Kansas Speedway
Kansas Speedway at a glance
- Location
- Kansas City, Kansas
- Type
- oval
- Length
- 1.5 mi (2.414 km)
- Turns
- 4
- Direction
- counter-clockwise
- Banking
- 17-20° in the turns, 10° on the frontstretch, 5° on the backstretch
- Surface
- asphalt
- Opened
- 2001
- Owner
- NASCAR
- Capacity
- 48,000
- Address
- 400 Speedway Boulevard
- Phone
- +1 866-460-7223
- Website
- kansasspeedway.com
Track map and layout
Kansas Speedway is a 1.5-mile tri-oval, one of NASCAR's standard cookie-cutter intermediate tracks but with a personality of its own thanks to progressive banking that widens the groove. The corners carry 17-20 degrees of banking while the frontstretch itself is banked at 10 degrees and the backstretch at 5 degrees, letting drivers run multiple lanes deep into the turns. That variable banking, paired with a wide racing surface, tends to produce several viable lines through Turns 1-2 and 3-4, which keeps the racing tighter than a flat oval. A separate 2.370-mile, nine-turn road course configuration, added for support events and driving programs, weaves through the infield and uses part of the oval's frontstretch.
Configurations
| Layout | Length | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Tri-oval | 1.5 mi | primary NASCAR configuration |
| Road course | 2.37 mi | infield road course used for club racing and driving programs |
Events and race weekends
Kansas Speedway hosts two NASCAR Cup Series weekends a year, each paired with support races from the Craftsman Truck Series and the ARCA or Xfinity ranks depending on the season. The spring and fall Cup dates (branded in recent years as the AdventHealth 400 and the Hollywood Casino 400) anchor the calendar; the fall race has also carried Playoff-round significance in some seasons. The track previously hosted IndyCar (2001-2010) and IMSA sports car racing (2013-2014) on its combined oval/road configuration, and it regularly opens its infield road course to car clubs, driving schools and track-day organizers between the big national events.
| Event | Series | When | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| AdventHealth 400 | NASCAR Cup Series | April | spring Cup Series weekend |
| Hollywood Casino 400 | NASCAR Cup Series | September | fall Cup Series weekend, has held Playoff significance in past seasons |
| Craftsman Truck Series race | NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series | September | Chase race on the fall weekend |
Getting there and parking
Kansas Speedway sits in the Village West district of Kansas City, Kansas, just off Interstate 70 and Interstate 435, roughly 15 minutes from downtown Kansas City, Missouri. Kansas City International Airport (MCI) is the main gateway, about a 30-40 minute drive depending on traffic. The speedway shares its exit with a large retail and entertainment complex, so race-day traffic backs up on I-70 for a mile or more; arriving well ahead of gates and following the posted parking-lot signage is standard advice from regular attendees.
- Kansas City International Airport (MCI) · about 35 min drive
Parking
General parking in the surface lots around the speedway is free with most ticket packages; premium and preferred lots closer to the gates are sold separately. Lots typically open several hours before green flag on race day.
Leave extra time for the I-70/I-435 interchange on race day, and consider the on-site tram service from camping areas to the grandstands.
Hotels and camping near Kansas Speedway
Most visitors stay in the Kansas City metro, either in Village West itself (walkable to the Legends shopping and dining district next to the track) or in downtown Kansas City, Missouri, a short drive away. Hotel rooms near the speedway sell out for Cup race weekends, so regulars book several months ahead. Budget travelers can also find chain hotels along the I-70 corridor further from the track.
Where to look
Village West / Legends district (adjacent to the speedway) and downtown Kansas City, Missouri
Camping
Kansas Speedway offers tent camping and infield/trackside camping areas for race weekends, sold separately from grandstand tickets, with tram service to the grandstands.
RV
RV camping spots are available both outside the track perimeter near Turn 1 and in infield areas, generally priced from roughly $175 to $3,000 depending on location and length of stay.
Track days, driving experiences and lap records
The public can experience Kansas Speedway's oval behind the wheel or as a passenger through NASCAR Racing Experience, which runs stock-car ride-alongs and driving sessions at the track on scheduled dates. Ride-alongs put a guest in the passenger seat for three laps with a professional driver; driving experiences let participants pilot a NASCAR-style stock car themselves for a timed session after brief instruction. The infield road course also sees SCCA and car-club track days when scheduled.
Who runs days here
Typical cost: Ride-alongs from roughly $230; driving experiences priced higher depending on lap count, per NASCAR Racing Experience and resellers
Lap records
| Category | Time | Driver | Car | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IndyCar qualifying (tri-oval) | 0:24.8742 | Tomas Scheckter | — | 2002 |
| Daytona Prototype (road course) | 1:09.745 | Scott Pruett | — | 2013 |
Spectator guide
Grandstands wrap the frontstretch and extend around parts of Turns 1-2 and 3-4, giving most seats a view across the tri-oval's wide racing surface. Kansas Speedway's grandstands are set back from a modern frontstretch with suites and club seating, and the track's size means even upper rows have relatively clear sightlines to both straights.
Seating
Frontstretch grandstands offer the classic start/finish view; turn seating gives a closer look at the multi-lane racing the banking produces.
Best places to watch
Frontstretch sections near the tri-oval's apex give the best combined view of pit road and both ends of the track.
Bag policy
Up to two bags per person, each no larger than 18 x 18 x 14 inches, plus one soft-sided cooler up to 14 x 14 x 14 inches (telescoping handles are fine) with food and drinks of your choice, alcohol included. No glass.
Weather
- May: warm, often humid with a chance of thunderstorms, highs around 75-80°F
- September-October: mild fall conditions, highs typically 70-80°F, cooler evenings
History of Kansas Speedway
Opening a speedway on the prairie
Kansas Speedway broke ground in May 1999 after a contentious process that included lawsuits from homeowners displaced for the project, and it opened on June 2, 2001, with an IndyCar race won by Michael Andretti's team car under Kenny Brack. NASCAR followed later that year, and the track quickly became a fixture on the Cup, Xfinity (then Busch) and Truck Series calendars for the Kansas City market, which had lacked a major oval before.
Ownership and growth
International Speedway Corporation built and initially owned the facility, part of a wave of new 1.5-mile intermediate tracks constructed in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Village West, the retail and entertainment district that now surrounds the speedway, grew up alongside it, turning what was once open land west of Kansas City into a regional destination anchored by the track, a casino, an NHL practice facility and major retail. Hollywood Casino at Kansas Speedway opened on site in February 2012, adding a year-round draw beyond race weekends.
IndyCar departure and NASCAR era
IndyCar left after the 2010 season as NASCAR's Cup Series became the track's marquee draw, and Kansas Speedway added a second Cup date in several seasons as the sport periodically added or removed races from the schedule. The track has also hosted IMSA sports car racing on a road-course configuration and has served, in some seasons, as a Playoff elimination race for the Cup Series.
Present day
Seating capacity was reduced from its mid-2000s peak of around 82,000 to roughly 48,000 as NASCAR consolidated grandstand footprints across its intermediate tracks industry-wide. NASCAR itself has owned and operated Kansas Speedway since 2019, folding it into the sanctioning body's broader control of its major ovals. Today the track anchors two Cup weekends a year and continues to host driving experiences, car-club track days and community events on its infield road course between national broadcasts.
Frequently asked questions
How long is Kansas Speedway?+
The oval is a 1.5-mile tri-oval; there is also a separate 2.37-mile, nine-turn infield road course used for support events and driving programs.
How much banking does Kansas Speedway have?+
The turns are banked 17-20 degrees, with 10 degrees on the frontstretch and 5 degrees on the backstretch.
Who owns Kansas Speedway?+
NASCAR has owned and operated the track since 2019; it was previously owned by International Speedway Corporation from its 2001 opening through 2018.
Can you drive a race car at Kansas Speedway?+
Yes. NASCAR Racing Experience and similar operators run scheduled ride-along and driving sessions at the track in stock cars, open to the public on select dates.
Is camping available at Kansas Speedway?+
Yes, the track offers tent and RV camping in areas near Turn 1 and in the infield, sold separately from grandstand tickets, with tram service to the seats.
What NASCAR Cup races does Kansas Speedway host?+
It typically hosts two Cup Series weekends per year, in spring and fall, along with Craftsman Truck Series and other support races.
Other tracks nearby
- Heartland Motorsports Park · 47 mi · road course & oval
- Iowa Speedway · 201 mi · oval
- Hallett Motor Racing Circuit · 222 mi · road course
- World Wide Technology Raceway (Gateway) · 255 mi · oval
- Spring Creek Motocross Park · 369 mi · motocross
- Blackhawk Farms Raceway · 379 mi · road course
Facts checked against 7 sources including the official circuit website. Last reviewed 2026-09-09.