Race Tracks in Colorado
Colorado's motorsport scene is smaller and higher-altitude than its Sun Belt neighbors, and it is in flux: the state lost its two biggest venues within a few years of each other. Bandimere Speedway, the Front Range's NHRA drag strip since 1958, closed in 2023 and is rebuilding on a much larger site near Hudson; Pikes Peak International Raceway, the state's only NASCAR-grade oval, has announced 2026 as its final season before redevelopment. What remains clusters around Denver and the Front Range: Colorado National Speedway in Dacono runs ARCA Menards Series West and a full short-track season, High Plains Raceway east of Denver is the go-to SCCA/NASA road course, and a long-closed oval near Pueblo is being rebuilt as High Banks Speedway. Julesburg Dragstrip, one of the oldest NHRA-sanctioned strips in the country, keeps running in the state's northeast corner. Every June the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb sends cars and bikes up the actual mountain, and Thunder Valley near Lakewood hosts a round of AMA Pro Motocross. Dirt oval racing at county fairgrounds in La Junta and Pueblo rounds out the calendar.
14 venues listed across 7 categories. Venues with a full RaceTrackWorld guide are linked.
Road courses in Colorado
| Venue | Town | Length | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|
| High Plains Raceway | Deer Trail | 2.55 mi | Colorado's primary purpose-built road course, about an hour east of Denver; four configurations up to 2.55 miles host SCCA U.S. Majors Tour, NASA, and vintage racing. |
| Pueblo Motorsports Park | Pueblo | 2.2 mi | Multi-discipline facility built around a 2.2-mile road course, with a quarter-mile drag strip, dirt circle track, rallycross course, and motocross track sharing the same grounds. |
| Pikes Peak International Hill Climb (Pikes Peak Highway)Seasonal | Cascade / Colorado Springs | 12.42 mi | "The Race to the Clouds" — a 12.42-mile paved hillclimb up Pikes Peak Highway with 156 turns and 4,720 feet of elevation gain, run once a year since 1916; the second-oldest motorsport race in America. |
Ovals and speedways in Colorado
| Venue | Town | Length | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado National Speedway | Dacono | 0.375 mi | Front Range short track since 1965, hosting ARCA Menards Series West and a large weekly Late Model, Modified, and Figure 8 program; added an eighth-mile drag strip in 2026. |
| Pikes Peak International Raceway | Fountain | 1 mi | Mile oval south of Colorado Springs that hosted NASCAR Cup, Xfinity, and Truck races through the 2000s and later amateur racing and driving events; owners announced 2026 as the final season for public motorsport before mixed-use redevelopment. |
| High Banks Speedway at Beacon Hill (formerly I-25 Speedway)Dormant | Pueblo | 0.25 mi | Quarter-mile paved oval between Colorado Springs and Pueblo that sat idle for five years; new owners are rebuilding it and targeting a late-2026 reopening with a full 2027 schedule of Super Stocks, Late Models, and Legends. |
Drag strips in Colorado
| Venue | Town | Length | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Julesburg Dragstrip | Julesburg | 0.25 mi | NHRA-sanctioned quarter-mile strip in Colorado's far northeast corner running continuously since 1961, among the oldest NHRA-affiliated tracks in the country. |
Dirt tracks in Colorado
| Venue | Town | Length | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|
| La Junta Raceway | La Junta | 0.5 mi | Half-mile dirt oval owned by the Otero County Fair Board running sprint car and dirt late model programs; also used by SCCA, NASA, and vintage racing groups for road-course-style events on the fairgrounds. |
Motocross and off-road in Colorado
| Venue | Town | Length | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thunder Valley Motocross Park | Lakewood | — | Foothills motocross track west of Denver hosting the AMA Pro Motocross Championship's Thunder Valley National each June in front of crowds near 30,000; open for practice and amateur racing the rest of the year. |
Karting in Colorado
| Venue | Town | Length | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado Karting Circuit at Centennial Airport | Englewood | 0.8 mi | 0.8-mile outdoor circuit beside Centennial Airport offering arrive-and-drive rentals alongside a WKA/RMC-sanctioned club racing series for kart owners; repaved and recurbed in 2024. |
Closed and historic in Colorado
| Venue | Town | Length | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bandimere SpeedwayClosed | Morrison | 0.25 mi | "Thunder Mountain," the Front Range's NHRA national event strip from 1958 to 2023; the Bandimere family sold the Morrison land and closed on a new 114-acre-plus site in Hudson, Weld County in 2025, with plans for a drag strip, road course, and karting track but no construction date announced. |
| Continental Divide RacewaysClosed | Castle Rock | 2.8 mi | 1959-built complex with a 2.8-mile road course, half-mile oval, and drag strip that hosted USAC Championship cars and Trans-Am at its peak; closed after a fatal 1979 accident, briefly reopened, and was sold to developers in 1983. Nothing of the track remains. |
| Grand Prix of Denver (Civic Center / Pepsi Center street circuits)Closed | Denver | — | Temporary CART/Champ Car street races through downtown Denver, run 1990-1991 around Civic Center Park and 2002-2006 around the Pepsi Center; no street race has returned to Denver since. |
| Centennial Race TrackClosed | Littleton | — | Primarily a parimutuel horse racing track (1950-1983), but its dirt oval hosted AAA-sanctioned Indianapolis-car races in 1951 and 1952 before the site was redeveloped as housing. |
Race tracks near the big cities in Colorado
Near Denver
- Colorado National Speedway · about 35 min
- Colorado Karting Circuit at Centennial Airport · about 30 min
- High Plains Raceway · about 60 min
- Thunder Valley Motocross Park · about 25 min
Near Colorado Springs
- Pikes Peak International Raceway · about 15 min
- Pikes Peak International Hill Climb (Pikes Peak Highway) · about 30 min
- High Banks Speedway at Beacon Hill (formerly I-25 Speedway) · about 35 min
Near Pueblo
- Pueblo Motorsports Park · about 10 min
- High Banks Speedway at Beacon Hill (formerly I-25 Speedway) · about 25 min
- La Junta Raceway · about 70 min
Major race weekends in Colorado
| Event | Venue | When | Series |
|---|---|---|---|
| ARCA Menards Series West 150 | Colorado National Speedway | May | ARCA Menards Series West |
| Pikes Peak International Hill Climb | Pikes Peak International Hill Climb (Pikes Peak Highway) | June | Pikes Peak Hill Climb |
| Thunder Valley National | Thunder Valley Motocross Park | June | AMA Pro Motocross |
Track days and driving experiences in Colorado
Track-day options are thinner than in bigger racing states. High Plains Raceway near Denver runs the bulk of the calendar for SCCA Colorado Region club racing, time trials, and HPDE days, with NASA Rocky Mountain also active there. La Junta Raceway and Pueblo Motorsports Park host occasional SCCA, NASA, and vintage (RMVR) events further south. A novice HPDE day typically runs $250-$500; SCCA and NASA membership is needed for wheel-to-wheel club racing. Karting club racers can run a WKA/RMC series at the Colorado Karting Circuit near Centennial Airport.
Frequently asked questions
Does this guide include horse racing tracks?+
No. This guide covers motorsport venues only — cars, motorcycles, and karts. Horse racing facilities such as the former Centennial Race Track's parimutuel operation are not included, even where a site also has automotive racing history.
Is Bandimere Speedway still open?+
No. "Thunder Mountain" closed for good after the 2023 season and the Morrison property was sold. The Bandimere family has since acquired land near Hudson in Weld County for a planned replacement facility, but as of 2026 no construction date has been announced.
Is Pikes Peak International Raceway closing?+
Track officials have said 2026 will be the final season for public motorsports events at PPIR, with the site slated for future mixed-use redevelopment. All 2026 events are going ahead as scheduled.
What happened to I-25 Speedway near Pueblo?+
The quarter-mile oval, also known as Beacon Hill Speedway, sat closed for about five years. New owners are rebuilding it as High Banks Speedway at Beacon Hill, targeting a partial reopening at the end of 2026 and a full season in 2027.
Can I drive my own car on track in Colorado?+
Yes — High Plains Raceway, Pueblo Motorsports Park, and La Junta Raceway all host SCCA and NASA time trials and HPDE days open to street cars with a helmet and a technical inspection.
Where can I watch NHRA-style drag racing in Colorado with Bandimere closed?+
Julesburg Dragstrip in the state's northeast corner remains NHRA-sanctioned and active, and Pueblo Motorsports Park and Colorado National Speedway both run regular local drag programs, though neither currently hosts an NHRA national event.
Venue list checked against 23 sources. Last reviewed 2026-09-10.
Colorado track guides on RaceTrackWorld
High Plains Raceway
Address: 93301 East Highway 36 Deer Trail CO 80105 USA Website: http://highplainsraceway.com Email: [email protected] Phone Number: (+1) 970 215-604...
La Junta Raceway
Address: 30267 1st Avenue, La Junta, CO 81050 USA Website: http://lajuntaraceway.weebly.com/ Email: [email protected] Phone Number: (+1) 719-384-599...
Thunder Valley Motorcross Park
Address: 701 South Rooney Rd., Lakewood CO 80465 USA Website: https://www.tvmx.net/ Email: [email protected] Phone Number: (303) 988-3889 Hotels Ne...