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World Wide Technology Raceway sellout a testament to track efforts, St. Louis community

staff report
·4 min read
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World Wide Technology Raceway sellout a testament to track efforts, St. Louis community

World Wide Technology Raceway will host the second annual Enjoy Illinois 300 Presented By TicketSmarter NASCAR Cup Series race, and will again fill its grandstands to capacity with a repeat sellout, the track announced Friday.

In addition to the second consecutive sellout at World Wide Technology Raceway, it marks the third consecutive sellout on the NASCAR schedule following the All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway and the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

MORE: Cup entry list | Full weekend schedule

“I think the sell-out is the result of the huge effort by my team, but also, the St. Louis community,” World Wide Technology Raceway owner and CEO Curtis Francois told NASCAR.com. “And the St. Louis community is one of the strongest, if not the strongest, sports towns in the country. And as I expected, they showed up to support this event. And frankly, we’re just getting started, you know, leveraging my deep relationships within the community and all of those that are NASCAR fans, culminates in these great results, the results in this great outcome.

“We’re just absolutely thrilled to announce a Year 2 sell-out, which has great implications for our community, as well as the sport.”

At World Wide Technology Raceway this weekend, though, the entertainment goes beyond the racing.

The Confluence Music Festival also returns in 2023 with 14-time Grammy-nominated Dierks Bentley as headliner. The veteran artist, with more than 18 chart-topping singles and countless award nominations, will be joining local, regional and national acts at the music which will be held June 2-4. The performance will be Dierks‘ only St. Louis stop on his upcoming Gravel and Gold tour.

“No doubt the Confluence Music Festival adds another element to an already great event by adding in a world-class music festival,” Francois continued. “Pairing that with a NASCAR race that was spectacular last year. And we suspect it will be again this year. It’s one-of-a-kind of that where you’re seeing such a diverse group of talent and crowd come together to enjoy diverse music offerings and just the greatest racing in North America.”

Bentley is one of the more than 30 musical acts set to play on race weekend, giving the event a festival-like feel.

Rissi Palmer, who in 2007 was the first Black woman since Dona Mason to chart a country song, will also play. So, too, will local star, Bailey Zimmerman, who takes the stage Sunday morning.

Flo Rida‘s appearance at the Confluence Festival is a nostalgic celebration of the cross-cultural and multi-generational appeal NASCAR and the World Wide Technology Raceway continue to weave into the sport.

It’s all coming together for a unique, landmark weekend as the track continues to establish itself as a must-stop on the NASCAR national circuit.

“I’m so excited about for fans to just show up and see, again, that we have listened to them after Year 1. And we’ve added so much more to the event. The first event we got it done, and we were thrilled with the outcome. The second year I think is going to be even better, as fans show up and get to enjoy the new Gateway Garage Experience, the upgraded fan experience, the hugely improved and expanded mid-way, more than twice the concessions and so much more. I think fans are gonna see something that is special, that we believe in the NASCAR brand and are investing in the NASCAR brand. And we feel like that when they come back each year, year after year, they’re gonna continue to see this kind of growth.”

Other fan amenities this weekend include:

  • Gateway Garage Experience: An all-new 360° fan experience in the garages and enhancements to the infield, including a new driver meeting room are waiting to be unveiled for the NASCAR weekend.

  • Hundreds more nearby camping sites

  • Boosted Wi-Fi throughout the venue

  • Hundreds more concessions points of sale and unique options — from tamales to cocktails to the traditional Midway fan favorites

Last year‘s inaugural Cup Series race at the 1.25-mile track had plenty of thrilling moments, from a chapter in the Denny Hamlin-Ross Chastain rivalry story to a thrilling finish that saw Joey Logano pass Kyle Busch on the final restart to win in a green-white-checkered finish.

Tickets are still available for Saturday‘s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Toyota 200 race. Saturday‘s activities also include Cup Series qualifying and access to the on-site Confluence Music Festival.

Important notice to fans:

  • There will be no walk-up ticket options or general admission. Tickets are not available onsite. Tickets may be available on TicketSmarter, the official resale marketplace of WWTR.

  • Limited number of Saturday tickets still available. Friday is free.