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
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 AdventHealth 400 (2011–present) Hollywood Casino 400 (2001–present) 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 famous race track in Kansas City, Kansas. It's a special kind of oval track called a tri-oval, and it's about 1.5 miles (2.4 kilometers) long. Since it opened in 2001, the track has hosted many exciting races. These include big events from NASCAR, IndyCar, and the IMSA SportsCar Championship.

NASCAR has owned Kansas Speedway since 2019. The track is easy to get to because it's near major highways like Interstate 70 and Interstate 435. Next to the track, you'll find the Hollywood Casino, which opened in 2012. There's also a shopping area built when the track was first made. Inside the track, there's a special road course that can be combined with the oval track to create a "roval" for different types of races.

In the 1990s, many new oval race tracks were built. The company that owned Kansas Speedway, International Speedway Corporation (ISC), wanted to build a track in the middle of the United States. They chose the Kansas City area in 1997. The track was supposed to open in 2000, but some local residents had concerns, which caused delays. So, Kansas Speedway officially opened in 2001 and has been a part of the NASCAR racing calendar ever since.

About the Track

Track Layout

Kansas Speedway is 1.5 miles (2.4 kilometers) long. The turns on the track have a special design called "progressive banking." This means the bottom part of the turn is less steep (17 degrees) than the top part (20 degrees). This design helps cars go faster and makes for exciting racing. The front straightaway is banked at 10 degrees, and the back straightaway is 5 degrees.

Inside the main oval track, there's a special road course. This road course can be connected to the oval to form a "roval." The idea for this road course was part of the original plans for the track. It was built in 2012 during some upgrades to the speedway. The road course is about 2.37 miles (3.8 kilometers) long and has six turns in its infield section.

Facilities and Capacity

The track is easy to reach because it's located near several major highways. When it was first built, the entire complex covered a huge area of 1,250 acres. It had seating for about 75,000 fans. Over the years, the seating capacity has changed. In 2019, the track could hold 48,000 people. At its busiest in the mid-2000s, it could seat 82,000 fans.

Hollywood Casino at Kansas Speedway

The Hollywood Casino at Kansas Speedway was approved in 2009. It's a partnership between the track and a company called Penn Entertainment. The casino is built to overlook the track's second turn. It's a very large building, covering 268,000 square feet, and its design is inspired by the famous Hollywood area in Los Angeles, California. The casino first opened its doors in February 2012.

Track History

Early Plans and Building

In the 1990s, many new race tracks were being planned. In 1996, the International Speedway Corporation (ISC) announced plans for a large, new track. They thought the Kansas City metropolitan area would be a great place for it. Many local leaders supported the idea.

After looking at many possible locations, ISC chose a spot in Wyandotte County, Kansas, near major highways. The plan was to build a track that could seat 75,000 people, with room to grow to 150,000. The project was expected to cost nearly $200 million. Construction was planned to start in 1998 and finish by 2000.

Getting a race from the top NASCAR series (then called the Winston Cup Series) was a big goal. NASCAR leaders eventually said they would "virtually guarantee" a race weekend at Kansas Speedway in 2001. The Indy Racing League (IRL) also announced races for 2001. Even though there were some delays due to weather, people were very excited. Tickets started selling quickly, and the track leaders even thought about adding more seats.

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

The final cost for building the track was about $287 million. In May 2000, the official race dates for NASCAR and IRL were announced. The track also added races for the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) and the NASCAR Winston West Series. In 2001, a large shopping area was also planned to be built around the track. The first test runs on the track were done by ARCA driver Ryan Newman in April 2001.

Many people were very positive about the project. Drivers like Bobby Labonte and Rusty Wallace praised the track. Local leaders also saw it as a great addition to the area. By August 2000, 80% of the tickets for the first NASCAR Winston Cup Series race were already sold. Experts predicted the track would bring a lot of money to the local economy.

First Years of Racing

Kansas Speedway officially opened on June 2, 2001. The first race winner was ARCA driver Jason Jarrett. A month later, the track hosted its first NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and Indy Racing League races. Ricky Hendrick and Eddie Cheever won those events. In September, the first NASCAR Winston Cup Series race was held, and Jeff Gordon won.

Over the next few years, the track continued to grow. It expanded its grandstand seating to over 80,000 seats. By 2004, it had 83,000 seats. The track leaders decided to expand carefully, even though they had once thought about having 150,000 seats.

Building the Hollywood Casino

Kansas Speedway, pictured in 2010.

Starting in 2004, there were discussions about building a state-regulated casino near the track. Many different groups proposed ideas. In 2007, the track itself partnered with a company called Cordish Corporation to propose a casino and hotel. This project was planned to cost around $600 million.

After many discussions and proposals, the Kansas Supreme Court ruled in June 2008 that state-owned casinos were allowed. This meant the casino project could move forward. The track's leaders even promised a second NASCAR Cup Series race weekend if their casino proposal was chosen. They also said they would add an infield road course to the track. In September 2008, the track's proposal for a $705 million casino was approved.

However, the casino project faced delays due to a difficult economy. In December 2009, the partnership behind the casino decided to pause their plans. They hoped to restart when the economy improved. In 2010, the track's partnership merged with another company, Penn Entertainment. They changed the casino's theme to Hollywood and planned a new budget of $386 million, without the hotel at first. This new plan was approved in December 2010.

Construction on the Hollywood Casino began on April 30, 2010. Because the track had promised a second NASCAR Cup Series race if the casino was built, there were changes to the racing schedule. In August 2010, NASCAR officially confirmed the second race weekend. The track also announced that lights would be added for night racing. As a result, IndyCar decided to leave the track after 2010. The casino officially opened to the public on February 3, 2012.

Track Upgrades

On July 8, 2011, Kansas Speedway announced major upgrades. These included repaving and changing the shape of the oval track. They also added the new infield road course. The banking in the turns was increased from 15 degrees to 20 degrees, making the track even faster.

The track's seating capacity has changed over the years. While it once held 64,000 seats, it was reduced to 48,000 seats by 2019.

Events

Racing Events

NASCAR

Kansas Speedway hosts two big NASCAR Cup Series races every year. These are the Hollywood Casino 400 in the fall and the AdventHealth 400 in the spring. The Hollywood Casino 400 has been run since 2001. It's often an important race in the NASCAR playoffs.

The idea of a second NASCAR Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway started around 2008. NASCAR leaders felt the track deserved another race. When the casino project was approved, the chances of getting a second race increased. The second NASCAR Cup Series race was added to the schedule in 2010 and first ran in June 2011. Besides the Cup Series, the track also hosts races for the NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series every year.

Open-Wheel Racing

The Indy Racing League (now IndyCar) first raced at Kansas Speedway in July 2001. These exciting open-wheel races were held every year until 2010. IndyCar decided not to return in 2011 because of scheduling conflicts with NASCAR, especially with the addition of a second NASCAR race weekend at the track.

Sports Car Racing

In 2012, the Rolex Sports Car Series announced they would race on the newly built road course at Kansas Speedway. The first sports car race was held on August 17, 2013. A second race took place in June 2014.

Other Events

Kansas Speedway is also a place where the public can experience driving racecars through the Richard Petty Driving Experience. Since 2016, the track has hosted the American Royal World Series of BBQ competition, a very popular event.

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

In 2011, the track held a big rock music festival called Kanrocksas Music Festival. It featured famous artists like Eminem and The Flaming Lips. The festival was planned again for 2013 but was canceled because not enough tickets were sold.

Lap Records

As of October 2019, here are some of the fastest official race lap records at Kansas Speedway:

See also

In Spanish: Kansas Speedway para niños