"A 1.5-mile tri-oval on the Kansas side of Kansas City, open since 2001, home to the closest finish in NASCAR Cup Series history and a Cup Series postseason race every year since 2004."
Location: Kansas City, Kansas (at the junction of Interstates 70 and 435, about 13 miles west of Kansas City, Missouri) Track Type: Paved tri-oval Length: 1.5 miles Surface: Asphalt Banking: 17° to 20° variable (turns) / 9° to 11° variable (frontstretch) / 5° (backstretch) Frontstretch: 2,685 feet · Backstretch: 2,207 feet Opened: 2001 (ground broken May 25, 1999) First NASCAR Cup Series Race: September 30, 2001 Property: About 1,200 acres, including a 2.37-mile infield road course Owner: NASCAR
Quick Answers
How big is Kansas Speedway? The oval is 1.5 miles. The turns carry variable banking from 17 to 20 degrees, the frontstretch from 9 to 11 degrees, and the backstretch 5 degrees.
Where is Kansas Speedway? In Kansas City, Kansas, at the intersection of Interstates 70 and 435, about 13 miles west of Kansas City, Missouri.
Who has won the most Cup races at Kansas? Denny Hamlin and Kyle Larson, with four each. Larson tied Hamlin by winning the Hollywood Casino 400 on September 27, 2026.
What is the closest finish at Kansas? Larson beat Chris Buescher by 0.001 seconds on May 5, 2024, the closest finish in NASCAR Cup Series history.
Who won at Kansas in 2026? Taylor Gray won the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series race on April 18. Tyler Reddick won the Cup Series race on April 19. Kaden Honeycutt won the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race on September 26, and Larson won the Cup Series race on September 27.
When does NASCAR race at Kansas in 2027? Twice. The spring weekend is May 8 and 9, and the fall weekend is October 1 to 3. Full dates are below.
Kansas Speedway Schedule: 2027 NASCAR Dates
| Date | Day | Series |
|---|---|---|
| May 8 | Saturday | NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series |
| May 9 | Sunday | NASCAR Cup Series |
| Oct 1 | Friday | NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series |
| Oct 2 | Saturday | NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series |
| Oct 3 | Sunday | NASCAR Cup Series |
Dates are from NASCAR's 2027 national series schedule. Race names and start times have not been announced. Confirm at kansasspeedway.com before you travel.
Overview
Kansas Speedway is a 1.5-mile asphalt tri-oval on the Kansas side of Kansas City. It opened in 2001 and has hosted NASCAR's three national series since its first season. The Cup Series raced there once a year from 2001 through 2010 and twice a year every season since 2011.
The track's defining feature is its variable banking. A 2012 rebuild graded the turns from 17 degrees at the bottom to 20 degrees at the top, which spreads the field across several lanes and lets drivers move up or down the track to find grip as the tires wear. Late passes are common. In the Cup Series the pass for the win came in the final two laps in five of the seven Kansas races before September 2026, four of them on the last lap.
Kansas is one of four tracks to host a Cup Series postseason race every year since the postseason began in 2004, alongside Martinsville, Talladega and Phoenix.
History
International Speedway Corporation began searching for a Midwest track site in 1996, and in 1997 Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas, were chosen, at the junction of Interstates 70 and 435. On December 18, 1997, the company announced plans for a 1.5-mile speedway seating about 75,000. Construction began in May 1999 on a 1,200-acre site, at an estimated cost of $250 million. Demand for tickets led the company to add 36 suites to the 32 originally planned, raising planned capacity to 82,000. Completion slipped from 2000 to early 2001 because of weather and lawsuits from nearby landowners.
The track opened on June 2, 2001, with an ARCA race. The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series arrived that July, and the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series and the Cup Series followed on back-to-back days that September. Jeff Gordon won the first Cup race on September 30, 2001, and won again the following year.
The Hollywood Casino at Kansas Speedway, overlooking Turn 2, opened on February 3, 2012. Later that year, after the April Cup race, the track was repaved and reconfigured: crews removed the old pavement, regraded the soil beneath it to create the variable banking in the turns, rebuilt the frontstretch, backstretch and pit road, and added an infield road course. Before the fall 2015 race, the track added 3,475 feet of SAFER barrier, the energy-absorbing wall system, covering every outside wall.
The track that International Speedway Corporation built is now owned by NASCAR, which merged with the company in 2019.
Timeline
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1997 | Kansas City, Kansas, chosen as the site; speedway announced December 18 |
| 1999 | Ground broken May 25 |
| 2001 | Track opens with an ARCA race June 2; Jeff Gordon wins the first Cup race September 30 |
| 2004 | Kansas hosts a Cup postseason race for the first time, beginning a run that continues every year since |
| 2011 | The Cup Series begins racing at Kansas twice a year |
| 2012 | Hollywood Casino opens February 3; track repaved and reconfigured with variable banking after the April race |
| 2015 | SAFER barrier added to every outside wall |
| 2024 | Kyle Larson beats Chris Buescher by 0.001 seconds on May 5, the closest finish in Cup Series history |
| 2026 | Larson wins the September Chase race for his fourth Kansas victory, tying Denny Hamlin's record |
Key Drivers
Denny Hamlin, four Cup wins (2012, 2019, 2020, 2023), tied for the most at the track. Entering the September 2026 race he had made more Cup starts at Kansas than any other active driver, 36.
Kyle Larson, four Cup wins (2021, 2024, 2025, 2026), including the 0.001-second win over Chris Buescher in May 2024.
Joey Logano, three Cup wins (2014, 2015, 2020), the most postseason wins at Kansas of any driver.
Jeff Gordon, winner of the first two Cup races at Kansas (2001 and 2002), and the only driver to win a Cup race there in his first Kansas start.
Kevin Harvick, five Cup poles, the most at the track, and the Cup qualifying record: 197.773 mph on October 3, 2014.
Tyler Reddick, two Cup wins (2023 and April 2026).
2026 at Kansas Speedway
NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series, Kansas Lottery 300 (Saturday, April 18): Taylor Gray won in the No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, 0.718 seconds ahead of Sheldon Creed, for his second career O'Reilly Series win. Justin Allgaier finished third.
NASCAR Cup Series, AdventHealth 400 (Sunday, April 19): Tyler Reddick won from the pole in overtime, 0.118 seconds ahead of Kyle Larson, after a late caution forced overtime. Chase Briscoe was third and Denny Hamlin, who led 131 laps, was fourth. The race had no DNFs, a first at the track.
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Race to Stop Suicide 200 (Saturday, September 26): Kaden Honeycutt led 111 of 134 laps, won both stages and beat Christian Eckes by 1.358 seconds in the No. 11 TRICON Garage Toyota to take the points lead in the Truck Series Chase, NASCAR's playoff. Rain stopped the race after 70 laps for 4 hours and 47 minutes. Layne Riggs ran second until he hit the outside wall in the final two laps and finished 19th.
NASCAR Cup Series, Hollywood Casino 400 (Sunday, September 27): Kyle Larson won both stages, led 235 of 267 laps and retook the lead from Chase Briscoe with seven laps to go, beating Austin Cindric by 0.565 seconds. The win moved Larson 26 points ahead of Denny Hamlin in the Cup Series Chase standings. Joey Logano started on the pole after rain washed out qualifying.