About Kentucky Speedway
The Kentucky Speedway is a 1.5-mile asphalt racing track located atop 1,000 acres of land in Sparta, Kentucky, just a short drive from the meandering Ohio River. Situated conveniently between the metropolises of Cincinnati, Ohio, and Louisville, the venue features 87,000 grandstand seats as well as 32 luxury suites and 650 infield RV campsites. Free parking is permitted for more than 30,000 visiting vehicles.
The Kentucky Speedway has welcomed ARCA, NASCAR, and Indy Racing League events over the years. NASCAR events include the Cup Series, Xfinity Series, and Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series. The Quaker State 400 Cup Series race annually passes through the track. The inaugural Quaker State 400 was won by Kyle Busch on July 9, 2011.
A horse named Horsepower is the Kentucky Speedway mascot, which is fitting considering the Kentucky Derby is hosted at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky, just an hour away. Horsepower mingles with fans to help make visiting Kentucky Speedway a family-friendly experience.
History of Kentucky Speedway
Construction of the Kentucky Speedway began on July 10, 1998, and it made headlines for being the state's largest excavation project at the time. Its inaugural event consisted of NASCAR All-Pro and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series during the weekend of June 16-17, 2000.
The venue's first ARCA event happened shortly after, on July 2, 2000, with Tim Steele walking away victorious.
Speedway Motorsports, Inc. acquired Kentucky Speedway in December 2008, and the company invested $13.5 million toward renovations in February 2009.
Drivers to make history at Kentucky Speedway include Buddy Lazier, the first back-to-back single-series winner, and Felipe Giaffone, the first internationally born winner. IndyCar racer Sarah Fisher also became the first woman to win a pole at the track in August 2002. Kyle Busch, Brad Keselowski, and Martin Truex Jr. have each won the Quaker State 400 at least twice at the Kentucky Speedway.
