Sharp turned laps on the 1.5 mile oval in his #8 Delphi Automotive Systems Indy Racing Northern Light Series car. With 18 degrees banking in the turns and 11 degrees down the front stretch, both Sharp and Andretti got a taste of what the Chicagoland Speedway will have to offer in 2001.
"This track is going to be a great addition to the NASCAR Winston Cup circuit, we are ready for Chicago, and we know Chicago race fans are ready for us. I have a good feeling there is going to be some unbelievable racing here, I am very impressed with what they've done," said John Andretti.
Scott Sharp, seconded Andretti's sentiment, "I can't wait to come out here and race, this track is set up for some great side-by-side action. This is going to be a favorite stop on the Indy Racing Northern Light Series schedule, the fans in the Midwest are incredible."
When it opens next Spring, Chicagoland Speedway will be one of the country's premiere motorsports facilities, featuring a 1.5 mile, 75,000-seat oval track, the nation's top drag strip and a dirt oval track, along with a Midway Promenade and entertainment area, corporate hospitality village, and adequate onsite parking.
"The paving of the track is one of the most critical phases in the development of the speedway. It was almost a month long process, in which we were graced with optimum weather conditions. We are extremely pleased with the paving process and believe it will provide our fans with great side-by-side racing action," said Joie Chitwood, Vice-President and General Manager of the Chicagoland Speedway.
Several track sponsorships were announced during the press conference including the Chicagoland Dodge Dealer's Association as the official vehicle partner for the Chicagoland Speedway along with Pepsi Cola as the official soft drink, AT&T Broadband as the official telecommunications service provider, First Midwest Bank as the official bank, Motorola as the official telecommunications hardware provider, and Gatorade as the official isotonic drink.
"We are extremely pleased with the corporate partners involved to date, this is just the first announcement of many track sponsors to come. It is evident with both the fans and the corporate partners the amount of excitement this facility is creating and will continue to create into the years to come," said Chitwood.
The NASCAR Busch Grand National Series and NASCAR Winston Cup Series will share the inaugural event weekend at the Chicagoland Speedway on July 14 and 15, 2001. The Indy Racing Northern Light Series will make its Chicago debut along with the ARCA RE/MAX Series the weekend of September 1-2, 2001.
A four race ticket package called the Track Pack will go on sale to the general public beginning at 9:00 CST Monday, October 30. Prices for the Track Pack, which include grandstand seating for all four events, range from $175-$240 based on seat location. Chicagoland Speedway has set-up four different options to purchase your Track Packs: via fax at 815-727-7895, in-person at the Route 66 Raceway/Chicagoland Speedway Box Office, by mail or on-line at www.chicagolandspeedway.com. No phone orders will be accepted.
The Chicagoland Speedway is owned by Raceway Associates, LLC, which is made up of the combined interests of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corporation (IMS), the International Speedway Corporation (ISC)and the founding owners of Route 66 Raceway, LLC. The track is located adjacent to the existing Route 66 Raceway, which opened in 1998 and will be part of the motorsports park. Route 66 includes a state-of-the-art drag strip, 1/2-mile dirt oval and road-course test track, with stadium seating for 30,000 fans. In 2001 Route 66 Raceway is scheduled to host two National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) National events, which features Top Fuel, Funny Cars, Pro Stocks, trucks and motorcycle racing.