Inaugural NASCAR Event Zooming into St Louis

Image source: NASCAR (Facebook Page)

The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, or NASCAR, is a great American tradition that has been around in different iterations since the 1940s. The NASCAR Cup Series is the top stock car racing sport in America, featuring talented drivers from around the world competing for points to earn their spot in the NASCAR Playoffs. While the sport has found most of its success in the Southeast, with states like Florida and Alabama being most famed for their love of NASCAR, it is a rapidly growing sport gaining a foothold across the country. In the summer of 2022, the NASCAR Cup Series is coming to the St. Louis Area for an inaugural event.

This event is the Enjoy Illinois 300, and 2022 is the first-ever iteration of this massive occasion. The Enjoy Illinois 300 is set at the World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison, Illinois, to kick off June 5th, 2022. While the event takes place in Illinois and honors the state with its title, this event will be all about St. Louis. Madison is only a 13-minute drive from St. Louis, and a vast majority of attendees will likely be from the area.

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The race will consist of 40 cars, each with different drivers, competing on a 1.25-mile track, with the first driver to cross the track 240 times, claiming victory. The race is 300 miles, which is incredibly long, but drivers in NASCAR often cross the 200-mile-an-hour limit, so it will certainly make for a thrilling festival. Since this is the inaugural version of this race, the event will have a heightened buzz around it and it will be a historically significant occasion.

There are several ticketing options for fans hoping to attend this event. Buyers can get a single-day race pass to watch the Enjoy Illinois 300, with tickets ranging from $69-139. They can also get weekend passes which will allow them to attend both the Enjoy Illinois 300 and the NASCAR Truck Series Toyota 200, which are held in conjunction. These range from $118-$218. Since this is the first NASCAR Cup Series race at the World Wide Technology Raceway, tickets will be in high demand.

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There is a lot that will happen alongside the event. St. Louis will certainly see an influx of tourism in the buildup around this event, and excitement across the city will be high. There will be several different exciting fan experiences held around the event. It will all kick off with a ribbon-cutting before the first NASCAR practice on the track.

There will be several other exciting events throughout. First of all, NASCAR is known for its great tailgating, so you can rest assured that the grounds will be filled with people enjoying beverages, grilling meats, and preparing for the day’s events. Ticketholders on both days get access to exclusive events as well.

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On Saturday, there’s the Party on Pit Road, with great food and drink and the iHeart Radio Concert. The parking lots open at 6:30 am to tailgaters on Sunday, with spectator gates opening at 7. There’s the 8:30 am-12:30 pm Rumble Before the Roar pre-race party, and an infield concert featuring notable musicians, with a surprise headliner, taking place until 1:45 pm. The race itself will begin at 2:30 pm and last until the evening. There will be a fan party on the track following the race, with a celebration and winner’s interview. There will then be a scavenger hunt for fun prizes.

NASCAR offers a unique, deeply American experience, and the hype for this event has already begun. St. Louis residents are buckling their seatbelts and preparing for one of the biggest race occasions of the year as the Enjoy Illinois 300 prepares for launch. Set only a 15-minute drive away from St. Louis, this event at the World Wide Technology Raceway will be one of the year’s biggest events. This first-ever iteration of the Enjoy Illinois 300 will be great, with fan events, music, drink, and food. It will also be a one-of-a-kind spectacle St. Louis residents won’t want to miss.

Image source: NASCAR (Facebook Page)