Kansas Speedway facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Kansas Speedway

Tri-oval (2001–present)
Location	400 Speedway Boulevard, Kansas City, Kansas, 66111
Time zone	UTC−6 / UTC−5 (DST)
Coordinates	39°6′56.84″N 94°49′51.82″W / 39.1157889°N 94.8310611°W / 39.1157889; -94.8310611
Capacity	48,000
Owner	NASCAR (2019–present) International Speedway Corporation (2001–2018)
Operator	NASCAR (2019–present) International Speedway Corporation (2001–2018)
Broke ground	25 May 1999; 26 years ago (1999-05-25)
Opened	2 June 2001; 24 years ago (2001-06-02)
Construction cost	$287 million USD
Major events	Current: NASCAR Cup Series Hollywood Casino 400 (2001–present) AdventHealth 400 (2011–present) NASCAR Xfinity Series Kansas Lottery 300 (2001–present) NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Heart of Health Care 200 (2001–present) Kubota Tractor 200 (2020, 2022–2024) Former: IMSA Sportscar Championship Grand Prix of Kansas (2013–2014) IndyCar Series RoadRunner Turbo Indy 300 (2001–2010)
Tri-oval (2001–present)
Surface	Asphalt
Length	1.500 mi (2.414 km)
Turns	4
Banking	Turns: 17-20° Frontstretch: 10° Backstretch: 5°
Race lap record	0:24.8742 ( Tomas Scheckter, Dallara IR-00, 2002, IndyCar)
Road course (2012–present)
Surface	Asphalt
Length	2.370 mi (3.814 km)
Turns	9
Race lap record	1:09.745 ( Scott Pruett, Riley Mk XXVI, 2013, DP)

Kansas Speedway is a cool race track in Kansas City, Kansas. It's a special kind of oval track, about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) long. Since it opened in 2001, many exciting races have happened here. These include big events like NASCAR and IndyCar races. The track can hold 48,000 fans!

Inside the main oval, there's also a road course. This course can be used with the oval to create a "roval" layout. Right next to the Speedway is the Hollywood Casino. It opened in 2012 and is a fun place for visitors. NASCAR now owns the track, and Patrick Warren is its president.

In the 1990s, many new oval tracks were being built. The International Speedway Corporation (ISC) wanted to build one in the Midwest. In 1997, ISC announced plans for a track in the Kansas City metropolitan area. They chose a spot in Wyandotte County, Kansas. The track was supposed to open in 2000. However, some local homeowners filed lawsuits, which delayed construction. The track finally opened in 2001. Since then, it has always been a part of the NASCAR racing calendar.

Discover Kansas Speedway

Track Layout and Design

The main oval track at Kansas Speedway is 1.5 miles (2.4 km) long. It has a special design called "progressive banking" in the turns. This means the turns are steeper at the top (20 degrees) than at the bottom (17 degrees). This helps cars race side-by-side. The front part of the track has a 10-degree bank, and the back part has a 5-degree bank.

There is also a road course inside the oval. This road course was built in 2012. It is 2.37 miles (3.8 km) long and has six turns in its infield section. This allows for different types of races.

Facilities and Features

Kansas Speedway is easy to get to, located near major highways like Interstate 70 and Interstate 435. When it was first built, the whole area covered 1,250 acres. It had seating for about 75,000 people. Today, the track has a capacity of 48,000 seats. At its busiest, in the mid-2000s, it could hold 82,000 fans.

Hollywood Casino at Kansas Speedway

The Hollywood Casino at Kansas Speedway was approved in 2009. It is a partnership between the track and Penn Entertainment. The casino overlooks the track's second turn. It is a large building, about 268,000 square feet. The casino has a fun theme based on Hollywood in Los Angeles, California. It opened its doors in February 2012.

Building the Track

Early Plans and Location

In 1996, the International Speedway Corporation (ISC) started looking for a place to build a new race track. They wanted a big track with 120,000 seats. The Kansas City metropolitan area seemed like a great spot. Many local groups supported the idea.

After looking at many places, ISC chose a plot of land in Wyandotte County, Kansas. This spot was near major highways. The plan was to build a track that could seat 75,000 people, with room to grow. The project was expected to cost almost $200 million. Construction was set to begin in 1998 and finish by 2000.

Kansas lawmakers debated tax breaks for the project. After much discussion, the tax breaks were approved. This helped the project move forward.

Facing Challenges and Delays

Building the track wasn't easy. The land purchase affected 146 homeowners. The local government offered them money to move. Some homeowners filed lawsuits to stop the project. They argued about the land purchases and relocation packages.

The Kansas Supreme Court eventually sided with the track and the government. This allowed the project to continue. However, more lawsuits caused delays. These legal battles pushed back the start of construction. In January 1999, bonds were sold to fund the project, and work officially resumed.

Construction Begins

The old Kansas Speedway logo, used from the track's opening until 2024.

Even with delays, construction began in September 1999. It became clear that the track would not open in 2000. NASCAR officials, including Mike Helton and Bill France Jr., expressed hope for a race at Kansas. They "virtually guaranteed" a NASCAR race weekend for 2001. The Indy Racing League (IRL) also announced races for 2001.

Despite weather delays, the track started selling tickets. Demand was so high that they considered expanding seating. By November 1999, the final budget for the track was $287 million. In May 2000, the race dates for IRL and NASCAR were announced. The track's opening date was set for June 2, 2001. Paving of the track began in September 2000.

The project was met with excitement. Drivers like Bobby Labonte and Rusty Wallace gave positive reviews. Local officials praised the track, expecting it to bring a lot of money to the area. By August 2000, 80% of tickets for the first NASCAR race were sold.

Track History and Growth

Early Years of Racing

The track officially opened on June 2, 2001. Jason Jarrett won the very first race. A month later, the first NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and Indy Racing League races were held. Ricky Hendrick and Eddie Cheever won those events. In September, Jeff Gordon won the first ever NASCAR Cup Series race at the track.

The track continued to grow. It expanded its grandstand seating to over 80,000 seats. By 2004, it had 83,000 seats.

Hollywood Casino's Development

The Casino Bid Battle

Starting in 2004, there were proposals to build a state-regulated casino near the track. Many groups wanted to build a casino. In 2007, the track and a company called Cordish Corporation joined forces. They proposed a large hotel and casino complex.

The local government considered many proposals. The track's plan included a 500-room hotel and casino. In 2008, the Kansas Supreme Court ruled that state-owned casinos were allowed. This cleared the way for the casino bids.

Lesa France Kennedy, a leader at ISC, supported the track's bid. She even promised a second NASCAR Cup Series race weekend if their casino plan was chosen. The track also promised to add an infield road course. In September 2008, the track and Cordish Corporation won approval to build a large casino.

Casino Delays and New Plans

The casino project faced delays due to the Great Recession. In December 2009, the partnership backed out, hoping to reapply later. In March 2010, they resubmitted their proposal. They were now competing against other companies.

Eventually, the two main proposals merged. Penn Entertainment bought out the Cordish Corporation. The casino's name changed to Hollywood Casino. The new plan was approved in December 2010, with a budget of $386 million. The casino was planned to open in early 2012.

Building the Casino and Race Changes

Kansas Speedway, pictured in 2010.

Construction on the Hollywood Casino began on April 30, 2010. With the casino being built, the track was set to get a second NASCAR Cup Series race. This meant changes for the IndyCar Series, which had scheduling conflicts. In August 2010, NASCAR officially confirmed the second race weekend. The track also announced that lights would be added for night racing. IndyCar then announced they would no longer race at Kansas Speedway. The Hollywood Casino officially opened on February 3, 2012.

Track Upgrades and Seating Changes

In July 2011, the track announced major renovations. This included repaving and reconfiguring the oval track. The variable banking in the turns was increased from 15 to 20 degrees. A new infield road course was also added.

In recent years, the track's seating capacity has changed. It went from 64,000 seats down to 48,000 seats in 2019.

Exciting Events at the Speedway

Racing Competitions

NASCAR Races

Kansas Speedway hosts two big NASCAR weekends each year. The main events are the NASCAR Cup Series races: the spring AdventHealth 400 and the fall Hollywood Casino 400. There are also support races like the NASCAR Xfinity Series' Kansas Lottery 300 and the NASCAR Truck Series' Heart of America 200.

Open-Wheel Racing

The Indy Racing League (IRL) held races at Kansas Speedway from 2001 to 2010. The race was usually in July, but later moved to April. IndyCar stopped racing at the track after 2010 due to scheduling conflicts with NASCAR.

Sports Car Racing

In 2012, the Rolex Sports Car Series announced a Grand Prix event for the new road course. The first race was held on August 17, 2013. A second race took place in June 2014.

Other Fun Events

Kansas Speedway is also home to the Richard Petty Driving Experience. This allows the public to drive real racecars! Since 2016, the track has hosted the American Royal World Series of BBQ competition.

The Flaming Lips performing at the Kanrocksas Music Festival in 2011.

In 2011, the track held the Kanrocksas Music Festival. This was a big rock music festival in August. Famous artists like Eminem and The Flaming Lips performed. The festival was planned again for 2013 but was cancelled due to low ticket sales.

Fastest Lap Records

As of September 2024, here are some of the fastest official race lap records at Kansas Speedway:

See also

In Spanish: Kansas Speedway para niños