GOP Senator: "Unreal" State Paying $700,000 to Sponsor NASCAR Race
Governor JB Pritzker and Worldwide Technology Raceway Owner Curtis Francois hold up a flag announcing the state tourism office is spending $700,000 to sponsor a NASCAR event at the track in June. (Screenshot: State of Illinois/IOCI)
Governor JB Pritzker stood on a windy stage in the middle of the front stretch of the Worldwide Technology Raceway in Madison Monday and proclaimed himself as the state’s top marketer.
Pritzker announced $700,000 of state funds will be used to become the named sponsor of a NASCAR race at the Metro East track in June. Pritzker argued the race and the sponsorship will be positives for Illinois.
“I promised to be our state’s best Chief Marketing Officer, and with the return of NASCAR to Illinois, visitors from around the nation have yet another reason to come explore all that Metro East has to offer,” Pritzker said. “This is an incredible opportunity to showcase Illinois and we look forward to welcoming NASCAR fans to our great state.”
But Sen. Chapin Rose (R-Mahomet), the top Republican budget negotiator, says Pritzker should be using state funds to roll back the state motor fuel tax or the gasoline sales tax to provide consumers relief as gas prices continue to tick near $5 per gallon.
“This guy won’t give families more than two cents back per gallon, and only temporarily, while the state sales tax is gouging people at the pump,” Rose said. “They say there isn’t money for it, but then he does this. It’s unreal.”
The $700,000 price tag comes from the Illinois Tourism Bureau, which is a division from the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO). The state budget lists the funding source as “Special State Funds” and it isn’t clear how much is from taxpayers.
Some trade unions have been critical of Pritzker’s plan to temporarily roll back a portion of the state motor fuel tax as it would potentially remove funding from road projects. The state sales tax of 6.25% has likely brought in more revenue than expected for the state as gas prices have spiked. Most of the sales tax goes to the state’s general revenue fund.