Kentucky Speedway is a unique, 1.5-mile rough tri-oval and facility that has been providing thrills and spills since 2000. Located at 1 Speedway Drive, Sparta, Kentucky, it’s an expansive and well-appointed venue that brings hundreds of thousands of engine fans every year.
Kentucky Speedway has a lot to offer the average petrol head. It was the largest excavation project in the history of Kentucky and now has a 72-foot wide racing surface. It can also cater to tens of thousands of fans at any one time, with 87,000 grandstand seats and car parking for 30,000 vehicles.
The facility also spans over 1,000 acres with ample RV campsites and RV parking lot spaces to cater to the masses. Whether you’re in Kentucky for the weekend or longer, you’re not going to be without the comforts of home.
The events on offer at Kentucky Speedway are not for the faint of heart. In the past, it has been home to feature events such as Quaker State 400, Alsco 300, and Ohio Valley Porsche Autocross. There’s never a month that goes by that doesn’t involve action and antics at Kentucky Speedway.
If it has been some time since you’ve gathered your friends and family for a proper knees-up, then herein lies your opportunity. Load up your RV, choose your favorite road trip music, and hit the road.
Ticket pricing and availability can differ from one event to the next. The more prominent the event at the Kentucky Speedway, the more you can expect to pay. What’s more, you may find that ticket prices are in hot demand for many feature events.
Not only can you choose from general admission tickets for adults and children, but VIP passes as well. Tickets are available for grandstands, various clubs, suites, boxes, and in bulk for groups. If you’re planning on heading to Kentucky any time soon, check out the website for updated schedules and ticket pricing. For headline events, ensure you buy tickets well in advance to avoid missing out on your chosen events.
Given the size of Kentucky Speedway and many different ways to access it, you’re going to need your concentration cap on en route. Access is available via the main state highways from Cincinnati, Louisville, Lexington, and Indianapolis. Once you get close, expect delays and congestion. Be prepared to stay to the right side of the road along your route on some of the longer hills in the area.
The way you enter Kentucky Speedway will depend on your plans for the event. If you’re camping in your RV, you will need to know which campground you reserved in advance to know which gate to enter. Entrance one, three, four, and 22 will allow access to the campgrounds.
If you are not camping on site and prefer to park in the general parking lots for the day, then you will be pleased with how effortless it is. There is parking for buses, motorcycles, RVs, and cars from exit 57 into the Kentucky Speedway grounds. Size limits may apply. Those who are camping at Kentucky Speedway will have room for both an RV and car on their grass campsite.
With tens of thousands of people descending on Kentucky for a range of different events, it makes sense to want to avoid the traffic. You can camp offsite and make use of the range of public buses, trams, and private ride services.
Kentucky Speedway also offers a rally bus which takes you to and from the site. You can eat and drink on the bus, leave your personal possessions on it, and there’s even a bathroom. You will need to book seats in advance for this service.
Why look elsewhere for RV camping opportunities when Kentucky Speedway has it all? There are over 100 private backstretch RV campsites, nearly 700 infield sites, and thousands of reservable RV and tent sites as well.
There are various campsites around the facility to put you in the center of all the action. Many sites have electricity, and all but infield camping allows grills and outdoor fires. You can also bring one pet with you.
Alongside service hookups, camping at Kentucky Speedway offers the convenience of a general store. You can stock up on essentials such as sundry supplies, drinks, and snacks. You can also buy water and ice and make use of your generators.
If you’d prefer to enjoy more of what Kentucky has to offer, not only the inside of Kentucky Speedway, then there are camping options galore further afield. Many campgrounds remain proximate to the main highways leading to the speedway with various service hookup availability. You can then park your rig and make use of public shuttles, buses, trams, and private ride services that travel to and from the event site daily.
Kentucky Speedway encompasses one thousand acres, which means it’s nearly impossible to traverse the grounds on foot day in and day out. While golf carts, ATVs, and any other recreational wheeled transport is not allowed, there are bus and tram routes throughout the event site. However, much of what you require, including the entertainment, is likely not too far away from your RV campsite anyway.
Many of the standout events at the Kentucky Speedway are held during the summer months. Kentucky is also well known for its sunny weather conditions, so you may get away with wearing a t-shirt and shorts for many of the events. However, temperatures drop dramatically overnight, so you’ll need sweaters and trousers to change into as the night sky draws in. Comfortable footwear will also be a must-have suitcase addition.
Given that the Kentucky Speedway has a convenience store, hospitality village, and even a gift store, you’ll need to bring very little into the event. If you’re accessing the Kentucky Speedway via the main entrance, you can bring a cooler, purse, and backpack.
Make sure you adhere to the sizing restrictions for coolers, which also cannot contain alcohol. You can, however, bring your own food and sealed non-alcoholic beverages. You don’t need to worry about cash, either, for there is an ATM on site.
Many Kentucky Speedway events run for a few days, which means it’s in your best interest to pack any medical supplies and prescription medication you need for your stay. Toiletries, drinking water, sunscreen, and even a first aid kit may also come in handy. With thousands of visitors to the speedway at any one time, accidents can happen and it’s helpful if you’re prepared for any eventuality.
Cooking opportunities are plentiful at Kentucky Speedway. Apart from in the infield, you are more than welcome to use your grill, onboard gas cooker, and even outdoor fires. Infield cooking opportunities are limited to built-in RV appliances only. If you run low on supplies, there’s a convenience store on site as well as a market within a short ten-mile drive.
If you tire of baked beans and spaghetti over a gas cooker, then it might be time to splash out at one of the nearby restaurants. The hospitality village has its own named restaurant, but Kentucky boasts plenty of options as well. A short drive in either direction of Kentucky Speedway will put you in proximity to both family-friendly and intimate dining establishments.
You may want to empty your piggy bank for an RV trip to Kentucky Speedway, for it’s a shopper’s paradise. Not only do you get to enjoy a full tummy courtesy of all the food vendors, but plenty of Christmas shopping opportunities arise as well. There’s both a gift store and hospitality village to ensure you get your money’s worth throughout your stay. There is also a nearby ATM so you always have the correct payment type.
With hundreds of thousands of visitors to the Kentucky Speedway every year, the security team are old hands at ensuring everyone is as safe as possible. Every visitor will go through a screening process, including campsite attendants.
You will also only be allowed to take a cooler, purse, and handbag into the grandstand area. Leave your aerosol cans, strollers, and any cumbersome and unnecessary items back at your RV. Doing so can speed up your screening process. Weapons are also not permitted. Security will also be making sure spectators adhere to the rules of no outside alcohol or smoking and vaping in the grandstands.
Most headline events at the Kentucky Speedway are during the warmer months of summer and fall. However, you may like to pack a sweatshirt or jacket if there’s a light breeze lingering. In the event of adverse weather conditions, speedway officials may reschedule the event which allows you access on another day.
You’re in the right place if you decide to stub your toe, trip over, or scrape a knee. There are two first aid sites with trained personnel on either side of the venue. For anything more severe, there is both a pharmacy and a hospital within a short 20-minute drive. Hopefully, your trip to Kentucky is a pleasant, accident-free one!
