Racing’s return to Belleville’s Belle-Clair Speedway is set. Here are the details
Racing will officially return to the Belle-Clair Fairgrounds Park Speedway in Belleville on Saturday, Aug. 1, with a grand opening event headlined by the St. Clair Fair Classic.
Promoters said the program will feature KKM Midgets, DIRTcar Modifieds and NARA Winged Micro Sprints on the newly constructed quarter-mile, high-banked dirt oval at the Belle-Clair Fairgrounds, 200 S. Belt East.
The race also will serve as the finale of the revived St. Clair County Fair, scheduled for July 30-Aug. 1. The weekend also features concerts by former Poison frontman Bret Michaels and recording artist Noah Cyrus.
It also officially concludes the years of planning and construction of the new racetrack and grandstand, which began with St. Clair County’s purchase of the 22.5-acre fair grounds property in December 2022. The $2.25 million purchase was covered by COVID relief funds.
“While the track is all-new, we wanted to ensure that our opening event honors the rich history of racing at Belle-Clair Fairgrounds Park,” said Curtis Francois, operator and leaseholder of the facility.
St. Clair County officials this month approved a 10-year lease with WM Marketing Inc., the company Francois uses to operate World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison, giving it responsibility for scheduling and managing races at the Belle-Clair track.
County Board Chairman Mark Kern called the agreement a natural fit, saying Francois and his team helped advise the county during design of the new facility.
Under the lease, 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. The county also is to receive 10% of ticket sales from events that generate more than $100,000, plus a portion of food sales, county officials said.
Racing at the old Belle-Clair Speedway stopped in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the county has not hosted an annual fair since 2014. County leaders have promoted the speedway’s return as part of broader improvements at the fairgrounds.
Promoter Chris Blair said the opening event is designed to salute the track’s “Little Belleville” legacy while also showcasing popular regional divisions.
“The St. Louis region remains a hotbed for DIRTcar Modifieds and Winged Micro Sprints,” Blair said in a news release.
Promoters announced purses of $3,000 to win for the KKM Midget Challenge, $2,500 to win for DIRTcar Modifieds and $1,000 to win for NARA Outlaw Micro Sprints. The Aug. 1 event is scheduled to be broadcast nationally on FloRacing, according to the release.
Advance adult general admission tickets are $20 plus fees, or $23.50, with day-of-event tickets $25 if available, promoters said. Discounted tickets are offered for seniors, military members and teens, while children 12 and under are free with a paying adult. Race tickets also are available through the county fair website, fairstclair.com.
Pit gates are scheduled to open at 4 p.m., with general admission at 5:30 p.m., hot laps at 6:30 p.m. and racing at 7 p.m. A driver autograph session is set for 5:15 p.m.
St. Clair County and WM Marketing also announced that Toby Kruse, a four-time recipient of the “Race Promotion Monthly” Regional Promoter of the Year award, has been hired as the operating manager and lead promoter at Belle-Clair Fairgrounds Park Speedway.
In his role, Kruse will oversee promotion and operations for events on the facility’s dirt oval, while also supporting national touring series events promoted by Curtis Francois and Chris Blair, the release said.
The county also has signed a concessions agreement for the racetrack and the fairgrounds’ renovated expo center with Rob Lenhardt, a co-owner of Mac’s restaurants in Alton and Wood River and the Mac’s on Main location in Belleville, officials said. Kern said he expects two additional racing events to be scheduled in the fall.
Lexi Cortes, Teri Maddox, Mike Koziatek and Todd Eschman contributed information for this story.
This story was originally published July 2, 2026 at 3:49 PM.