More than 100,000 fans are expected for a big weekend of racing at the Kansas Speedway. And that means Lawrence’s airport, hotels, restaurants and shops are tuning up for business.

“We’re full,” said Judy Billings, director of Lawrence Convention and Visitors Bureau.

The speedway, about 30 minutes east of Lawrence on Interstate 70, will be host to the Protection One 400 and Mr. Goodcents 300 races.

Many of the fans are staying in Lawrence. Billings said the city’s more than 1,200 hotel rooms were nearly all spoken for by Thursday.

“It sure brings a lot of business into the hotel,” said Bruce Pham, general manager of the Lawrence Holidome, 200 McDonald Drive. “For us it compares to a real good football weekend, when KU plays OU or Kansas State. Or it’s very comparable to KU graduation weekend.”

The tourism boom extends to downtown boutique shops that have no apparent NASCAR connections.

Linda Lester, owner of the Etc. Shop in downtown Lawrence, said she was starting to see repeat customers from previous race weekends come into her store for another crack at the jewelry, arts and crafts.

“We’re busy today,” she said Thursday. “We have a lot of customers. Lots of times the wives of the racers come in to shop, and also the fans who come early. The ones that were in town the other go-rounds we’ve had have come back to the store. We’ve also had customers who’ve called to place phone orders.”

Topped with a plastic blow-up replica of NASCAR driver Joe Nemechek's car, Kim Newell circles the KOA Campground near Lawrence on U.S. Highway 40. Newell expects about 400 campers for this weekend's NASCAR race at the Kansas Speedway. The campground will roast a pig Saturday night to help celebrate the opening race day.

Much of the business, Billings said, has been driven by traffic at Lawrence Municipal Airport, where some of the NASCAR drivers and their crews have arrived for the race.

“The airport is really a key for that,” she said. “We want them to do well.”

Officials said it was difficult to know how many airplanes were coming for the race because many pilots don’t make reservations. But Rick Bryant, chairman of the city’s Aviation Advisory Board, said rental companies were delivering 40 cars to the airport for the weekend, more than during the speedway’s first race weekend last year.

“We are bracing for a big week,” he said.

Billings said the speedway’s race weekends were a welcome boost to Lawrence’s economy.

“It’s wonderful to have a new, big attraction in this part of the state. It’s wonderful for everybody,” she said. “Anytime we can get a couple of more sold-out weekends, that’s super.”