For the second straight year, the Enjoy Illinois 300 presented by TicketSmarter will return to the World Wide Technology Raceway. The Enjoy Illinois 300 is a NASCAR Cup Series race that caps an exciting weekend of events in Madison, Ill., right outside of St. Louis.
Race weekend, which is set for June 2โ4, also includes the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Toyota 200 race and Confluence Music Festival. Artists like Dierks Bentley, Brothers Osborne and Flo Rida will headline the festival which takes place on and around the track throughout the weekend.
The Inaugural Race
NASCAR awarded World Wide Technology Raceway its first Cup Series race as a replacement for one of the two races at Pocono Raceway. The inaugural Enjoy Illinois 300 took place on June 5, 2022, and went into overtime before Joey Logano of Team Penske was declared the winner. He posted a race time of 3:07:34 over 245 laps with an average speed of 97.965 mph. There was a capacity crowd in attendance for his victory.
World Wide Technology Raceway
World Wide Technology Raceway features a 1.250-mile asphalt oval and a 2.000-mile infield road course. There is also a quarter-mile NHRA-sanctioned drag strip located right outside the track. The oval track has two unique corners. Each corner has a different radius and degrees of banking.
Previously known as Gateway International Raceway and Gateway Motorsports Park, World Wide Technology Raceway held its first event in 1997. It was a CART Series race scheduled the day before the Indianapolis 500. The facility closed in 2010, but re-opened in 2011 and has since become the only track in the United States to host the NASCAR Cup Series, NTT IndyCar Series and NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series during the same year. Each Fall, it is home to the IndyCar Seriesโ Bommarito 500 and the NHRA Midwest Nationals.
Drivers to Watch
Following the NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway, eight drivers have clinched their spot in the playoffs: Christopher Bell, Kyle Busch, William Byron, Denny Hamlin, Kyle Larson, Tyler Reddick, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., and Martin Truex Jr. Larson won the All-Star race for his third top finish of the season. Byron also has three wins entering the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Ross Chastain ruffled some feathers at the Enjoy Illinois 300 last year with Denny Hamlin and Chase Elliott, making contact to bring out caution flags on both occasions. The trend has continued this season as he has caught the attention โ and consternation โ of other drivers like Noah Gragson and even teammate Daniel Suรกrez.
Confluence Music Festival
The Confluence Music Festival brings some of the biggest names in music right to the track to help round out the weekendโs entertainment. Any race ticket gets you access to the Confluence Music Festival although there are a few upgrades available if you want to get closer to the stage. You can review those options and buy tickets on the World Wide Technology Raceway site.
NASCAR Weekend Schedule at WWTR
Friday, June 2
12-1:30 p.m. Cup Series Haulers Parade
5-5:30 p.m. NASCAR Truck Series Practice
5:30-6:30 p.m. NASCAR Truck Series Qualifying
Saturday, June 3
7 a.m. Gates Open
9 a.m. NASCAR Cup Series โ Practice
9:45 a.m. NASCAR Cup Series โ Qualifying
11 a.m. Rissi Palmer Concert
12 p.m. NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Driver Introductions
12:30 p.m. NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series โ Toyota 200
5:15 p.m. Flo Rida Concert
6:30 p.m. Tim Dugger Concert
Sunday, June 4
7 a.m. Gates Open
10 a.m. Track Open to Fans
10:30 a.m. Brittney Spencer Concert
11:15 a.m. Bailey Zimmerman Concert
12:30 p.m. Brothers Osborne Concert
1:55 p.m. NASCAR Cup Series Driver Introductions
2:30 p.m. NASCAR Cup Series โ Enjoy Illinois 300 presented by TicketSmarter
6:30 p.m. Dierks Bentley Concert
Enjoy Illinois 300 Tickets
Get your Enjoy Illinois 300 tickets from TicketSmarter so you do not miss a minute of the action at World Wide Technology Raceway. If you are traveling to the track, check HotelPlanner for exclusive travel deals near WWT Raceway.
