A modern oval opened on 24 May 1997 on the site of St Louis International Raceway, a former drag strip and road course. The circuit was masterminded by Long Beach promoter Chris Pook who later sold it to the Dover Downs Speedway. Turns 1 and 2 are banked at nine degrees and are tighter than the 11 degree Turns 3 and 4. Four Champ Car races were held before Gateway switched to the oval-only Indy Racing League in 2001 although the race continued for just another three years. Disappointing crowd figures for second-tier NASCAR events in 2010 led Dover Motorsports to announce its closure at the end of that season. However, sometime racing driver Curtis François acquired the speedway and reversed its decline. IndyCar returned in 2017 and the NASCAR Cup Series was added to the expanding roster in 2022.
