Gateway International Raceway near St. Louis, which closed late last year, will re-open for 2012, with a limited schedule that includes an NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series event in October.

NHRA announced late last week that their 2012 Full Throttle Drag Racing Series schedule will include a return to the facility just northeast of St. Louis (on the Illinois side of the Mississippi River), for the inaugural NHRA Midwest Nationals. October 5-7.

That event will be part of NHRA's Countdown to the Championship, and will mark a return to the track that hosted NHRA national events starting in 1997.

(That October race date will also mean cooler, less-humid weather for racers and race fans alike, compared to the weather at some previous races at GIR, which were held in the heat/humidity of summer.)
 
Per local news reports (there are many when you do a web search for "Gateway International Raceway reopening") show that the new owner is a partnership headed by local real estate developer, and former racer, Curtis Francois.

So far, plans for the re-opened Gateway do not include any NASCAR dates on the facility's oval track.

Gateway's previous owner, Dover Motorsports, closed it last year, citing their inability to make money there.


(Thanks to www.nhra.com, www.stllive.com and www.ksdk.com for info on this story!)