Race Tracks in Connecticut
Connecticut is small, but its handful of tracks punch well above their weight. Lime Rock Park in Lakeville, the nation's third-oldest continuously operating road course, hosts Trans-Am, ARCA, and NASCAR Truck Series racing on a tight 1.53-mile, seven-turn layout with hillside-only spectating. Up in the state's northeast corner, Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park pairs a historic 0.625-mile paved oval - billed as the first paved oval in the country - with a rebuilt 1.7-mile road course, and it holds the record for hosting more NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour races than any other track. Stafford Motor Speedway in Stafford Springs is the other Modified Tour mainstay, running Friday-night weekly racing from May through September. Waterford Speedbowl, open continuously since 1951 under several names including the New London-Waterford Speedbowl, rounds out the state's short-track scene. Connecticut has no NHRA-sanctioned drag strip, though club karting survives at the Norwalk Karting Association's beachfront circuit and at Pomfret Speedway, home of New England's oldest active kart club; a full-scale drag strip still means crossing the state line into Massachusetts, New York, or Rhode Island.
12 venues listed across 4 categories. Venues with a full RaceTrackWorld guide are linked.
Road courses in Connecticut
| Venue | Town | Length | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lime Rock Park | Lakeville | 1.53 mi | Seven-turn, 1.53-mile road course opened in 1957, the nation's third-oldest continuously operating road racing venue; hosts Trans-Am, ARCA, and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series' LiUNA! 150, with hillside-only spectator seating. |
| Thompson Speedway Road Course | Thompson | 1.7 mi | 11-turn, 1.7-mile road course rebuilt and reopened in 2014 on the Thompson Speedway campus, running SCCA regional racing, vintage festivals, and 24 Hours of Lemons endurance events. |
Ovals and speedways in Connecticut
| Venue | Town | Length | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stafford Motor Speedway | Stafford Springs | 0.5 mi | Half-mile paved oval running Friday-night weekly racing May-September; second-most races ever hosted on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour (135 from 1985-2021), and now broadcasts independently on FloRacing. |
| Thompson Speedway Oval | Thompson | 0.625 mi | 0.625-mile, 26-degree-banked paved oval billed as the first paved oval track in the US; holds the record for most NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour races hosted (159 through 2026) and runs the multi-day Sunoco World Series of Speedway Racing each fall. |
| Waterford Speedbowl (New London-Waterford Speedbowl) | Waterford | 0.375 mi | Three-eighths-mile paved oval open continuously since 1951 under several names; a former NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour stop that now runs weekly modified and stock car racing under independent ownership. |
Karting in Connecticut
| Venue | Town | Length | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Norwalk Karting Association | Norwalk | — | WKA-sanctioned kart club racing since 1971 at Calf Pasture Beach on Long Island Sound, with alumni including NASCAR and IndyCar drivers Randy LaJoie, Jerry Nadeau, and Scott Sharp. |
| Pomfret Speedway | Pomfret | 0.125 mi | Eighth-mile asphalt oval home to the Tri-State Kart Club, the oldest continuously active kart club in New England, with racers ranging from age 5 to 75. |
Closed and historic in Connecticut
| Venue | Town | Length | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Danbury Race ArenaClosed | Danbury | — | Closed 1981. Paved short track that ran NASCAR Modified racing for two decades and produced future Cup Series driver Jerry Nadeau's racing family roots before the site was redeveloped for the Danbury Fair Mall. |
| Connecticut DragwayClosed | Colchester | 0.25 mi | Closed 1985. NHRA-sanctioned quarter-mile strip near the East Haddam/Colchester line that opened in 1961, briefly closed in 1979, reopened as Connecticut International Raceway in 1980, and shut for good after the 1985 season. |
| Plainville StadiumClosed | Plainville | 0.25 mi | Closed 1980. Quarter-mile paved oval running from 1949 as a hub of Northeast Modified stock car racing before rising insurance costs forced its closure; the site is now a shopping plaza. |
| West Haven Speedway (Savin Rock)Closed | West Haven | 0.2 mi | Closed 1967. One-fifth-mile oval built around Donovan Field at the Savin Rock amusement park in 1935, hosting midget and stock car racing until the whole Savin Rock district was razed. |
| Cherry Park SpeedwayClosed | Avon | 0.25 mi | Closed 1959. Quarter-mile paved oval built inside an older half-mile horse-racing track in 1946 for AAA-era Midget car racing before the property was redeveloped as housing. |
Race tracks near the big cities in Connecticut
Near Hartford
- Stafford Motor Speedway · about 35 min
- Thompson Speedway Oval · about 50 min
- Thompson Speedway Road Course · about 50 min
Near New Haven
- Waterford Speedbowl (New London-Waterford Speedbowl) · about 50 min
- Lime Rock Park · about 75 min
Near Danbury / Fairfield County
- Lime Rock Park · about 40 min
Near Norwich-New London
- Waterford Speedbowl (New London-Waterford Speedbowl) · about 20 min
- Thompson Speedway Oval · about 50 min
Major race weekends in Connecticut
| Event | Venue | When | Series |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trans Am Memorial Day Classic | Lime Rock Park | May | Trans-Am Series |
| LiUNA! 150 | Lime Rock Park | Summer | NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series |
| Sunoco World Series of Speedway Racing | Thompson Speedway Oval | September | Multi-division (15 classes) |
| NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour weekly nights | Stafford Motor Speedway | May-September (weekly) | NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour |
Track days and driving experiences in Connecticut
Lime Rock Park and the Thompson Speedway road course are Connecticut's two options for street-car track days, both running SCCA regional weekends, club lapping days, and endurance events like 24 Hours of Lemons - budget roughly $300-500 per day. Neither Stafford nor the Thompson/Waterford ovals run walk-up HPDE days, but rookie or test sessions are sometimes available ahead of weekly Modified Tour nights by contacting each track directly. Club karters can race weekends at the Norwalk Karting Association's Calf Pasture Beach circuit or Pomfret Speedway, but drivers chasing a dedicated NHRA drag strip will need to cross state lines - New England Dragway sits just over the border in New Hampshire.
Frequently asked questions
Does this page cover horse racing venues?+
No. This guide is motor racing only. Connecticut has no major Thoroughbred track, but any other horse racing venues are outside this page's scope regardless.
Is there an NHRA drag strip in Connecticut?+
No. Connecticut does not have an NHRA- or IHRA-sanctioned quarter-mile strip; the closest national-event strips are in neighboring states, such as New England Dragway in New Hampshire.
What's the difference between Thompson's oval and its road course?+
They're two separate circuits on the same Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park property - the historic 0.625-mile paved oval hosts NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour racing, while the rebuilt 1.7-mile road course (reopened 2014) runs SCCA and endurance events.
Is Waterford Speedbowl the same track as the New London-Waterford Speedbowl?+
Yes. It's the same three-eighths-mile oval in Waterford; it has used several names over its history, including New London-Waterford Speed Bowl, Waterford Speedbowl, and New London-Waterford Speedbowl under different ownership groups.
Where can I watch weekly short-track racing in Connecticut?+
Stafford Motor Speedway runs Friday nights May through September, and Waterford Speedbowl and the Thompson Speedway oval both run regular weekly modified and stock car programs through the season.
Is Danbury Race Arena still around?+
No. The Danbury short track closed in 1981 and the site was redeveloped as the Danbury Fair Mall; nothing of the original racetrack remains.
Venue list checked against 19 sources. Last reviewed 2026-09-10.
