For decades, short tracks have been the backbone of NASCAR, producing some great racing action. However, in recent years, many of these tracks have been struggling to survive due to mounting financial strains. Amidst all of this, the Belle Clair Speedway has been handed a new life.

The iconic 1/5th mile speedway, located in Belleville, opened in 1948. It has been home to some of the best dirt racing action. However, the track was shut down during COVID. But in 2022, St. Clair County purchased the fairgrounds park, and so began the restoration of the speedway.

In 2025, the ⅕ mile speedway was demolished, and now, in 2026, the construction is almost complete. The track is currently being leased for 10 years to Curtis Francois, who owns the Worldwide Technology Raceway in Madison, Illinois, where NASCAR and IndyCar host their races every year.

Per Bellevile News-Democrat, under this lease, Francois ' company, WM Marketing, will pay the county $15,000 for 2026, $30,000 annually from 2027 through 2031, and $35,000 annually from 2032 through 2036.

While talking to former NASCAR driver Kenny Wallace, who was also involved in the restoration, WWTR general manager Chris Blair revealed that their first event will take place on August 1 and laid out the priorities.

"The number one priority is to get August 1st in, deliver a great show, and then we're going to make some announcements," he said on Wallace's YouTube channel. "We've got some other races lined up after that. Toby Cruz, who's going to be promoting a lot of the local angle stuff and working with the local racers. He's putting some programs together."

He further added how they have been making sure not to clash with other promoters' events at the various local tracks. 

"And we're trying to work with the other promoters to find the right dates so we don't knock them out of the way or affect their crowds. And that's one of the things with us coming in later in the season. We want to try to work with everybody to get through this season, and then all of us sit down and work together on building out the full schedule for next year," Blair added.

What are the events that Belle Clair Speedway will be hosting on its opening night? 

With the restoration almost complete and its first event just a few weeks away, Belle Clair Speedway will be looking forward to establishing itself as one of the premier dirt tracks under Curtis Francois’ leadership.

The Speedway is all set to open its gates to the fans. The organizers have slated various events for August 1. 

The event at the speedway will feature various races like KKM Midgets, DIRTcar Modifieds, and NARA Winged Micro Sprints to mark the beginning of the new era for the track. The promoters have also announced purses for each of these events. 

According to the Belleville News Democrat, for the KKM Midget Challenge, the winner will be rewarded $3,000. For the DIRTcar Modifieds, the winner will be given $2,500, and for the NARA Outlaw Micro Sprints, the winner will be given $1,000. 

All of these events will be broadcast on the FloRacing App. 

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Written by

Chionia Libania Colaco

Edited by

Yash Kotak