How Big is the Las Vegas Motor Speedway? (What to Know)
The Las Vegas Motor Speedway is one of the country’s most exciting racing venues, playing host to motorsports races including the NASCAR Cup Series, the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series, and the Baja 1000, as well as the Electric Daisy Carnival music festival (EDC), various concerts, and the Red Bull Air Race World Championship.
So, just how big is Las Vegas Motor Speedway?
The main track at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway is 1.5 miles long, but the Speedway has eight other race tracks that host thousands of drivers and hundreds of thousands of spectators each year.
Just 15 miles northeast of the Las Vegas Strip in Clark County, Nevada, the Las Vegas Motor Speedway is a year-round event destination for drivers, racing enthusiasts, music festivalgoers, and even graduating high school seniors.
Below, learn more about the venue’s famous courses, including track lengths, shapes, capacity, and how it compares to the largest motor speedways in the world.
How Big is the Las Vegas Motor Speedway?
The Las Vegas Motor Speedway is one of the biggest in the world and is known as “the diamond in the desert” and the racing capital of the west.
It is home to more than a dozen venues, including nine race courses that are purpose-built for indoor, outdoor, dirt, drag, supercar, and off-road racing. Even inexperienced drivers will find something to love: they can still hit the track by heading to the go-karting experience or go for a tour around the venue!
If you have a bit of driving acumen, try on a luxury supercar and take it for a spin during one of the speedway’s high-end experiences.
Below, learn more about each of the racing venues at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, including their size, shape, and uses.
Speedway (Main Tracks)
The most recognizable course at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway is simply called the Speedway. Here, you’ll watch races including the NASCAR Cup Series, where race cars hit 20-degree turns and zoom down 9-to-12-degree straights at up to 200 miles per hour.
Racing drivers love the Speedway for its competitive nature. The course is 1.5 miles long (or 2.41 kilometers) and has a separate 1.2-mile configuration as well.
If you’d like to drive on this course yourself then check out the Dream Racing Driving Experience where you’ll get instruction and simulator practice, and then jump behind the wheel of one of the world’s nicest supercars (Mclaren, Ferrari, Lamborghini, and more).
Inside Road Course
The Inside Road Course at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway is 1.1 miles long (1.8 kilometers) with nine turns but can be reconfigured into two different tracks – one that is .76 miles long (1.2 kilometers) with seven turns, and one that is .33 miles long (500 meters) and shaped in an oval.
It’s approximately 40 feet wide.
Outside Road Course
The Outside Road Course at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway is 2.4 miles long (3.9 kilometers), featuring what the venue calls a “classic” road course with 12 turns.
Bullring
The Bullring at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway is one of the smaller tracks, used mostly for local stock car racing and the NASCAR weekly racing series on its .375-mile (604 meters) paved oval banked course.
It’s a popular race track for locals to visit because it frequently features themed nights and holiday celebrations centered around races.
It seats approximately 5,400 people.
Dirt Track
If you’re into dirt track racing, this is the place for you! This clay track is .5 miles long (800 meters) and shaped like an oval with a 10-degree bank.
It plays host to the famous World of Outlaws event each year.
The Strip
If you want to see cars go really, really, fast, head to The Strip at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
This four-lane concrete and asphalt drag strip is one of only two drag strips of its kind in the United States. It’s just a quarter of a mile long, or 1,320 feet, but racers can top speeds of 330 miles per hour here.
Drivers will need to take advantage of the extra quarter mile of “shutdown” space to slow their engines at the end.
Off-Road
The Off-Road space at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway changes frequently to suit motocross events and sport utility vehicle demonstrations. It’s around 850 feet long by 750 feet wide and is configured differently to suit each event.
I-15 Road Course
The I-15 Road Course was designed specifically for supercars – you know the ones: Lamborghinis, Ferraris, and McLarens.
This course is 1.2 miles long, features seven turns, and has an 1,800-foot-long straight specifically designed to give high-performance supercars a place to test their acceleration.
The I-15 course was validated by the official track designer for the Indy Car Series.
How Wide is the Las Vegas Motor Speedway?
The main track superspeedway at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway is a minimum of 58 feet wide and 2,250 feet long.
Other tracks at the speedway vary in width and length based on the number of available lanes.
How Many Acres is the Las Vegas Motor Speedway?
The Las Vegas Motor Speedway venue takes up 1,200 acres in Clark County, Nevada, approximately 20 minutes away from the famed Las Vegas Strip.
What Shape is the Las Vegas Motor Speedway?
The superspeedway at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway is oval-shaped, with banking turns and straights.
The Dirt Track and Bullring are also shaped like ovals, while the inside and outside racing courses have multiple turns.
The Drag Strip, meanwhile, is a straightaway.
What is the Capacity of the Las Vegas Motor Speedway?
The superspeedway at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway has a capacity of 123,000 guests.
However, other venues at the speedway differ.
The Bullring has 5,400 permanent grandstand seats.
The Dirt Track can host up to 8,200 guests.
Richard Petty Driving Experience at Las Vegas Speedway
If you’d like to hit the Las Vegas Motor Speedway yourself and have your own NASCAR racing experience, you can do so through the Richard Petty Driving Experience. Here you’ll not only get to be a passenger in a NASCAR vehicle around the main track, but you’ll also get to take a turn behind the wheel. Learn more here.
Where Is The Las Vegas Motor Speedway?
The Las Vegas Motor Speedway is located in North Las Vegas at 7000 Las Vegas Blvd N (google maps). The speedway is approximately a 20-minute drive from the Bellagio Hotel and Casino on Las Vegas Boulevard (mid-Strip).
How Much is Parking at The Las Vegas Motor Speedway?
Parking at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway is free. You can find free parking around the whole speedway, including plenty of parking for RVs and other oversized vehicles.
What is the Largest Motor Speedway?
The largest motor speedway in the world, by capacity standards, is the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indianapolis. It holds 257,325 people for races such as IndyCar, NASCAR, and FIA Formula One. With infield seating adjustments, the speedway has the capacity to host more than 400,000 people!
Indianapolis is followed by Circuit de la Sarthe in Le Mans, France, which holds up to 234,800 people.
In third place, you’ll find the Adelaide Street Circuit located in Adelaide, Australia. It holds 210,000 racing enthusiasts.
In comparison, the Las Vegas Motor Speedway is 13th on the list of the largest motor speedways in the world with a capacity of 123,000 fans.
About the Las Vegas Motor Speedway
The Las Vegas Motor Speedway was built in 1996 by Ralph Englestad (who owned the Imperial Palace hotel on the Las Vegas Strip) and William Bennett (who owned the Sahara Hotel). It cost $72 million dollars to purchase a former track and build what is now in existence today.
The first race at the speedway was an IndyCar event on September 15, 1996. Since then, its hosted hundreds of racing events, musical festivals, corporate retreats, and even drive-thru graduation ceremonies during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In addition to its racing courses, it also has venues for conferences and meetings, garages, and a spa! Yes, this motorsports complex offers a full-service spa experience for VIP guests and clients.
Summary
While not the world’s largest motor speedway by guest capacity, the Las Vegas Motor Speedway is one of the world’s “most remarkable” racing venues on the planet for its varied tracks, incredible events, and convenient location in one of the sporting capitals of the world.
With more than eight tracks and a dozen venues, there’s truly something for everyone at this racing event center.
