Colorado National Speedway facts for kids
| CNS | |
|---|---|
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| Location | 4281 Speedway Boulevard Dacono, Colorado |
| Time zone | GMT-7 |
| Coordinates | 40°03′35″N 104°58′28″W / 40.05968°N 104.974365°W |
| Length | .375 mi (.604 km) |
| Website | https://www.coloradospeedway.com/ |
Colorado National Speedway (often called CNS) is a cool race track in Dacono, Colorado. It's a paved oval, which means it's shaped like a big circle. The track is about 0.375 miles (0.604 km) long. It's a part of the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series. Each year, CNS hosts exciting races like the ARCA Menards Series West. You can also see the King of the Wing Sprint Car Series and even big truck races there!
Contents
Discover Colorado National Speedway
The Speedway's Start and Location
Colorado National Speedway was started in 1965 by Gene and Gerda Heffley. It's located right at the bottom of the Rocky Mountains. You can find it easily off I-25 at exit 232.
What Happens at CNS Each Year?
Every summer, CNS is a busy place! It hosts some of the best local car races. Plus, bigger national racing series come to visit. Beyond racing, you can find car and motorcycle shows. There are also swap meets, where people buy, sell, or trade car parts.
One of the most popular events is the annual Father's Day Sunday Super Show. This special day features huge Monster Trucks and amazing Stunt Bikes. The Speedway usually opens for practice in April. Races begin in May and continue all the way through October.
Why People Love CNS
Locally, Colorado National Speedway is known for a few great things. People love the food available at the track. Tickets are also usually affordable, making it a fun day out for families. On holidays and for special races, CNS puts on Northern Colorado's best fireworks display.
NASCAR Racing at CNS
Early NASCAR Truck Series Races
Colorado National Speedway hosted the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series for three years. These races took place from 1995 to 1997.
The first race in 1995 was called the 1995 Total Petroleum 200. It had a super close finish! Butch Miller won by just 0.001 seconds over Mike Skinner. This is one of the closest finishes ever in the series.
In 1996, the 1996 Colorado 200 saw Mike Skinner dominate. He led for the last 220 laps and won by 0.7 seconds. The final Truck Series race at CNS in 1997 was won by Ron Hornaday Jr..
Changes in NASCAR Schedule
After 1997, the NASCAR Truck Series moved to a different track. The series started racing at Pikes Peak International Raceway in Colorado Springs. Pikes Peak hosted the Truck Series until 2002.
Other NASCAR Series at CNS
The ARCA Menards Series West has raced at Colorado National Speedway many times. As of 2021, they had raced there 19 times. Chris Eggleston holds the record for the most wins in this series at CNS, with three victories.
The track also hosted races for the NASCAR Midwest Series from 1999 to 2006. The NASCAR Southwest Series held 20 events at CNS between 1992 and 2006.
Track Improvements
In 2019, the race track got a big upgrade. The entire track surface was repaved, making it smoother and faster for the cars.
