As St. Louis singer Kennedy Holmes’ inspiring rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner reached its final stanza, she and members of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra were overwhelmed by the thunder of two B-1 Bombers from the 345th Bomb Squadron.
Steward’s firm, the largest Black owned company in America, landed the naming rights for the racetrack in 2020 when it was named Gateway Raceway.
The standing-room only crowd of 60,000 people let loose a roar that was as deafening.
Minutes later, David Steward gave the command that race fans, and fans of the St. Louis region, have been waiting to hear since World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison, Illinois was awarded the race in September.
“Drivers start your engines,” Steward said as 36 NASCAR drivers fired up their cars. The race was on.
Steward, founder and CEO of World Wide Technology, savored the moment. It has been his dream to bring a NASCAR Cup race to the St. Louis area and assist a sport that could benefit from more minority participation.
“There are a lot of Black people in front of this,” Steward said with a smile on Friday before the race. “We want to bring more diversity to NASCAR.”
In fact, several pit crews and race team members were Black, and Black fans were threaded among the sell out crowd on the hot Sunday afternoon.
Steward’s firm, the largest Black owned company in America, landed the naming rights for the racetrack in 2020 when it was named Gateway Raceway.
He sponsored NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace’s No. 43 car when he raced for Richard Petty Motorsports. Steward’s quest to bring a race to St. Louis was shifting into high gear.
He remains close with Wallace, who now drives for the 23XI team co-owned by Michael Jorden and Denny Hamlin.
“How’s your dad?” were the first words Steward said to Wallace after the two embraced in a hug on Friday.
Wallace said it was Steward who first told him five years ago that he was determined to make the Enjoy Illinois 300 happen at the raceway.
“He wanted a race here, and through all the hard work, he got a race here. It is so great to see his dream become a reality.” Wallace said.
Wallace, the NASCAR Cup series’ lone Black driver, was a fixture at the track and in the community throughout the weekend.
He and David Steward II, founder of The Lion Forge, a St. Louis-based, transmedia studio, helped present an $8,000 scholarship to 12-year-old kart driver Josiah Unaeze to start his career in the Raceway Gives Ignite Series at WWT Raceway.
Wallace, and his car, then made an appearance at an East St. Louis McDonald’s owned by Black entrepreneur James Williams Jr., who operates 20 McDonald’s restaurants throughout the region. He is the region’s largest Owner/Operator.Â
Wallace told youths to never give up their dreams, even when things are going against them. He also learned the proper technique of preparing a Big Mac.
As for the race, Wallace was a victim of overaggressive driving by Ross Chastain. Chastain caused driver Chase Elliott’s car to spin, and Elliott bumped into Wallace, causing his car to spin.
Wallace would finish 26th in the race.
The NASCAR Cup series now heads to Sonoma, California. It heads west after a spectacular inaugural running of the Enjoy Illinois 300. It was announced on race day that the show would return in 2023.
“I am especially grateful for what our team is doing to make this day possible, especially those who are nearby in our Edwardsville operations,” Steward said in a release that shared Gov. JB Pritzker’s praise of the entire weekend.
“A lot of people are working very hard to make World Wide Technology Raceway the premier destination for NASCAR. The Race. The Music. The STEM events for students. These will be a model for Cup races everywhere.”
