The Historic Route 66 has always held a close place in the hearts of many a motorist and history buff. A true symbol of an era, Route 66 entered into a new phase of history in 1997 when nine Joliet-area entrepreneurs created Route 66 Raceway, a state-of-the-art, 1/4-mile drag strip and 1/2-mile dirt oval track facility, along the historic road. Several years later, the popularity of auto racing and demand from fans would bring to the site the 1.5-mile tri-oval Chicagoland Speedway. With the addition of the 75,000-seat, $130 million Speedway, Joliet’s world-class motorsports complex would form what is now Illinois’ largest sporting facility, occupying over 1,300-acres. Dating back to 1895, when the first ever gasoline-powered race was held up-and-down the Chicago lakefront, Illinois has played a significant role in establishing motorsports as one of the most exciting and popular spectator sports in the world.