MADISON, Illinois — The Enjoy Illinois 300 NASCAR Cup Series race significantly impacted the community as people traveled from far and wide to be there.
NASCAR fan Donnell Wilkerson said he’s loved NASCAR ever since he was 5 years old, making the Enjoy Illinois 300 a can’t-miss event for him.
“So much better than watching it on TV, playing it on a game,” Wilkerson said. You see out loud this is man? You feel it in your heart how loud it is, man. And I like cars. So it doesn't get much better than it is."
Fans from 39 different states sold out World Wide Technology Raceway for the event of a lifetime bringing in millions of dollars to the region.
“This brings a tremendous amount of economic development to this region of the state,” Director of the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Kristin Richards said. "An estimated $60 million in economic impact on local businesses, hotels, restaurants, the attractions."
Richards said area hotels sold out and restaurants were packed, all so fans could be part of the festival atmosphere.
“This is new for a lot of people, but a NASCAR Cup Series race is a significant race in the NASCAR calendar. We are proud to be hosting it here in Madison, Illinois,” Richards said.
NASCAR fan Steve Helle said he’s been a fan for more than 35 years.
“You just pretty much can’t beat the pits, seeing the cars and noise, the people and the bands and all that,” Helle said. "You just can't you can't beat it."
Wilkerson said he wants to see more races like this make their way to the St. Louis area.
“You have to travel a few hours out to get to a big NASCAR race like this," he said. "You might have to go to Indiana or something. So for them to bring NASCAR here, it is good. And you see they sold it out. It's a big NASCAR fan base. So they should come here more often."
The track will bring another economic boost to the Metro East in August when IndyCar drivers will race in the Bommarito 500.
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