St. Louis added to NASCAR schedule next year

NASCAR is coming to St. Louis in 2022.

Track officials announced this week that World Wide Technology Raceway, formerly Gateway International, will host a Cup Series event on June 5. 

The 1.25-mile oval in nearby Madison, Illinois has gone through millions of dollars in renovation since it was purchased in 2011. It has hosted other NASCAR national series races in the past, but the June event will be the first for NASCAR’s top division. 

The Xfinity Series ran 15 races from 1997-2010, and the Camping World Truck Series competed at Gateway from 1998-2010 before renewing its association with the track in 2014 to the current day. 

The venue has also hosted IndyCar events on the oval, and NHRA meets on the adjacent drag strip.

Start times have not been released for the 2022 Cup Series schedule, but the track owner anticipates a daytime start for his race-day Sunday. 

The track plans to take deposits on next year’s race tickets starting in the fall.