Race Tracks Near Indianapolis
Indianapolis is the spiritual home of American motorsport, and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway's Indianapolis 500 and Brickyard 400 sit right inside the city itself. Beyond the Brickyard, the surrounding counties hold one of the densest short-track scenes in the country: Kokomo Speedway, Gas City I-69 Speedway and Lincoln Park Speedway all run high-profile USAC sprint car programs, while Terre Haute Action Track and Bloomington Speedway extend the dirt circuit west and south. Putnam Park Road Course covers HPDE and club road racing, Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park in Brownsburg hosts an NHRA national event on the same grounds that once held a road course, and Ironman Raceway runs a full AMA-sanctioned motocross season. Salem and Winchester speedways, both high-banked historic paved ovals, sit a bit further out, and Kentucky Speedway near Cincinnati is a reasonable two-hour trip for a NASCAR weekend. K1 Circuit Whiteland, America's oldest continuously operating go-kart track, is a quick 25 minutes south of downtown.
17 venues listed across 7 categories. Venues with a full RaceTrackWorld guide are linked.
Road courses in Indianapolis
| Venue | Town | Drive | Length | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Putnam Park Road Course | Mount Meridian, IN | 45 min | 1.8 mi | 1.8-mile, 10-turn road course west of Indianapolis used for club racing, HPDE and motorcycle track days. |
Ovals and speedways in Indianapolis
| Venue | Town | Drive | Length | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indianapolis Motor Speedway | Speedway, IN | 20 min | 2.5 mi | The 2.5-mile "Brickyard" hosting the Indianapolis 500, the Brickyard 400 and the Grand Prix of Indianapolis on an infield road course. |
| Anderson Speedway | Anderson, IN | 45 min | 0.25 mi | Quarter-mile high-banked paved oval, home of the annual Pay Less Little 500 for USAC sprint cars. |
| Winchester Speedway | Winchester, IN | 1 h 15 min | 0.5 mi | High-banked half-mile paved oval, among the steepest in the country, hosting USAC and ARCA events. |
| Salem Speedway | Salem, IN | 1 h 30 min | 0.555 mi | High-banked 0.555-mile paved oval known as "The Bullring," running ARCA and USAC events on one of the steepest banks in short-track racing. |
| Kentucky SpeedwayDormant | Sparta, KY | 2 h | 1.5 mi | 1.5-mile NASCAR-grade oval near Cincinnati; its top-tier NASCAR date has lapsed and the track currently runs on a reduced, dormant schedule. |
Dirt tracks in Indianapolis
| Venue | Town | Drive | Length | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln Park Speedway | Putnamville, IN | 45 min | 0.25 mi | Quarter-mile dirt oval west of Indianapolis running weekly sprint car and late model programs. |
| Kokomo Speedway | Kokomo, IN | 1 h | 0.25 mi | Quarter-mile dirt oval famous for the annual USAC Indiana Sprint Week finale and heavy traffic ahead of Memorial Day weekend. |
| Bloomington Speedway | Bloomington, IN | 1 h | 0.25 mi | Quarter-mile dirt oval south of Indianapolis running weekly sprint car and stock car programs. |
| Gas City I-69 Speedway | Gas City, IN | 1 h 15 min | 0.25 mi | Quarter-mile dirt oval a stone's throw off I-69 running weekly USAC sprint car programs. |
| Terre Haute Action Track | Terre Haute, IN | 1 h 15 min | 0.5 mi | Half-mile dirt oval, host of the annual Sumar Classic for USAC sprint cars and midgets. |
Drag strips in Indianapolis
| Venue | Town | Drive | Length | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park | Brownsburg, IN | 25 min | 0.25 mi | Quarter-mile national event strip hosting the NHRA U.S. Nationals over Labor Day weekend, one of drag racing's biggest events. |
| Muncie Dragway | Muncie, IN | 1 h | 0.25 mi | Quarter-mile bracket-racing strip east of Indianapolis running weekly Test 'n' Tune and points-series events. |
Motocross and off-road in Indianapolis
| Venue | Town | Drive | Length | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ironman Raceway | Crawfordsville, IN | 45 min | — | AMA Pro Motocross national round host, run by the RedBud family of tracks, on a hilly, natural-terrain course northwest of Indianapolis. |
Karting in Indianapolis
| Venue | Town | Drive | Length | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| K1 Circuit Whiteland (formerly Whiteland Raceway Park) | Whiteland, IN | 25 min | — | America's oldest continuously operating go-kart track, dating to 1958, offering outdoor rental and competition karting just south of Indianapolis. |
| New Castle Motorsports Park | New Castle, IN | 1 h | 1 mi | Full-size 1-mile road-course kart track east of Indianapolis hosting national and regional karting championships. |
Closed and historic in Indianapolis
| Venue | Town | Drive | Length | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indianapolis Raceway Park Road CourseClosed | Brownsburg, IN | 25 min | 2.5 mi | The 2.5-mile road course that once shared the Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park grounds with the drag strip, hosting NASCAR and Trans-Am races before closing. |
Major race weekends in Indianapolis
| Event | Venue | When | Series |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indianapolis 500 | Indianapolis Motor Speedway | May | IndyCar |
| Brickyard 400 / Verizon 200 | Indianapolis Motor Speedway | July | NASCAR |
| NHRA U.S. Nationals | Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park | September | NHRA |
| Pay Less Little 500 | Anderson Speedway | May | USAC |
| USAC Indiana Sprint Week finale | Kokomo Speedway | June | USAC |
Track days and driving experiences in Indianapolis
Putnam Park Road Course, about 45 minutes west of downtown, is the main HPDE and club-racing venue for Indianapolis drivers, with NASA and SCCA-region events running most of the season and a typical instructed day costing $250-$500. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course also hosts occasional manufacturer and club track days on its infield layout. Karters without their own equipment can rent at K1 Circuit Whiteland, 25 minutes south, or step up to full-size karts at New Castle Motorsports Park.
Frequently asked questions
What is the closest race track to Indianapolis?+
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway itself is inside the city; Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park and K1 Circuit Whiteland are both about 20-25 minutes from downtown, the closest active venues outside the Speedway.
Can I still watch NASCAR at Kentucky Speedway?+
Kentucky Speedway lost its top-tier NASCAR Cup date and currently runs a reduced schedule; check the track's calendar before planning a trip, as it operates on dormant status for major national series.
Does this guide include Indiana horse racing tracks?+
No. Facilities like Indiana Grand Racing & Casino host thoroughbred and harness horse racing, not motorsport, so they're outside the scope of this guide.
Where can I see NHRA drag racing near Indianapolis?+
Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park in Brownsburg, about 25 minutes from downtown, hosts the NHRA U.S. Nationals every Labor Day weekend, one of the sport's biggest events.
Are there dirt sprint car tracks close to Indianapolis?+
Yes — Lincoln Park Speedway, Kokomo Speedway and Bloomington Speedway are all within about an hour and host regular USAC sprint car programs through the season.
Can I go karting near Indianapolis without owning a kart?+
Yes — K1 Circuit Whiteland, about 25 minutes south of downtown, rents high-performance outdoor karts for arrive-and-drive sessions on America's oldest continuously operating kart track.
Venue list checked against 11 sources. Last reviewed 2026-09-11.
Track guides within 120 miles of Indianapolis
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Address: 4790 W 16th St.., Indianapolis IN 46222 USA Website: https://www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com/ Email: [email protected] Phone Number: (+1)...
Putnam Park Road Course
Address: South Co Road 550 East, Greencastle Indiana, USA Website: http://putnampark.com Email: [email protected] Phone Number: (+1) (317) 559-1500 ...
Ironman Raceway
Address: 1389 County Rd 200 S Crawfordsville, IN 47933 USA Website: https://ironmanraceway.com/ Email: [email protected] Phone Number: (+1) 304-284-...
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...