World Wide Technology Raceway is moving on up into the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs in 2025.
The 1.25-mile oval—just minutes east of St. Louis—will host the second race in the first round of the postseason on Sept. 7.
Given the commitment of WWTR owner Curtis Francois and his team since securing a Cup date in 2022, Francois feels the venue formally known as Gateway is up for the challenge.
“Moving into the playoffs for us is huge,” Francois said. “What is so neat about the opportunity to move to the Playoffs is that NASCAR and our partnership works so well together. I think we’ve shown that World Wide Technology Raceway gets it.
“We’re as connected to the community and the region as any other racing venue that there is. Our relationships—corporate and otherwise—the strong promotion and the grassroots racing support that we have continue this yield these capacity crowds which is really, really great.”
WWTR will also host the NASCAR Xfinity regular season cutoff race on Sept. 6.
Since he acquired the facility in 2011, Francois’ passion project has not only attracted NASCAR Xfinity and truck events but IndyCar and NHRA as well. WWTR is a triple threat in the world of motorsports.
But the stage WWTR sets for NASCAR is nothing short of scintillating. Plus, the early fall date will be ideal for the fans in the stands and visitors of the track’s Confluence Music Festival on the same weekend—an added bonus for ticket holders.
“St. Louis is showing well in the NASCAR world, and I think that the racing his speaks for itself. We’re providing compelling races for the first three years, and I think that’s going to even be exaggerated or even be more on display in the Playoffs.
“September is a beautiful month in Saint Louis, so we’re thrilled to be moving from an already good date to an even better date.
Francois is far from resting on his laurels. For more than a decade, WWTR invested in capital improvements to build a world-class facility worthy of hosting the top tours in racing.
And Francois shows no signs of slowing down.
“We’re showing the commitment to upgrading the facility and the experience for the fans and participants, whether it’s the Gateway Garage or the Infield Fan Experience or all of the safety stuff we’re doing,” Francois said. “But the fans are also showing the commitment to the race by showing up. That’s a tremendous partnership and not easy to find or build.
“NASCAR is looking for what’s best in the sport and I think what we’re doing fits that perfectly. We’re bringing compelling racing and events to a new city and it’s showing what’s possible. We’re looking forward to the next decade to see what we can do with all these opportunities.”
If Francois bristles a bit when hearing rumors of a possible sale of his facility to NASCAR, it’s understandable. Francois and his team have worked diligently to make World Wide Technology Raceway the premiere motorsports complex in the Midwest.
Through post-event fan surveys and opinions of racing/entertainment industry experts, the WWTR staff works to implement the improvements for the following season.
“We have kind of been drinking from a fire hose for three years here and have really added a lot of knowledge to the operational aspects of a Cup race,” Francois said. “As we move into the fourth year, we’ve got the operational aspects down and we feel like that we’re playoff ready. Any Cup race is a huge responsibility I feel the responsibility personally to make sure that when I’m entrusted with the NASCAR brand that I’ve represented to the best of our ability.
“When you’re elevated into the Playoffs, that that trust goes even deeper, and so we’re going to do everything in our power to make sure that we just hold a great event.”
Follow Lee Spencer on Twitter @CandiceSpencer or email her at: leespencer@catchfence.com.
