Motorsports and racing have always played a huge role in the state of Indiana. Visit Indiana has developed a place to discover the history of racing and the impact Indiana has had on the sport. The Motorsports Circuit IN Indiana provides a central location to find historic tracks, iconic races, heartfelt memorials, automobile museums and some of the most memorable experiences all dedicated to telling Indiana’s racing story.
INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway(IMS) has been home to the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing” for more than 100 years. Since 1911 on Memorial Day weekend, the Indianapolis 500 has attracted drivers and race fans from all over the world for the largest single-day sporting event in the world, bringing in over 300,000 visitors.
Do you want to experience the thrill of racing for yourself? The Indy Racing Experience offers race fans the exclusive opportunity to ride and drive in real NTT IndyCar Series cars! They are the exclusive racing experience at IMS. Drive or ride in an IndyCar or a Stock Car at mind-numbing, heart-pounding speeds in cars that were purpose-built by Dallara, the NTT INDYCAR Series race car manufacturer, and are exclusive to the Indy Racing Experience Team.
CITY OF SPEEDWAY
Celebrating local businesses and a strong racing culture complete with activities for every visitor. Located just under 6 miles west of downtown Indianapolis, Speedway is a hub for Indy’s racing community, and you’ll see checkered flags in small businesses all year round.
Get behind the wheel and try out Speedway Indoor Karting. Just a few blocks south of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on the town of Speedway's Main Street, you can get in on the racing action without the high speeds. This state-of-the-art, indoor karting facility provides visitors of all ages and experience levels the opportunity to race on both a European-style, multi-level road course as well as a banked oval.
LUCAS OIL INDIANAPOLIS RACEWAY PARK
Opened in 1961, Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park features a drag strip, an oval track, and a retired road course. Owned by the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA), Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park and the surrounding area in Brownsburg, Indiana, have become a motorsports haven for race teams and manufacturers.
The racing complex includes a .686-mile paved oval, a quarter-mile drag strip, and a 2.5-mile, 15-turn road course with races and other events occurring throughout the spring, summer and fall. Take a Virtual Tour!
Boasting an unparalleled history with racing giants such as A.J. Foyt, Mario Andretti, and Jeff Gordon having raced there, what truly sets it apart is its legendary drag strip.
The venue takes center stage every Labor Day weekend when the most prestigious drag racing event in the world, the NHRA U.S. Nationals, roars into town.
BROWNSBURG MOTORSPORTS DISTRICT
Just two miles west of Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park on U.S. 136, turn north on Northfield Drive and you will begin to see racing headquarters and shops on both sides of the road. Some highlights include Don Schumacher Racing (1681 E. Northfield Drive) and Vance & Hines (1211 E. Northfield Drive).
As you turn a corner and start heading west on Northfield Drive, I suggest turning left onto Southpoint Circle to check out some more racing operations including John Force Racing (498 Southpoint Circle). If you pull into the John Force Racing parking lot, the west end of the parking lot near the big flagpole features the Eric Medlen statue.
For those who don’t know, Medlen was a mechanic and Funny Car driver for John Force Racing who was killed in a racing accident during a test session in Florida in 2007. The statue was fabricated by Storyland Studios in California and makes a great photo opportunity for any race fan.
Continue south on Southpoint Circle and see what other motorsports-related businesses you can find. Just keep in mind, none of these race teams or headquarters offer tours to the public.
