Kentucky Speedway
Tri-oval (2000–present) | |
| Location | 1 Speedway Drive, Sparta, Kentucky |
|---|---|
| Time zone | UTC−05:00 (UTC−04:00 DST) |
| Coordinates | 38°42′34.70″N 84°54′58.46″W / 38.7096389°N 84.9162389°W |
| Capacity | 66,000 |
| Owner | Speedway Motorsports (2009–present) Jerry Carroll (1998–2008) |
| Broke ground | 18 July 1998 |
| Opened | 16 June 2000 |
| Construction cost | US$153 million |
| Major events | Former: NASCAR Cup Series Quaker State 400 (2011–2020) NASCAR Xfinity Series Alsco 300 (2001–2020) Shady Rays 300 (2012–2017, 2020) NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Buckle Up in Your Truck 225 (2011–2020) Kentucky 201 (2000–2012) IndyCar Series Kentucky Indy 300 (2000–2011) |
| Website | kentuckyspeedway Archived September 28, 2020, at the Wayback Machine |
| Tri-oval (2000–present) | |
| Surface | Asphalt |
| Length | 1.500 miles (2.414 km) |
| Turns | 4 |
| Banking | Turns 1 and 2: 17° Turns 3 and 4: 14° Frontstretch: 10° Backstretch: 4° |
| Race lap record | 0:24.0967 ( Tomas Scheckter, Dallara IR-00, 2002, IndyCar) |
Kentucky Speedway is an inactive 1.500-mile (2.414 km) tri-oval intermediate speedway in Sparta, Kentucky. It has hosted various major races throughout its existence, including NASCAR and IndyCar races. The track is owned by Speedway Motorsports, LLC (SMI) and is currently used for weekend track rental. The speedway had a grandstand capacity of 66,000 as of 2020.
In the 1990s, then-Turfway Park owner Jerry Carroll sought new profitable ventures after Turfway Park's decline, deciding to build a modern auto racing facility. Construction started in July 1998 and opened nearly two years later, with an ultimate goal of securing a NASCAR Cup Series race weekend in the near future. However, under Carroll's tenure, a Cup Series date was not given. After a change in ownership to Bruton Smith in 2008, the track gained a Cup Series date in 2011. However, after an inaugural Cup Series weekend plagued by traffic issues and lackluster revenue throughout the following decade, the facility was dropped from the NASCAR schedule starting in 2021 and has since been turned into a multi-use rental complex.