Race Tracks in Kentucky
Kentucky's most famous track sits dark: Kentucky Speedway in Sparta hosted NASCAR Cup racing from 2011 through 2020 but has not appeared on a national schedule since, leaving its 1.5-mile oval dormant while the county weighs the land's future. The state's road-racing hub instead is NCM Motorsports Park in Bowling Green, a 3.2-mile, 23-turn circuit built across the interstate from the National Corvette Museum that runs SCCA and NASA regional weekends nearly year-round. Nearby Beech Bend Raceway is one of the country's longest continuously operating drag strips, hosting NHRA Lucas Oil events and the annual National Hot Rod Reunion. Below that sit a working network of Saturday and Friday night dirt ovals - Florence Speedway, Ponderosa Speedway, Paducah International Raceway, and Windy Hollow Raceway Park - running late model, modified, and street-stock classes through the spring-to-fall season, plus the shorter paved oval at Kentucky Motor Speedway near Owensboro. Two older ovals, Louisville Motor Speedway and Kentucky Lake Motor Speedway, have closed permanently over the last two decades.
36 venues listed across 6 categories. Venues with a full RaceTrackWorld guide are linked.
Road courses in Kentucky
| Venue | Town | Length | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|
| NCM Motorsports Park | Bowling Green | 3.2 mi | 23-turn, 3.2-mile road course opened 2014 directly across I-65 from the National Corvette Museum, splittable into West/East configurations for simultaneous SCCA and NASA events, plus a 21-acre autocross/skid-pad area. |
Ovals and speedways in Kentucky
| Venue | Town | Length | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kentucky SpeedwayDormant | Sparta | 1.5 mi | 1.5-mile NASCAR-grade oval that hosted Cup Series racing from 2011-2020; absent from every NASCAR national schedule since, with no Cup, Xfinity, or Truck date announced for 2026, though it still runs occasional fan Racing Experience lap days. |
| Kentucky Motor Speedway | Whitesville | 0.375 mi | Paved three-eighths-mile short track near Owensboro built in 1960, running weekly Sportsman, Super Street, Pure Stock, and Mini Stock divisions plus a figure-8 crossover. |
Drag strips in Kentucky
| Venue | Town | Length | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beech Bend Raceway | Bowling Green | 0.25 mi | One of America's longest continuously operating quarter-mile strips, sanctioned NHRA SportsNats and Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series events, and host of the annual National Hot Rod Reunion each June. |
| Ohio Valley Dragway | West Point | 0.125 mi | Eighth-mile bracket-racing strip on Dixie Highway south of Louisville near Fort Knox, running weekly test-and-tune and bracket events. |
| London Dragway | London | 0.125 mi | Eighth-mile strip in southeastern Kentucky that opened in 1999 and runs weekly bracket racing along with IHRA-style events. |
| Kentucky Dragway | Clay City | 0.25 mi | NHRA member track near the Red River Gorge - formerly Mountain Park Dragway - combining an eighth-mile and a quarter-mile strip, dating to 1963 and rebuilt in 2001. |
| I-64 Motorplex | Owingsville | 0.125 mi | Eighth-mile NHRA-sanctioned strip off I-64 between Lexington and Morehead - formerly Bluegrass Raceway Park - running bracket racing, test-and-tune nights, and truck/tractor pulls. |
| Beacon Dragway | Paducah | 0.125 mi | Eighth-mile strip in western Kentucky reopened in 2013 after operating as a private airport for nearly 40 years; originally built in 1968 as McCracken County Drag Strip. |
| US 60 Dragway | Hardinsburg | 0.125 mi | Family-run eighth-mile strip founded in 1964, running Friday-Saturday test-and-tune and bracket racing in north-central Kentucky. |
| Thornhill Dragstrip | Morning View | 0.25 mi | One of the oldest continuously operating drag strips in the country, racing since 1953 in Northern Kentucky near Cincinnati, though a court noise ordinance now limits it to about six hours of racing a week. |
| Windy Hollow Dragway | Owensboro (Calhoun) | 0.125 mi | Eighth-mile strip that opened in 1971 next to Windy Hollow Speedway on the same family-owned property near Owensboro, now under new leaseholders as of 2024. |
Dirt tracks in Kentucky
| Venue | Town | Length | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florence Speedway | Walton | 0.375 mi | Three-eighths-mile dirt oval in the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky area running Saturday night Modified, Sport Mod, and Crown Vic classes, and host of the North/South 100, one of dirt late-model racing's richest events. |
| Ponderosa Speedway | Junction City | 0.375 mi | "Kentucky's Baddest Bullring," a three-eighths-mile dirt oval south of Danville running sprint car and open-wheel modified racing most Friday nights April through October. |
| Paducah International Raceway | Paducah | 0.375 mi | Three-eighths-mile clay oval in western Kentucky running DIRTcar UMP Modifieds, Super Late Models, and Mini Stocks; went dormant after 2016 but has since resumed a regular schedule under new ownership. |
| Windy Hollow Raceway Park | Henderson | — | Dirt oval in western Kentucky near the Indiana border running weekly local-division racing through the season. |
| Lake Cumberland Speedway | Burnside | 0.375 mi | Three-eighths-mile red clay oval south of General Burnside Island State Park running Saturday nights April-October with Super Late Model, Pro Late Model, and Super Stock divisions. |
| Richmond Raceway | Richmond | — | Clay oval nicknamed "The Beast of the East" that opened in 1966 and runs six weekly divisions including Super Late Models and UMP Open Wheel Modifieds; not to be confused with the NASCAR track of the same name in Virginia. |
| Western Kentucky Speedway | Madisonville | 0.375 mi | Three-eighths-mile dirt oval running UMP Modified, Street Stock, Pure Stock, and Cruiser classes nearly every weekend from April through September. |
| Rockcastle Speedway | Mount Vernon | 0.375 mi | Three-eighths-mile dirt oval in southeastern Kentucky running Super Late Model, Modified, and Super Stock classes, plus a multi-day Speed Week event. |
| Cedar Ridge Speedway | Morgantown | 0.375 mi | Three-eighths-mile clay oval west of Bowling Green, formerly known as Soggy Bottom Raceway, running Mini Stock, UMP Stock Car, and Open Wheel classes. |
| Willard Speedway | Willard | 0.25 mi | Quarter-mile dirt oval in eastern Kentucky running Pro Late Model, UMP Modified, Sport Modified, and 4-Cylinder classes through the season. |
| Hidden Hollow Speedway | Colson | 0.25 mi | Quarter-mile dirt oval in the coalfields near Whitesburg, formerly Lucky Seven Speedway, running divisions from Super Late Model down to 4-Cylinder. |
| Mudlick Valley Raceway | Tollesboro | 0.375 mi | Three-eighths-mile clay oval in northeastern Kentucky that resumed racing in 2019 after a layoff and was voted 2023 Hometown Sports Corner Track of the Year. |
| 191 Speedway | Campton | 0.3125 mi | Five-sixteenths-mile dirt oval between Campton and Hazel Green known for its high banks, running a full local-division schedule. |
| 201 Speedway | Sitka | 0.375 mi | Three-eighths-mile clay oval north of Paintsville that closed in 2018 and reopened in July 2025 to a record crowd of roughly 10,000. |
| Thunder Mountain Speedway | Rockholds | 0.3333 mi | One-third-mile clay oval built on a former coal mine site near Corbin, hosting the Crate Racin' USA Dirt Late Model Series and streamed live on TMSKY.TV. |
Motocross and off-road in Kentucky
| Venue | Town | Length | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Echo Valley MX | Sebree | — | AMA-sanctioned motocross park open year-round in western Kentucky, running amateur and pro-am events across Beginner through Expert classes. |
| South Fork Motoplex | Leitchfield | — | Motocross track formerly known as Blackrock Motocross Park that serves as an AMA Amateur National Area Qualifier site for the Mid-East Region. |
Closed and historic in Kentucky
| Venue | Town | Length | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Louisville Motor SpeedwayClosed | Louisville | 0.375 mi | Closed 2001. Three-eighths-mile paved oval that operated from 1988 until Kentucky Speedway's opening drew away its national dates; the site is now an industrial park. |
| Kentucky Lake Motor SpeedwayClosed | Calvert City | 0.375 mi | Closed 2015. Three-eighths-mile dirt oval in far western Kentucky that lost its pit area, maintenance building, and utilities to a highway-expansion eminent-domain taking and never reopened. |
| Barren County SpeedwayClosed | Glasgow | 0.375 mi | Closed. Three-eighths-mile dirt oval on the Barren County Fairgrounds that hosted NARA and regional stock car events; its operating corporation is now listed inactive in Kentucky records. |
| Bluegrass SpeedwayClosed | Bardstown | 0.5 mi | Closed 2011. High-banked half-mile clay oval (also known as Bluegrass Motor Speedway) that hosted Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series races including the Bluegrass Classic before closing over rising maintenance costs. |
| Corbin SpeedwayClosed | Corbin | — | Closed. Opened in 1952 as a half-mile dirt oval and hosted a single NASCAR-sanctioned race in 1954 before later running as a quarter-mile oval into the 1970s; now permanently shut. |
| Clay City RacewayClosed | Clay City | 0.5 mi | Closed 2000. Half-mile banked dirt oval that operated on and off from the 1950s, distinct from the still-active Kentucky Dragway strip in the same town. |
| Mountain Motor SpeedwayClosed | Isom | 0.375 mi | Closed 2025. Three-eighths-mile clay oval and adjoining eighth-mile drag strip in the coalfields (Mountain Motorsports Park) that shut down after promoters said every 2025 event lost money. |
Race tracks near the big cities in Kentucky
Near Louisville
- Kentucky Speedway · about 50 min
- Kentucky Motor Speedway · about 110 min
- NCM Motorsports Park · about 65 min
- Beech Bend Raceway · about 65 min
Near Lexington
- Ponderosa Speedway · about 50 min
- Kentucky Speedway · about 70 min
- Florence Speedway · about 75 min
Near Northern Kentucky/Cincinnati
- Florence Speedway · about 20 min
- Kentucky Speedway · about 45 min
Near Bowling Green
- NCM Motorsports Park · about 10 min
- Beech Bend Raceway · about 10 min
- Kentucky Motor Speedway · about 70 min
Major race weekends in Kentucky
| Event | Venue | When | Series |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Hot Rod Reunion | Beech Bend Raceway | June | NHRA Heritage/Nostalgia |
| NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series | Beech Bend Raceway | Varies (spring-fall) | NHRA |
| North/South 100 | Florence Speedway | August | Dirt Late Model |
| SCCA/NASA regional race weekends | NCM Motorsports Park | Varies (year-round) | SCCA / NASA |
Track days and driving experiences in Kentucky
NCM Motorsports Park in Bowling Green is Kentucky's main road-racing destination, running SCCA and NASA regional race weekends alongside open HPDE and driver-instruction days across its splittable West/East configurations for roughly $250-500 a day. Beech Bend Raceway offers regular test-and-tune and bracket-racing nights for drag racers between its national NHRA events. On the oval side, Florence Speedway, Ponderosa Speedway, Paducah International Raceway, and Kentucky Motor Speedway occasionally open rookie or practice sessions ahead of weekly race nights - contact each track directly since policies and dates vary.
Frequently asked questions
Does this page cover Churchill Downs or the Kentucky Derby?+
No. This guide is motor racing only - Churchill Downs and every other Thoroughbred, harness, or horse racing venue in Kentucky is outside its scope.
Is Kentucky Speedway still hosting NASCAR races?+
Not currently. Kentucky Speedway ran NASCAR Cup Series races from 2011 through 2020 but has not appeared on a national NASCAR schedule since, and it was again absent from the 2026 calendar. The 1.5-mile oval still stands and hosts occasional fan lap-riding events.
Where can I road-race or take my car on track in Kentucky?+
NCM Motorsports Park in Bowling Green is the state's dedicated road course, running SCCA and NASA regional events plus club track days across a 3.2-mile, 23-turn layout.
Is there NHRA drag racing in Kentucky?+
Yes - Beech Bend Raceway in Bowling Green is one of the country's longest continuously operating drag strips and hosts NHRA Lucas Oil Series and SportsNats events, plus the annual National Hot Rod Reunion.
Where can I watch weekly dirt-track racing in Kentucky?+
Florence Speedway (Walton), Ponderosa Speedway (Junction City), Paducah International Raceway, and Windy Hollow Raceway Park (Henderson) all run regular Friday or Saturday night dirt programs through the season.
What happened to Louisville Motor Speedway and Kentucky Lake Motor Speedway?+
Both closed permanently - Louisville Motor Speedway in 2001 after Kentucky Speedway opened and drew away its dates, and Kentucky Lake Motor Speedway in 2015 when a highway expansion took its pit area and infrastructure under eminent domain.
Venue list checked against 46 sources. Last reviewed 2026-09-10.
Kentucky track guides on RaceTrackWorld
Kentucky Speedway
Address: 1 Speedway Drive, Sparta KY 41086 USA Website: http://www.kentuckyspeedway.com Email: [email protected] Phone Number: (+1) 859 567 3400 Ho...
NCM Motorsports Park
Address: 505 Grimes Rd, Bowling Green, KY 42103 USA Website: http://www.motorsportspark.org Email: [email protected] Phone Number: (+1) 800-538-3883...