Kentucky Speedway
- Schedule
- About
- Safety
- Specifications
- Location
- Description
- Accommodations
- History
| Upcoming Track Dates | |||
 available |
October 11, 2013 | available |
October 12, 2013 |
| available |
October 13, 2013 | ||
Not sure about which date to pick, purchase a gift certificate. It is valid for up to one year from the date of purchase. Click here for Gift Certificates
This racetrack, set in the lush green landscape of Kentucky, is relatively new, fun to drive, and very fast. It is also unique in many ways. Known both as a handling track and a horsepower track, it is more challenging because it has lower and more variable banking than other tracks. Drivers that find the right setup can win, but little unexpected bumps in the racetrack - which seasoned racecar drivers claim are constantly changing - can also make navigating tough. Kentucky has a really good grip and a nice wide racetrack, and the low-banked corners make drivers work hard on the bottom to gain speed. Because of its variable surface, every drive on the Kentucky Speedway feels different from the last, so it is always interesting to drive.
Safety at Kentucky Speedway
Safety at Kentucky Motor Speedway is enhanced by Steel and Foam Energy Reduction (SAFER) barriers on all four turns, the tri-oval, and the inside retaining wall of the backstretch. With enough seats for more than 107,000 guests, Kentucky Motor Speedway is equipped to handle the roaring crowds it attracts on professional race days.
Racetrack Specifications
Completed: 2000
Length: 1.5 miles
Shape: Tri-oval
Banking: 14° turns, 4° straightaways, 8° short chute Turn 4-Finish, 8° Start-Turn 1, 10° apex of tri-oval at Start/Finish
Frontstretch length: 1,6622 feet
Backstretch length: 1,600 feet
Seating capacity: 66,000
Location:
5120 Sparta Pike
Sparta, Kentucky 41086
888-652-RACE
Driving Directions:
I-75 to I-71 South (Exit 173)
Exit at Sparta (Exit 57) and turn right onto Hwy 35
Follow Hwy 35 to Speedway Entrances 1-3
“We were Dale Jarrett fans before we went and are even bigger fans after our experience!!!”
Description of Sparta, Kentucky:
Located at the northernmost tip of Kentucky, Sparta is a small town of approximately 230 residents and 5.6 square miles, strategically located between the large cities of Cincinnati and Columbus in Ohio and Louisville and Lexington in Kentucky. The town started out as a village called Brock’s Station in 1802 but became incorporated as Sparta in 1852. Built on Eagle Creek, the town has endured flooding at various times through the years. Because of its proximity to several major Kentucky and Ohio cities, Sparta provides access to a wide variety of activities. Nascar Driving Experience Kentucky
Accommodations
Transportation: |
Restaurants: |
|
Things To See and Do: |
History
Kentucky Speedway was first announced in January 1998, when Jerry Carroll - owner of Turfway Park horse racing track in Florence, Kentucky - decided that he would team up with several other investors to build the $153 million speedway in Sparta, Kentucky. Groundbreaking took place in July of the same year, and within a few days, construction had begun. Before it even opened, the speedway was repaved after bumps and wrinkles showed up on the track after the winter. The speedway opened in June 2000, and its first major event was a Craftsman Truck race at the Nascar Driving Experience Kentucky.
Kentucky Speedway has hosted IndyCar Series racing since 2000 and was the site of the second-fastest IndyCar Series in 2003. It is also known as one of the most competitive in series history, boasting five race winners and seven pole sitters in seven events. It is also one of the few racetracks that hosts prime time racing under the evening sky.
$195
“I recently attended a session at the Kentucky Motor Speedway. My experience was unbelievable. It was a gift for my 60-year birthday. A total surprise. My family did not tell me until the morning of my most memorable time of my life… the whole day was perfect from the members of your staff to the equipment that we drove.”
Ken Kaiser