Kentucky Speedway

Kentucky Speedway is an inactive Template:Convert 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 as a storage and parking lot for various companies. The speedway has a grandstand capacity of 66,000 as of 2020.

In the 1990s, then-Turfway Park owner Jerry Carroll sought to seek 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.

Description

Configuration

The speedway in its current form is measured at Template:Convert, with 17 degrees of banking in the first two turns, 14 degrees in the last two turns,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> 10 degrees on the track's frontstretch, and four degrees on the track's backstretch.<ref name=":2">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Varying sanctioning bodies have disputed the length of the track; NASCAR's official measurement is at 1.5 miles,<ref name=":2" /> while IndyCar used a length of Template:Convert.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Amenities

Kentucky Speedway is located at an intersection between Interstate 71 and Kentucky Route 35.<ref name=":1324454">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> As of 2019, the facility has a grandstand capacity of 66,000 according to the Lexington Herald-Leader,<ref name=":1324453">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> down from its peak of 106,000 in the 2010s.<ref name=":1324431" /> In total, the facility covers approximately Template:Convert of land.<ref name=":3" />

Track history

Planning and construction

In April 1997, the owner of horse racing facility Turfway Park, Jerry Carroll, oversaw decreasing attendance and betting at Turfway Park. Concerned about the future of Turfway Park, Carroll sought new profitable ventures. After visiting a race at the newly built Texas Motor Speedway,<ref name=":13213">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> he decided to launch a study to determine on whether building a NASCAR-style superspeedway in Northern Kentucky was feasible.<ref name=":1322">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> According to The Cincinnati Enquirer, the study was slated to last 3−4 months.<ref name=":132">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> A press conference was later called on January 8, 1998.<ref name=":13249">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> In the press conference, Carroll announced his intents to build a 1,000-acre, 60,000-seat, Template:Convert track in Gallatin County, Kentucky, at the cost of $132 million. The project was supported by Carroll and four other business partners. Plans were made to open the facility in the fall of 1999 and for it to start hosting events by 2000, with hopes that the facility could eventually expand to 180,000 seats.<ref name=":132492">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref><ref name=":132493">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> The track was announced in the midst of a surge in popularity of stock car racing, with many modern, newly built track proposals aiming to gain a coveted NASCAR Cup Series race weekend being made.<ref>Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> Carroll stated his hopes that NASCAR would award the facility a Cup Series date by 2003,<ref>Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> beginning the process by moving a NASCAR Truck Series date from the Louisville Motor Speedway, a track Carroll had bought.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref>

File:Darrell waltrip (32638788737).jpg

Longtime NASCAR driver and Kentucky native Darrell Waltrip was a track advisor during the construction of Kentucky Speedway.

By February 1998, Carroll announced that a "best-case scenario" for groundbreaking was August 1 of that year.<ref>Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> Although Carroll had announced his hopes of hosting Indy Racing League (IRL), Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART), and second-tier NASCAR Busch Series events in the near future,<ref name=":0" /> IRL president Tony George stated that the IRL was not looking to host any races at the facility.<ref>Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> In contrast, Carroll stated that he thought NASCAR and its president Bill France Jr. had been "very loyal"; he later decided to move the groundbreaking date earlier to July 1.<ref>Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> A final date for groundbreaking was set for July 18, with groundbreaking ceremonies occurring at Turfway Park for "convenience of the public";<ref>Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> actual work was scheduled to begin on the facility on August 1. By the time groundbreaking occurred, the budget for the project rose to $152 million, with the track being formally named Kentucky Speedway.<ref name=":13272">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> Within the first month, track officials had been selling permanent personal seating licenses,<ref name=":132723">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> with around 1,500 being sold by November.<ref name=":132722">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> By the end of the year, the demand of luxury suites had risen to a point where the original 23 suites planned to be built had risen to "at least 50".<ref name=":132724">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> Under the advice of track advisor and Kentucky native Darrell Waltrip, the track's banking was changed to have 14 degrees of banking in the turns and 12 degrees of banking on the track's straightaways.<ref name=":132725">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> In February 1999, the track was formally annexed into the town of Sparta, Kentucky.<ref name=":13271">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> That same month, Carroll sold his ownership of Turfway Park, stating that the decline of the facility had left him "frustrated and somewhat burned out", wanting to focus on Kentucky Speedway's construction.<ref name=":132712">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> In the following months, Cintas, the Ford Motor Company, and Budweiser agreed to become corporate sponsors for the track.<ref name=":132494">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref><ref name=":132495">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref><ref name=":132497">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref>

In June, the track announced its first scheduled races, with an Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) race scheduled for sometime in June 2000.<ref name=":132496">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> By July, an IRL date was rumored to be "highly probable" according to the Courier Journal;<ref name=":132498">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> the decision was confirmed two months later, with a Template:Convert race being scheduled in August 2000.<ref name=":132499">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> In October, the first testing runs were made by ARCA driver Bill Baird, who stated that the track was "as smooth as a baby’s bottom."<ref name=":1323">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> On November 4, a third-tier NASCAR Truck Series was announced for June 17, 2000;<ref name=":1324">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> the initial seating capacity was also increased to 70,000 fans.<ref name=":1325">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> The Truck Series event was later accompanied by a NASCAR Slim Jim All Pro Series event to christen the track the day before the Truck Series race.<ref name=":1326">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> Further tests by Greg Ray in an IndyCar were also made in November.<ref name=":1327">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> That same month, Mark Cassis was appointed as the general manager of the track.<ref name=":1326" /> By the start of 2000, Kentucky Speedway officials stated that 70% of the track was complete.<ref name=":1328">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> Further news of potential NASCAR races were made in February; although the chances of a Cup race were "not very good" according to NASCAR CEO Mike Helton,<ref name=":1329">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> the facility was considered ready for a second-tier Busch Series race.<ref name=":13210">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> In May, after a Truck Series test session, track developers opted to repave the track after complaints were made;<ref name=":13211">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> it was completed by the end of the month.<ref name=":13212">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> By the start of the track's inaugural race weekend, the facility held a grandstand capacity of 65,989, around 23,000 parking spots, 104 infield garage spots, and two Outback Steakhouse restaurants,<ref name=":13214">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref><ref name=":13215">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> receiving praise from numerous NASCAR officials and drivers.<ref name=":13216">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref>

Early years

File:Greg Biffle Sonoma 2023.jpg

Greg Biffle (pictured in 2023) won the first major race at Kentucky Speedway.

Kentucky Speedway opened as scheduled on June 16, 2000, with Billy Bigley winning the first ever event at the facility in front of a crowd of 36,210.<ref name=":13217">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref><ref name=":13218">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> A near sell-out crowd for the Truck Series race despite the race being delayed a day by heavy rain occurred on the 17th and 18th, with Greg Biffle winning.<ref name=":13219">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> However, the rain caused several dirt parking lots to be closed due to their condition, leading some spectators to be turned away.<ref name=":13220">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> The closing sparked a traffic jam as long as Template:Convert on Interstate 71 according to The Cincinnati Post.<ref name=":13221">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> To remedy the problem, track officials put down approximately 50,000 tons of gravel in the facility's parking lots and added an emergency parking lot that held 10,000 cars.<ref name=":13226">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> In August, after openings were made in the NASCAR Busch Series schedule,<ref name=":13227">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> Kentucky Speedway was awarded an annual Busch Series race starting in 2001,<ref name=":13228">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> with Kevin Harvick winning the track's first Busch race on June 16, 2001.<ref name=":13230">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> The facility saw its first major injury the next year when actor and aspiring IndyCar driver Jason Priestley crashed during a test session at approximately Template:Convert, severely injuring him.<ref name=":13231">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> Speedway officials first applied for a Cup Series race for the 2002 season; however, NASCAR rejected because they felt that including the facility "would not further its expansion goals."<ref name=":132448">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> Despite plans to host the Cup Series by 2003, no races were also announced in 2003<ref name=":13246">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> and 2004.<ref name=":13247">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref>

Antitrust lawsuit against NASCAR and ISC

By June 2005, Carroll, growing frustrated at the track's lack of a Cup Series race, stating that he would seek out more aggressive tactics to gain one, including the possibility of an antitrust lawsuit.<ref name=":13232">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> On July 13, a lawsuit was officially filed against NASCAR and the International Speedway Corporation (ISC), with the speedway seeking out "more than $400 million in damages" and a Cup Series race.<ref name=":13229">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> After proceedings began in December, NASCAR and ISC argued for the case to be heard in Florida, where both companies were headquartered, instead of Kentucky;<ref name=":13233">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> the proposal was dismissed by United States district judge William Bertelsman,<ref name=":13234">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> eventually ordering a one-year period of discovery for both parties set to end on February 1, 2007.<ref name=":13235">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> Seen as a risky endeavor due to the possibility of the removal of its Busch Series date,<ref name=":13236">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> by 2006, with the exception of its Busch Series race, all major series races at the track oversaw steep attendance declines.<ref name=":13237">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> In April 2007, Kentucky Speedway amended their lawsuit, no longer demanding a Cup Series race; instead, they called for the France family, owner of both NASCAR and ISC, to give up ownership of one of either of the two companies.<ref name=":13238">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> Kentucky Speedway officials also stated that NASCAR and ISC had pressured numerous owners of other tracks to sell to them only; a claim NASCAR denied.<ref name=":13239">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> After a failed mediation in June,<ref name=":13240">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> NASCAR asked Bertelsman to throw out the lawsuit on the basis that the "Kentucky Speedway has not come close to showing evidence supporting its allegations of a conspiracy to limit its ability to obtain an elite Nextel Cup Series race" in September;<ref name=":13241">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> the request was accepted by Bertelsman on January 7, 2008.<ref name=":13242">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> Kentucky Speedway's lawyer Stan Chesley proceeded to file an appeal four days later.<ref name=":13243">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref>

Bruton Smith's purchase, Mark Simendinger era

On May 22, 2008, The Cincinnati Enquirer reported that a press conference had been scheduled with Speedway Motorsports' (SMI) Bruton Smith regarding a potential partnership with the track or its selling.<ref name=":13244">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> The purchase of the facility was confirmed by Smith that day for $78.3 million, with SMI buying the track for $15 million and assuming the rest in debt.<ref name=":132442">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> With Smith purchasing the track, he aimed to add approximately 50,000 seats, additional bathrooms, increased parking space, and a renovated garage area upon confirmation of a Cup Series date.<ref name=":132446">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref><ref name=":132447">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> Smith later stated that he hoped that he could negotiate a Cup Series race for the facility in 2009;<ref name=":13245">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> NASCAR later dispelled the comment, with a NASCAR spokesman stating that "we don't see any possibility of there being a Sprint Cup Series race in Kentucky in 2009."<ref name=":132443">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> Although Smith sought to end the appeal,<ref name=":132444">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> Carroll refused to budge, stating that "We are very, very adamant to the fact that we think we have a good lawsuit... What matters is the even playing field."<ref name=":132445">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> The purchase was officially finalized on December 31;<ref name=":132449">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> soon after, general manager Mark Cassis resigned from his position as the track's general manager.<ref name=":1324410">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> In February, SMI sought to acquire a tax break covering portions of renovation costs was proposed in February in the Kentucky General Assembly;<ref name=":1324411">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> it was approved by Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear four months later.<ref name=":1324412">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> By April, Mark Simendinger replaced Cassis as the general manager of the facility.<ref name=":1324457">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> That same month, the first phase of a planned $75 million in renovations begun in April, focusing on new access roads and increased camping spots.<ref name=":1324413">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref><ref name=":1324414">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref>

Aggressive, renewed calls for all original investors of the facility to end the appeal by Smith came in May.<ref name=":1324415">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> In response to Smith's calls, Richard Duchossois, one of the original investors, stated that all five investors were agreed in continuing the appeal process, adding that he thought that Smith's plea to end the appeal was "NASCAR's way of trying a force a settlement."<ref name=":1324416">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> Smith later claimed that as long as the lawsuit occurred, NASCAR would not consider giving the facility a Cup Series date.<ref name=":1324417">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> By June, Smith conceded most hopes of hosting a Cup Series race in 2010, instead hoping to obtain one in 2011.<ref name=":1324418">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> Arguments for the appeal started in the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit in July 30;<ref name=":1324419">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> on December 11, the court upheld Bertelsman's ruling in favor of NASCAR.<ref name=":1324420">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> A week later, Carroll officially dropped his lawsuit against NASCAR and ISC, allowing the facility to begin the eligibility process to obtain a Cup Series date.<ref name=":1324421">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> However, 11 days after, Duchossois sued Carroll, claiming that the appeal could not be dropped until at least 75% of the track's ownership agreed to it.<ref name=":1324422">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> The Sixth Circuit Appeals Court denied Duchossois' request for a rehearing in February,<ref name=":1324423">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> and although a trial date was scheduled for May 7, the two came to a settlement by April 30, formally ending the six-year lawsuit.<ref name=":1324424">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref>

After showing some initial doubt,<ref name=":1324425">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> Smith submitted an official bid for a Cup Series date for 2011 in the beginning of July.<ref name=":1324426">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> A "major" press conference was announced later that month to take place on August 10;<ref name=":1324428">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> The Charlotte Observer reported that the press conference was to announce a new Cup Series date at the facility.<ref name=":1324427">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> On August 10, a Cup Series date was officially confirmed, with Smith planning to invest $90–100 million towards 50,000 additional seats, additional bathrooms and elevators, and the rezoning for 200 more acres of camping.<ref name=":1324429">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref><ref name=":1324430">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> By November, new spectator towers, the Kentucky and Ohio towers that contained 19,000 seats each, were being built to increase grandstand capacity to 106,000.<ref name=":1324431">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> In the months heading into the Cup Series race, Smith stated concerns of potential traffic issues, stating in the Lexington Herald-Leader, "Getting the people in here and out is going to be a tall order for us... It’s going to take a lot of hard work and planning to get that done."<ref name=":1324432">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> He later added that Interstate 71 was "the worst interstate highway that I have ever driven on in my life... That highway should have been rebuilt five years ago because it's so antiquated and falling apart."<ref name=":1324433">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> By the start of the race weekend, approximately $70 million of renovations were made, including the move of the track's pit road 200 feet closer to the frontstretch and the addition of 3,000 campsite spots.<ref name=":1324434">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref><ref name=":1324435">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref>

First NASCAR Cup Series race, subsequent traffic nightmare

On July 9, 2011, the first ever NASCAR Cup Series race ran at the facility, with Kyle Busch winning the event.<ref name=":1324436">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> Like the track's first ever race, the race was mired by heavy traffic jams. Reports of "total gridlock" stack-ups leaving fans waiting for six hours were reported,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> with traffic being reported in cities as far as Carrollton. By 9:30 PM EST, fans were being turned away;<ref name=":1324437">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> according to Bruton Smith, by the end of the race, approximately 20,000 fans were turned away from entering.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Different reasons were given on the cause of the traffic jam; Smith again blamed Interstate 71 and its lack of lanes, while Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear blamed a shortage of parking spaces; at the time, the facility had 33,000 parking spaces.<ref name=":1324438">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> To alleviate the problem, SMI announced to spend $11 million worth of renovations, including the purchase of Template:Convert of land and the construction of a new pedestrian walkway.<ref name=":1324439">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref><ref name=":1324440">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> An exit ramp of Interstate 71 and parts of Kentucky Route 35 were also widened.<ref name=":1324441">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> The renovations proved to be a success; according to multiple outlets, no major traffic jams were reported.<ref name=":1324442">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref><ref name=":1324443">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref>

Following years, repave

By 2014, the track's surface gained a reputation for a rough and bumpy surface. Although the surface received positive reactions along with pleas from several NASCAR drivers to not repave the track,<ref name=":1324444">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref><ref name=":1324445">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> track officials opted to grind down a patch of track in the track's fourth turn after complaints of a dip that was "beyond the level of tolerance".<ref name=":1324446">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> Attendance also saw a major decrease over a three-year period, fueling speculation of the move of the facility's Cup Series date to another SMI-owned track.<ref name=":1324447">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> That same year, the track oversaw its first automobile-related fatality when Stephen Cox crashed his car during a Rusty Wallace Racing Experience session.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Despite plans to not repave the surface in 2015,<ref name=":1324448">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> problems arose when water leaked from the track surface during a rain delay in July.<ref name=":1324450">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> In response, officials announced in January 2016 a repave and modifications to the track's first two turns; they were changed to have 17 degrees of banking from 14 degrees and were narrowed from 74 feet to 56 feet.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The repave drew mixed reactions,<ref name=":1324449">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> with Simendinger opting to add an additional asphalt layer to the track's surface because it "did not meet specifications".<ref name=":1324451">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> Within the next three years, the facility decreased grandstand capacity twice; one in 2017 that removed 20,000 seats to decrease capacity to 86,000,<ref name=":1324452">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> and one in 2019 that decreased capacity to 69,000.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> By 2020, according to Mark Story of the Lexington Herald-Leader, capacity was down to "some 66,000".<ref name=":1324453" />

Stoppage of racing, transition to storage and parking lot

On September 29, 2020, NASCAR officially confirmed to The Athletic that the organization would not return to Kentucky Speedway for their 2021 season in any capacity.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In a Cincinnati Enquirer analysis piece by Jason Hoffman, the decision was due to the track "succumb[ing] to its inability to bring in enough revenue for its parent company."<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In response to the news, Simendinger stated that the facility would "evolve into a multi-use rental complex... we have the potential to host special events, commercial television production, music festivals, other racing series and stand-alone RV rallies and camping events."<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In December of that year, Simendinger resigned from his position, leaving SMI.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In May 2021, amidst a global semiconductor shortage, the track was used by the Ford Motor Company to store thousands of pickup trucks waiting for computer chips.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Later deals with Amazon were made within the year.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> By 2022, the only event held at the speedway was an EDM music festival.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=":1" /> By 2024, although calls were made to return to the track by numerous personalities, such as NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin and Gallatin County judge Ryan Morris, the track was viewed as dilapidated, needing major renovations and government subsidies, with the state of Kentucky not willing to contribute. Kentucky Lantern writer Tim Sullivan stated that "the state appears conspicuously short of the political will and financial muscle necessary to underwrite that undertaking... Kentucky lags so far behind that it risks being lapped."<ref name=":3">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Events

Racing

NASCAR

{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}}The facility hosted one NASCAR weekend annually, featuring the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series' Buckle Up in Your Truck 225 since 2000 and the NASCAR Xfinity Series' Alsco 300 since 2001.<ref name=":1322822">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref><ref name=":1324822">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> From 2012 to 2017, it also hosted a second Xfinity Series race, the VisitMyrtleBeach.com 300,<ref name=":132446022">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> which was removed in 2018 in favor of a race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway but returned as a one-off event in 2020.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In 2011, the track began hosting the NASCAR Cup Series with the Quaker State 400, held annually in late June or July, starting with its inaugural race on July 9, 2011.<ref name=":132443622">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> However, since 2021, all three top NASCAR series have ceased racing at the facility.<ref name=":322">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

IndyCar Series

{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}}From 2000 to 2011, IndyCar held the Kentucky Indy 300, an annual Template:Convert IndyCar Series event. The first iteration was held on August 27, 2000, with Buddy Lazier winning the event.<ref name=":1324458">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> The event ran continuously until 2011, when IndyCar announced in December of that year that the series would not be returning to the track in 2012.<ref name=":1324459">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref>

Music festivals

Kentucky Speedway has held numerous music festivals. In July 2000, the facility held its first concert as part of Metallica's Summer Sanitarium Tour, with approximately 50,000 fans attending.<ref name=":13222">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> A year later, the facility held a stop of the traveling Warped Tour.<ref name=":13223">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> From 2003 to 2004, the Meijer Country Stampede was held at the track.<ref name=":13225">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> In May 2015, a festival headlined by Kings of Leon, Miranda Lambert, and Green Day was announced for August of that year;<ref name=":13224">Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> however, a month before the festival, organizers cancelled it due to a lack of ticket sales.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In August 2022, the facility hosted the Interstellar Music Festival, an EDM music festival.<ref name=":1">Template:Cite AV media</ref>

Lap records

As of July 2019, the fastest official race lap records at Kentucky Speedway are listed as:

External links

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