Race Tracks Near Denver
Denver's motorsport map runs along the Front Range, with most venues within an hour or two of downtown. High Plains Raceway, a technical 2.55-mile road course east of the city near Deer Trail, and Pikes Peak International Raceway, a paved oval and drag facility south near Colorado Springs, are the region's two biggest purpose-built venues. Colorado National Speedway in Dacono runs a full short-track oval season close to the city, and High Banks Speedway near Pueblo carries on short-track racing after the closure of Bandimere Speedway, long the area's best-known drag strip, which shut its doors in 2023. Thunder Valley Motocross Park in Lakewood hosts a round of the AMA Pro Motocross championship most summers, and karters race at the Colorado Karting Circuit near Centennial Airport. For a bucket-list event rather than a weekly track, the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb — the historic 'Race to the Clouds' up the mountain highway — runs each June about 90 minutes south.
11 venues listed across 5 categories. Venues with a full RaceTrackWorld guide are linked.
Road courses in Denver
| Venue | Town | Drive | Length | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High Plains Raceway | Deer Trail | 1 h 15 min | 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 | 1 h 50 min | 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. |
Ovals and speedways in Denver
| Venue | Town | Drive | Length | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado National Speedway | Dacono | 35 min | 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 h 15 min | 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 | 1 h 55 min | 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. |
Motocross and off-road in Denver
| Venue | Town | Drive | Length | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunder Valley Motocross Park | Lakewood | 25 min | — | 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 Denver
| Venue | Town | Drive | Length | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado Karting Circuit at Centennial Airport | Englewood | 25 min | 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 Denver
| Venue | Town | Drive | Length | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bandimere SpeedwayClosed | Morrison | 20 min | 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 | 45 min | 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 | 10 min | — | 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 | 20 min | — | 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. |
Major race weekends in Denver
| Event | Venue | When | Series |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pikes Peak International Hill Climb | Pikes Peak Highway | June | Hill climb |
| AMA Pro Motocross | Thunder Valley Motocross Park | June | Motocross |
| NASCAR / short-track season finale | Colorado National Speedway | September | Short track |
Track days and driving experiences in Denver
High Plains Raceway, about 75 minutes east of Denver, is the region's main HPDE and club-racing venue, running regular open-lapping and time-attack days on its 2.55-mile road course. The Colorado Karting Circuit at Centennial Airport, roughly 25 minutes south of downtown, offers sprint karting for beginners and licensed racers year-round. Expect $250-$400 for a full-day HPDE session at High Plains.
Frequently asked questions
What is the closest race track to Denver?+
Colorado National Speedway in Dacono, about 35 minutes north of downtown, is the closest active oval; the Colorado Karting Circuit near Centennial Airport is a similar distance for karting.
Is Bandimere Speedway still open?+
No — the drag strip in Morrison, a Denver-area fixture since 1958, permanently closed after the 2023 season.
Where can I do a track day near Denver?+
High Plains Raceway, about 75 minutes east near Deer Trail, is the main road-course venue for HPDE and club racing serving the Denver metro.
Can I drive up Pikes Peak on the same road used for the hill climb?+
Yes — the Pikes Peak Highway is a public toll road open to visitors outside race and practice days; the International Hill Climb itself runs each June.
Are there horse tracks near Denver?+
Colorado has no major operating horse-racing (thoroughbred) track near Denver; this guide covers motorsport venues only, not horse racing.
Venue list checked against 5 sources. Last reviewed 2026-09-11.
Track guides within 120 miles of Denver
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...
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...