Take a lap around the new Belle-Clair Speedway (Video)

Belle-Clair Speedway is coming back to life

History is coming back to life!

Belle-Clair Speedway in Belleville, Illinois closed in 2020 and was recently demolished in March of 2025. However, a new track is popping back up in it’s place.

St. Clair County approved the rebuild. Avid racers are behind the new project. In fact, the same people who build the temporary Dome dirt track are building this one as well.

The iconic track first opened in 1948. After closing in 2020, the track fell into complete disrepair. The track surface was reclaimed by nature. The grandstands began to fall and the roof over the grandstands was going with it.

Demolition was required and paid for using COVID relief funds from the American Rescue Plan.

In 2022, St. Clair County purchased property. And, they released plans to rebuild the track within a massive fairgrounds project.

Now, as of 2025, the new track is taking shape. It’s slightly larger than the older version of the track. And it appears to have more banking as well.

The old Belle-Clair Speedway was a 1/5-mile oval. The new track is sized at 1/4-mile.

Kenny Wallace stated, “It’s going to be a tight racetrack. It reminds me a lot of Haubstadt but with way better dirt.”

The fairgrounds project is much more than a racetrack. It also includes expo center upgrades, disaster center new parking. It’s also bringing the fair back to the fairgrounds.

The total project costs are estimated around $21M.

Take a lap around the new track in the video below.

Belle-Clair Fairgrounds Map

A lap around the new Belle-Clair Speedway

Links

Belle-Clair Fairgrounds