MADISON, Ill. — World Wide Technology Raceway may be quiet now, but this weekend it will be full of fans looking for an experience unlike any other in the area.
“I had always seen this on TV and thought it was the stupidest most boring thing I had ever seen in my life until I went in person,” Melanie Rentz said.
Rentz, an O’Fallon, Missouri, native, now travels the country chasing the NASCAR circuit.
“We’ve been to Talladega, Nashville, Kansas City a couple of times, and Darlington,” Melanie Rentz said.
“We were at the Indy 500 last weekend, broke down out of Indy, didn’t get fixed until Wednesday morning, but we still made it in plenty of time,” Jim Rentz said.
They’ve been camping in the infield since Wednesday evening so they can be close to the action on and off the track.
“It really is one of the best midway and garage experiences you can find,” Melanie Rentz said.
This year that experience includes wrestling on the infield and the Confluence Music Festival.
“It’s kind of contagious,” Jim Rentz said. “You feel like being in the middle of it all. I can’t wait for the concerts!”
“I’m excited for T-Pain and Ludacris,” Melanie Rentz said.
Track owner Curtis Francois told 5 On Your Side he wants to be the weekend to be fun for the whole family, which is why many events in and around the track are free.
“It’s a party,” Melanie Rentz said. “Friends, food, and a good time.”
“You just can’t miss it,” said Jim Rentz. “It’s the competition and the comradery. When you can smell the fumes and see the wrecks and stuff it’s part of it too. It’s the place to be this weekend in my humble opinion.”
If you’re planning on heading out to the racetrack to enjoy the races or some music, one thing to keep in mind is that traffic patterns will change on race day and parking is at a premium.
For more information on traffic patterns and parking, click here.
For a schedule of events during the Enjoy Illinois 300 race weekend, click here.