Race Tracks in Maryland
Maryland's motorsport identity is drag racing and dirt short tracks rather than a NASCAR national touring stop; the state has no Cup, Xfinity, or Truck Series venue. Maryland International Raceway in Mechanicsville is the anchor: an NHRA-sanctioned quarter-mile that runs more than 100 events a year and shares its St. Mary's County property with Budds Creek Motocross Park, a fixture on the AMA Pro Motocross Championship since the 1970s. Weekly dirt-oval racing centers on Hagerstown Speedway and Potomac Speedway, both clay half-mile and three-eighths-mile tracks running Late Model, Modified, and Street Stock programs deep into fall. Drag racing beyond MIR runs through Cecil County Dragway in the northeast corner, with Capitol Raceway near Crofton and the 75-80 Dragway in Monrovia both closed - the state has lost several strips over the past two decades, a running frustration for Baltimore-Washington area racers. Road racing and karting are comparatively thin: Nicholson Speedway on the Eastern Shore is the state's one asphalt short oval, and there is no full permanent road-racing circuit within Maryland itself, pushing club racers toward Summit Point in West Virginia or VIR in Virginia.
13 venues listed across 4 categories. Venues with a full RaceTrackWorld guide are linked.
Ovals and speedways in Maryland
| Venue | Town | Length | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hagerstown Speedway | Hagerstown | 0.5 mi | Half-mile clay oval (formerly Conococheague Speedway) in western Maryland running weekly Late Model, Modified, and support-class programs through the season. |
| Potomac Speedway | Budds Creek | 0.375 mi | Three-eighths-mile clay oval near Charlotte Hall in southern Maryland running weekly dirt Late Model and Modified racing. |
| Nicholson Speedway | Chestertown | 0.25 mi | Quarter-mile asphalt oval on the Eastern Shore running weekly Street Stock and Modified-class racing. |
Drag strips in Maryland
| Venue | Town | Length | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maryland International Raceway | Mechanicsville | 0.25 mi | NHRA-sanctioned quarter-mile hosting more than 100 events a year, from NMCA/NMRA national tours to weekly bracket and grudge racing, on the same St. Mary's County property as Budds Creek Motocross Park. |
| Cecil County Dragway | Rising Sun | 0.25 mi | Quarter-mile drag strip in the state's northeast corner running weekly test-and-tune, bracket, and grudge racing. |
| Mason-Dixon Dragway | Boonsboro | 0.25 mi | Quarter-mile drag strip in Washington County running local bracket and grudge events. |
Motocross and off-road in Maryland
| Venue | Town | Length | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Budds Creek Motocross Park | Mechanicsville | — | Natural-terrain motocross track that has hosted an AMA Pro Motocross Championship round since the 1970s, sharing its St. Mary's County property with Maryland International Raceway. |
| The Landing MX Park | Easton | — | Eastern Shore motocross and off-road park with multiple dirt tracks for amateur and club-level riding. |
Closed and historic in Maryland
| Venue | Town | Length | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capitol RacewayClosed | Crofton | 0.25 mi | Closed circa 2019-2020 amid a lease dispute after operating since 1965; one of two major Maryland drag strips lost in the past decade, with no reopening announced. |
| 75-80 DragwayClosed | Monrovia | 0.25 mi | Closed in 2005 after 45 years of operation; a mid-2010s revival attempt by Hurricane Racing Tours was withdrawn and the site remains abandoned. |
| Dorsey SpeedwayClosed | Dorsey | 0.2 mi | Closed 1985. One-fifth-mile banked dirt oval known for Late Model Sedan and figure-eight racing from 1951 until its closure. |
| Beltsville SpeedwayClosed | Beltsville | 0.5 mi | Closed 1978. Half-mile paved oval (also known as Baltimore-Washington Speedway) that hosted 10 NASCAR Grand National races before being demolished; the site is now Capitol Technology University. |
| Marlboro Motor RacewayClosed | Upper Marlboro | — | Closed after the 1969 season. Combined dirt oval and paved road course opened in 1952; local SCCA racing shifted to Summit Point in West Virginia after its closure. |
Race tracks near the big cities in Maryland
Near Baltimore
- Nicholson Speedway · about 70 min
- Mason-Dixon Dragway · about 75 min
- Hagerstown Speedway · about 80 min
Near Washington D.C. / Southern Maryland
- Maryland International Raceway · about 60 min
- Budds Creek Motocross Park · about 60 min
- Potomac Speedway · about 65 min
Near Hagerstown/Frederick
- Hagerstown Speedway · about 15 min
- Mason-Dixon Dragway · about 20 min
Near Eastern Shore (Chestertown/Easton)
- Nicholson Speedway · about 20 min
- The Landing MX Park · about 30 min
Near Cecil County/Northeast Maryland
- Cecil County Dragway · about 15 min
Major race weekends in Maryland
| Event | Venue | When | Series |
|---|---|---|---|
| Budds Creek National | Budds Creek Motocross Park | August/September | AMA Pro Motocross Championship |
| NMCA/NMRA national tour stops | Maryland International Raceway | Varies (spring-fall) | NHRA-sanctioned drag racing |
Track days and driving experiences in Maryland
Maryland has no permanent road-racing circuit of its own, so street-car track days and HPDE events for Maryland-based drivers are typically run at Summit Point Motorsports Park in nearby West Virginia or VIR in Virginia, both within a two-to-three-hour drive of Baltimore-Washington. Locally, drag racers get regular test-and-tune and bracket nights at Maryland International Raceway and Cecil County Dragway, generally $20-40 per entry, and Budds Creek Motocross Park runs open practice days for riders between its national event weekends.
Frequently asked questions
Does this page cover horse racing venues?+
No. This guide covers motor racing only. Maryland's Thoroughbred tracks, such as Pimlico Race Course and Laurel Park, are outside this page's scope.
Is there a NASCAR national touring stop in Maryland?+
No. Maryland has no NASCAR Cup, Xfinity, or Truck Series race; its ovals run grassroots weekly dirt and asphalt programs instead.
Where can I do a road-course track day near Maryland?+
Maryland has no permanent road course of its own. Most Maryland-based drivers head to Summit Point Motorsports Park in West Virginia or Virginia International Raceway for SCCA, NASA, and club HPDE days.
Why has Maryland lost so many drag strips?+
Capitol Raceway (Crofton) closed around 2019-2020 in a lease dispute, and 75-80 Dragway (Monrovia) has been shut since 2005 after a revival attempt fell through, leaving Maryland International Raceway and Cecil County Dragway as the state's main surviving strips.
What is the Budds Creek National?+
It is Maryland's round of the AMA Pro Motocross Championship, held at Budds Creek Motocross Park in Mechanicsville, on the same property as Maryland International Raceway.
Where can I find weekly dirt-track racing in Maryland?+
Hagerstown Speedway and Potomac Speedway both run regular Saturday-night dirt Late Model, Modified, and Street Stock programs through the season.
Venue list checked against 17 sources. Last reviewed 2026-09-10.