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94-552: Homestead–Miami Speedway (formerly known as the Homestead Motorsports Complex from 1995 to 1998) is a 1.500 mi (2.414 km) oval-shaped intermediate speedway in Homestead, Florida . It has hosted various major auto racing series throughout its existence, including NASCAR , IndyCar , and FIA GT Championship . The facility is currently owned by the city of Homestead and operated by NASCAR , and

188-612: A NASCAR Busch Series race scheduled to christen the track from November 3–5, 1995. Financial troubles continued throughout the end of 1994 and the beginning of 1995. In October, the city of Homestead began to consider selling bonds to finance construction, drafting a sale in December. County oversight was also sought to be greatly increased by November, with the budget for the project approaching $ 50 million. By April 1995, track developers still owed approximately $ 11 million to various contractors, with Homestead mayor Ted DeMilly stating in

282-403: A " roval " (a blend word combining "road course" and "oval") is an oval track racing facility that features a road course in the infield (and/or outfield), that is usually linked to the oval circuit. This type of course makes for a multi-purpose track, and allows the facility to be used for both oval and road racing. A typical combined road course consists of the oval portion of the track, using

376-510: A 1/8 mile version. Perhaps the most unusual concentric oval facility is Dover Speedway- Dover Downs . The one-mile oval track encompasses a 0.625-mile harness racing track inside. Oval tracks usually have slope in both straight and in curves, but the slope on the straights is less, circuits without any slope are rare to find, low-slope are usually old or small tracks, high gradient are more common in new circuits. Circuits like Milwaukee Mile and Indianapolis Motor Speedway have 9° banking in

470-626: A 500-lap or 400-lap distance. Short tracks in many cases have lights installed and routinely host night races. The short ovals still form the backbone of NASCAR in the feeder series. Three race tracks of this type are also represented in the Cup: Bristol, Martinsville and Richmond. Tracks with potential for future cup races are the Iowa Speedway built in 2006, the Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway used until 1984 in

564-675: A Busch Series race in November, the track still received criticism by drivers and reporters for a lack of passing. At the same time, Sanchez began initiating plans to obtain a NASCAR Winston Cup Series (now known as the NASCAR Cup Series) date. According to The Tampa Tribune , $ 17 million worth of renovations were made to the facility in 1996, which focused on adding bathrooms, hospitality centers, and television screens. The following year, Sanchez announced plans in March to reconfigure

658-422: A concentric 1/4-mile oval layout. The 1/4-mile layout became a popular venue for legends car racing . The name "legends oval" was derived from this use. They have also seen use with go-karts, short track stock cars, and other lower disciplines. This idea was adopted by numerous tracks including Texas Motor Speedway, Atlanta Motor Speedway, Kentucky Speedway , Las Vegas Motor Speedway , and Iowa Speedway which has

752-437: A concrete retaining wall separating the track from the fans. Innovations have been made to change this, however. The SAFER barrier was created to provide a less dangerous alternative to a traditional concrete wall. The barrier can be retrofitted onto an existing wall or may take the place of a concrete wall completely. Oval tracks are classified based upon their size, surface, banking, and shape. Their size can range from only

846-430: A corner. On a short track in a 25-lap feature race, a driver might not run any two laps with the same line. Both types of racing place physical demands on the driver. A driver in an IndyCar race at Richmond International Raceway may be subject to as many lateral g-forces (albeit in only one direction) as a Formula One driver at Silverstone . Weather also plays a different role in each discipline. Road racing offers

940-714: A few hundred feet to over two and a half miles. The definitions used to differentiate track sizes have changed over the years. While some tracks use terms such as "speedway" or "superspeedway" in their name, they may not meet the specific definitions used in this article. A short track is an oval track less than one mile (1.6 km) long, with the majority being 0.5 miles (0.8 km) or shorter. Drivers seeking careers in oval track racing generally serve their apprenticeship on short tracks before moving up to series which compete on larger tracks. Due to their short length and fast action, these tracks are often nicknamed " bullrings ". Professional-level NASCAR races on short tracks usually use

1034-464: A length of 1.51 mi (2.43 km), and Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) used a length of 1.527 mi (2.457 km). Homestead–Miami Speedway is served by U.S. Route 1 and Florida State Road 821 , and covers approximately 650 acres (260 ha) according to the Miami Herald . As of 2019, the facility has a capacity of 43,000 according to Forbes . Within the track's infield

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1128-468: A length of one mile or more. Since the introduction of the intermediate oval, Superspeedway is an oval race course of 2 miles or longer. There are six active superspeedways in the United States, the most famous being Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Daytona International Speedway , both 2.5 miles (4.0 km) long. These tracks were built in 1909 and 1959 respectively. Indianapolis Motor Speedway

1222-445: A lot of oval tracks, which neither have a classical geometric shape nor still represent a modern tri-oval in the strict sense. While these courses still technically fall under the category of ovals, their unique shape, flat corners, hard braking zones, or increased difficulty, often produces driving characteristics similar to those of a road course. Some facilities feature several ovals track of different sizes, often sharing part of

1316-449: A notable exception. Many 1-mile dirt ovals were used by stock cars or champ cars before race tracks with dirt surfaces were removed from the racing calendar in the early 1970s. Many of these racetracks got the nickname "Fairgrounds” — for example Arizona State Fairgrounds , California State Fairgrounds and Michigan State Fairgrounds Speedway . The origin of these racetracks was in harness racing , which commonly used 1-mile tracks. Also,

1410-405: A practice crash for the 2006 Toyota Indy 300 . Two years later, track officials announced the construction of a new $ 8 million media center. In 2009, Gray stepped down from his position as president, with Matthew Becherer being named as Gray's replacement. Two years later, track officials began lobbying for an expansion that would add 12,000 seats and other improvements to the facility. Although

1504-470: A rebranding, with the facility being renamed as the Homestead–Miami Speedway. That same month, ISC bought out Penske Motorsports, with ISC gaining a 90% stake over Miami Motorsports. As part of the move, Skuza was replaced by executive vice president Curtis Gray as president of the track. In September 2001, ISC bought out Huizenga's share of Homestead–Miami Speedway, LLC, taking over full control of

1598-461: A stand-alone road course layout(s) in the infield not directly linked to the oval layout, or otherwise using only a short portion of the oval. Combined road courses combine the high speed characteristics of ovals with the technical precision of road courses . It allows road racing disciplines the unique experience of being held in the stadium style atmosphere of an oval superspeedway. Numerous combined road courses saw widespread use with sports cars in

1692-464: A two-story media center. Seeking a permanent venue for the Grand Prix of Miami , auto racing promoter Ralph Sanchez initiated plans to build a complex in 1991. After numerous failed proposals, the city of Homestead, recovering from the effects of Hurricane Andrew , was able to woo Sanchez into building the permanent complex within the city and was completed by 1995. In the following four years,

1786-533: A variety of fast and slow corners that allow the use of rain tires . Paved oval tracks generally do not run with a wet track surface. Dirt ovals will sometimes support a light rain. Some tracks (e.g., Evergreen Speedway in Monroe, WA) have "rain or shine" rules requiring races to be run in the rain. Safety has also been a point of difference between the two. While a road course usually has abundant run-off areas , gravel traps, and tire barriers, oval tracks usually have

1880-422: Is a 90 ft (27 m) deep, 0.5 mi (0.80 km) by 0.125 mi (0.201 km) lake that is occasionally used for fishing tournaments along with a 18,000 square feet (1,700 m), two-story media center that was constructed in 2008. The facility also features an art deco aesthetic made by Day One that combines "aqua blue, tan, and purple" according to Yahoo Sports ' Jay Busbee. On March 27, 1991,

1974-467: Is led by track president Guillermo Santa Cruz. Homestead–Miami Speedway is served by U.S. Route 1 and Florida State Road 821 . The facility has a capacity of 43,000 as of 2019. Along with the main oval track, the facility features a road course layout that uses parts of the oval along with a specially designed infield road course. The facility also features numerous amenities, including a 0.5 mi (0.80 km) by 0.125 mi (0.201 km) lake and

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2068-409: Is measured at 1.5 mi (2.4 km), with a progressive system of banking of 18–20° in the turns and 4° of banking on the track's straights. The complex also features a 2.3 mi (3.7 km), 11-turn " roval " layout that uses parts of the oval along with a specially designed infield road course. From 1997–2003, the oval layout featured a banking of 6° in the turns and 3° in the straights. When

2162-502: Is often referred to as " restrictor plate racing " because NASCAR mandates that each car on its two longest high-banked ovals, Talladega and Daytona , use an air restrictor to reduce horsepower . The results of pack racing may vary. As drivers are forced to race in a confined space, overtaking is very common as vehicles may travel two and three abreast. This forces drivers to use strong mental discipline in negotiating traffic. There are drawbacks, however. Should an accident occur at

2256-560: Is the Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega, Alabama . Built in 1969, it is 2.66 miles (4.28 kilometers) long, and holds the current record for fastest speed in a stock car, lapping at an average of 216.309 mph (348.116 km/h) and reaching 228 mph (367 km/h) at the end of the backstretch. Daytona and Talladega are the pinnacle of stock car superspeedway racing, where restrictor plates are mandated by

2350-723: Is the lower house of the Florida Legislature , the state legislature of the U.S. state of Florida , the Florida Senate being the upper house . Article III, Section 1 of the Constitution of Florida , adopted in 1968, defines the role of the Legislature and how it is to be constituted. The House is composed of 120 members, each elected from a single-member district with a population of approximately 180,000 residents. Legislative districts are drawn on

2444-519: The Miami Herald made public that Grand Prix of Miami promoter Ralph Sanchez sought to build a permanent racing facility in Miami-Dade County, Florida , submitting a bill through the Florida Legislature that proposed that a local tourist tax would expand to let the tax be used to fund motorsports facilities. According to the Herald , he asked for up to $ 20 million in tax money to build

2538-682: The MotoGP races were run counter-clockwise, with some reconfigured corners to fix corner apex problems. Michigan was also an example of a clockwise combined road course. Another example is the Adelaide International Raceway in Australia which combines a 2.41 km (1.50 mi) road course with an 0.805 km (0.500 mi) speedway bowl. The Bowl forms a permanent part of the road course and also runs clockwise. At many tracks, multiple configurations are available for

2632-548: The 24 Hours of Daytona . Since 2018, NASCAR has held the Bank of America Roval 400 on a combined course at Charlotte . In some rare examples, the combined road course layout is run in the opposite direction to the oval circuit. For instance, at Indianapolis the oval is run counter-clockwise, but the combined road course used during the IndyCar Series Grand Prix of Indianapolis is run clockwise. However

2726-548: The Florida Senate in May of that year. In December, Florida legislators voted over a budget proposal of $ 48.5 million to various sports and events in the Miami area; within the proposal was a plan to give $ 9 million to Sanchez to build the permanent facility. Sanchez wanted as much as $ 25 million, but local government leaders cut the amount down. The proposal was approved on the 19th; with the $ 9 million, Sanchez stated that he aimed to use

2820-573: The Indy Racing League (IRL) taking over sanctioning rights for the event. In 2009, the race moved from being the season opener to the season finale for the IRL. The series failed to renew for the 2011 season, ending a 17-year tenure at the track. In 2025, Formula E is scheduled to make their debut at the facility for the Miami ePrix , racing on the facility's road course. As of June 2021,

2914-579: The Miami Herald that "not only don't we have a lot of money, but we have a real time crunch." The following month, businessman Wayne Huizenga offered a $ 20 million loan to cover the track's remaining deficits in exchange for a minority ownership of the complex. By July, the project's cost increased to an expected $ 58 million; however, despite the increased costs, the Dade County commission received criticism for not providing bond issues to help fund

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3008-424: The 1970s and early 1980s. However, their use at the professional level has since diminished considerably, since most layouts lacked the desirable topography and competitive challenges of natural road courses. In addition, most combined road course circuits offer poor sightlines for fans sitting in the grandstands. Oftentimes the challenging infield portion is obscured or not visible at all from the grandstands that line

3102-867: The 2000s were of this type. These include the Chicago Motor Speedway and the Walt Disney World Speedway , which were built during the 1990s construction boom but used for only four years. The historic Nazareth Speedway , which was paved in 1986, was completely abandoned after the 2004 season. Physically, many mile oval still exist such as the Rockingham Speedway and the Pikes Peak International Raceway . However, these racetracks have not been used by nationally important motorsports events for years. There are only three 1-mile tracks left on

3196-683: The Cup, and the Memphis Motorsports Park, which had races of the Busch Series back then until the 2000s. The Auto Club Speedway is to be converted from a 2-mile super speedway to a 1/2 mile short track in 2024. Synonymous with the name, a 1-mile (1.61 km) oval is a popular and common length for oval track racing. The exact measurements, however, can vary by as much as a tenth of a mile and still fall into this category. Most mile ovals are relatively flat-banked, with Dover being

3290-650: The France family purchase Miami Motorsports; it was approved on April 7. By July, talks to convince France Jr. to become a partner of Miami Motorsports resumed, officially announcing on the 23rd that the France family-owned International Speedway Corporation (ISC) and the Roger Penske -owned Penske Motorsports each bought out a 40% share of Miami Motorsports, with Sanchez and Huizenga each retaining 10% ownership. Sanchez stepped down from day-to-day operations in November, with Brian Skuza being appointed as general manager of

3384-439: The Legislature meets constitutes a new legislative session. The Florida Legislature meets in a 60-day regular legislative session each year. Regular legislative sessions in odd-numbered years must begin on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in March. Under the state Constitution, the Legislature can begin even-numbered year regular legislative sessions at a time of its choosing. Special legislative sessions may be called by

3478-473: The NASCAR races were wildly successful." In response to criticism, Gray stated that the track was not obligated to pay taxes to the city despite a Supreme Court of Florida ruling to end the track's property tax exemption and that the facility was a "viable entity" for the city of Homestead despite the city of Homestead blaming their financial crisis on the track's lease agreement. Gray later stated that critics of

3572-468: The NASCAR racing calendar: Phoenix, Loudon, and Dover. IndyCar only returned to 1-mile oval racing with the addition of the Milwaukee Mile in 2024 after 9 years of it being off the schedule. Also referred to with the general term of "speedway", these courses are 1 to 2 miles (1.6 to 3.2 km) in length, but the term is particularly reserved for 1.5-mile (2.4 km) tracks. At the beginning of

3666-418: The approval, Sanchez acquired a total of $ 31 million for the project. By this point, plans for the facility included 9,000 permanent seats and restaurants. In August, plans for the complex were officially unveiled: the 350-acre (140 ha) complex planned to include two oval tracks and the original road course, with Sanchez hoping to host IndyCar , IMSA , Trans-Am Series , Formula One , and NASCAR races at

3760-528: The approval. Opposition towards the proposal grew heavily by September, with multiple cities stating their opposition to the project. On October 18, the Herald reported that the Munisport proposal was officially dead, with Sanchez stating to the Herald , "with the opposition mounting in North Miami, we were feeling a little unwanted." On October 4, in the aftermath of Hurricane Andrew and in midst of

3854-408: The back straight of the oval. As they are separate tracks, this creates a unique situation where different races can actually be run on both the oval and the full road course at the same time. Also unique is that unlike most combined circuits which use the oval track's start/finish line and pits, in the case of Calder Park it is the road course start/finish line and pits that are used. This configuration

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3948-675: The basis of population figures, provided by the federal decennial census. Representatives' terms begin immediately upon their election. The Republicans hold a supermajority in the State House with 85 seats; Democrats are in the minority with 35 seats. In 1995, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that states could not enact congressional term limits. Florida legislators must be at least twenty-one years old, an elector and resident of their district, and must have resided in Florida for at least two years prior to election. Each year during which

4042-514: The cars coming towards and moving away from their vantage point. Traditional ovals (such as Indianapolis ) offered only limited linear views of the course, and required fans to look back and forth much like a tennis match. The tri-oval shape prevents fans from having to "lean" to see oncoming cars, and creates more forward sight lines. The modern tri-ovals were often called as cookie cutters because of their (nearly) identical shape and identical kind of races. Additional prominent examples: There are

4136-415: The circumference of the oval track, so many fans choose to view from the ground level inside the infield – leaving the grandstands mostly empty and unsightly. Many combined road course layouts have been abandoned. However, some have enjoyed extended life as venues for testing, driving schools, and amateur race meets . Since 1962, the most famous race continuously held on a combined road course has been

4230-455: The city of Homestead and Sanchez made numerous accommodations to then-NASCAR president Bill France Jr. to gain a NASCAR Cup Series race weekend, including the reconfiguration of the track from a rectangle to an oval-shaped track in 1997. In the 2000s, numerous renovations were made to the track, including a second reconfiguration, the installation of SAFER barriers and lights, and other amenities. The complex's oval layout in its current form

4324-529: The city of Homestead looked to buy, was sued for alleged misuse of insurance funds. In addition, Sanchez stated in July that "soil conditions and flood criteria requirements" as potential causes for a possible delay. On July 27, 1993, the Metro-Dade Commission approved the use of $ 20 million in hotel taxes to invest into the facility, more than half of the budget Sanchez needed for the project; with

4418-473: The city of Homestead was able to obtain all the permits needed to resume construction, ending an eight-month delay. Two months later, the projected cost for the project increased by approximately $ 6 million, leading developers to "temporarily" scale back the project by removing grandstands for the track's first race. The track's first confirmed event was announced in September, with a race weekend highlighted by

4512-601: The combined road course layout(s). An example of an outfield combined road course can be seen at the Calder Park Raceway in Melbourne , Australia . The Calder Park complex has a 1.119 mi (1.801 km) high-banked oval speedway called the Thunderdome as well as a separate road course. The road course and the oval can be linked via two short roads that connect the front straight of the road course to

4606-482: The complex was first built, it featured a rectangle-shaped layout similar in shape to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway alongside a 2.21 mi (3.56 km), 13-turn road course layout that utilized parts of the rectangle along with specially designed parts of the track that were contained within the track's infield. The rectangle's layout distance was disputed by sanctioning bodies; NASCAR used

4700-707: The confirmation of the sale of the Villages of Homestead real estate project, Homestead City Manager Alex Muxo stated his hopes to woo Sanchez into building his motorsports complex in Homestead. 11 days later, Muxo stated in a press conference that Sanchez had agreed to build the complex east of the Homestead Sports Complex , with the Metro-Dade Finance Committee promising $ 11 million for the project. The committee's investment

4794-521: The driver does not have to shift gears nearly as frequently, brake as heavily or as often, or deal with turns of various radii in both directions as in road racing, drivers are still challenged by negotiating the track. Where there is generally one preferred line around a road course, there are many different lines that can work on an oval track. The preferred line depends on many factors including track conditions, car set-up, and traffic. The oval track driver must choose which line to use each time they approach

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4888-486: The drivers, IndyCar will no longer drive super speedways outside of Indianapolis. Michigan Speedway was part of the series from 2002 to 2007, AutoClub Speedway from 2002 to 2005 and a second time from 2012 to 2015, Pocono was used by IndyCar between 2014 and 2019. In NASCAR they are still an essential part of the racing calendar. The closed and partially demolished Texas World Speedway , was the original "sister track" to Michigan. The two-mile oval, with its 22-degree banking,

4982-474: The early twentieth century had wood surfaces. Indianapolis Motor Speedway 's track surface used to be made entirely of bricks, and today, 3 feet (0.91 m), or one yard, of original bricks remain exposed at the start-finish line. Each was hand laid over a 2-inch (51 mm) cushion of sand, then leveled and the gaps filled with mortar. Before the work was completed, locals nicknamed the track "The Brickyard". A combined road course , colloquially referred to as

5076-458: The early years of the Indy Racing League , the series visited several intermediate tracks. The higher-downforce, normally aspirated IRL-type cars proved to be competitive at several of the tracks. The CART series however, mostly stayed away as the faster, more powerful Champ Cars were generally thought to be too fast for this type of circuit. This became evident at the 2001 Firestone Firehawk 600 , when drivers experienced vertigo-like symptoms, and

5170-505: The facility and the lease agreement were "misinformed and looking for a scapegoat." In 2002, the facility experienced its second fatality when driver Jeff Clinton was decapitated when he crashed during a practice session for a Grand American Sports Car race. The following year in April, track leaders began considering a reconfiguration to increasing the banking on the track's turns due to complaints from drivers that passing other drivers on

5264-417: The facility, with Jimmy Vasser winning a Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) event. After the facility's first CART race weekend, track developers announced the repaving of all four corners due to concerns of a lack of passing, with the corners being widened. The repaving was completed by September of that year; the new track surface drew concerns over the track being too fast for open-wheel racing. After

5358-431: The facility, with both series making their debut in November 1995 for the track's inaugural race weekend. Starting in 1996, the Grand Prix of Miami was moved from a street course based in Miami to then-named Homestead Motorsports Complex, with Jimmy Vasser winning the first open-wheel event at the facility. Until 2000, the event was sanctioned by Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART); CART failed to renew to 2001, with

5452-409: The facility. Groundbreaking occurred within the month on the 24th, with NASCAR president Bill France Jr. appearing as a dignitary. Eight days later, construction was halted after numerous environmental groups and agencies pressured Muxo and the city of Homestead to stop clearing land over concerns of a lack of environmental permits. As a result, the $ 20 million promised by the Metro-Dade Commission

5546-490: The facility. After approval was given by the United States Air Force , the plan was officially confirmed in April 2005 with a budget of approximately $ 8 million; the project was completed by November. Two months after the announcement, the construction of the $ 14 million Turn One Tower, a luxury seating section, was announced. In 2006, the track's third fatality occurred when IndyCar driver Paul Dana died in

5640-548: The facility. The North Miami City Council approved the proposal on June 26, with Sanchez later stating hopes to host CART IndyCar World Series races. In response, a group of approximately 90 people who opposed the project was formed: the Citizens for the Public Use of Munisport. The group argued that the land was designated to be used as public land according to a referendum voted on by local citizens more than 20 years before

5734-551: The facility. The bill had passed earlier in the Florida House of Representatives on the 21st. Sanchez wanted to seek out a permanent facility for the Grand Prix of Miami, which had been run as a street course on city streets. Three days after the initial report, the Herald reported that Sanchez was considering a location at Amelia Earhart Park ; the plan faced heavy opposition from nearby residents. The bill later passed

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5828-431: The fastest official race lap records at Homestead-Miami Speedway are listed as: Oval track racing#Intermediate Major forms of oval track racing include stock car racing , open-wheel racing , sprint car racing , modified car racing , midget car racing and dirt track motorcycles . Oval track racing is the predominant form of auto racing in the United States. According to the 2013 National Speedway Directory,

5922-415: The following day, with a crowd of 65,000 watching Dale Jarrett win a Busch Series race. After the weekend, the track's surface drew criticism from numerous Busch Series drivers for being too slippery outside of the regular racing line; in response to the criticism, Sanchez pledged to fix the issue by placing down polymer on the track's surface. On March 3, 1996, the complex held its first open-wheel race at

6016-400: The front of the pack, the results could block the track in a short amount of time. This leaves drivers at the back of the pack with little time to react and little room to maneuver. The results are often catastrophic as numerous cars may be destroyed in a single accident. This type of accident is often called " The Big One ". Oval track racing requires different tactics than road racing. While

6110-523: The governor, by a joint proclamation of the Senate president and House speaker, or by a three-fifths vote of all legislators. During any special session the Legislature may only address legislative business that is within the purview of the purpose or purposes stated in the special session proclamation. *Elected in a special election. From 1874 to 1996, the Democratic Party held majorities in

6204-552: The history of NASCAR and IndyCar, this oval size was not very common. Until 1990, there were only five examples. Two of these, the Marchbanks Speedway (1.4 miles) and the Trenton Speedway (1.5 miles), were demolished in the 1970s and 1980s, and only three—Charlotte Motor Speedway, Atlanta Motor Speedway and Darlington Raceway—have survived to this day. All other ovals of this type were built after 1994. During

6298-449: The lease. By 2001, the city of Homestead was reported to have lost $ 34–51 million on potential profit on the track since 1999 due to the city changing its lease agreements to obtain a Cup Series date, with Miami Herald writer Carl Hiaasen stating that due to the decision to change the city's lease agreement with ISC, "with one baffling stroke of the pen, Homestead agreed that it would take no share of its own speedway's profits, even if

6392-535: The money to improve amenities on the street course. By May 1992, Sanchez began considering a proposal to build a 2.1 mi (3.4 km) racetrack on the Munisport landfill in North Miami , proposing to build the track in two phases. A noise test for nearby residents was conducted the following month, with the proposal receiving mixed, highly polarizing reactions from residents who either supported or opposed

6486-477: The oldest oval race track, the Milwaukee Mile was originally a race track for horse racing . In NASCAR, 1-mile oval tracks are among the intermediate tracks. IndyCar rates these tracks as short ovals, since IndyCar does not usually run on ovals shorter than 3/4-mile. The 1-mile ovals have lost a great deal of their former importance for oval racing. Most of the racetracks abandoned by NASCAR or IndyCar in

6580-607: The only long, flat tracks on the schedule. Auto Club Speedway, which joined Indianapolis, Michigan and Pocono as the one of four superspeedways used in the Verizon IndyCar Series , was the site of Gil de Ferran 's qualifying lap of 241.428 mph (388.541 km/h) in the CART FedEx Championship Series in 2000 , the fastest qualifying lap recorded at an official race meeting. Due to the low number of spectators or safety concerns by

6674-448: The oval race tracks. As a result, the racetracks have lengths of different accuracy. The following table shows the values that NASCAR, IndyCar and CART/CCWS used to determine the lap speeds and track records. A typical oval track consists of two parallel straights, connected by two 180° turns. Although most ovals generally have only two radii curves, they are usually advertised and labeled as four 90° turns. While many oval tracks conform to

6768-621: The proposal was approved by July of that year, by 2014, the track was reported by ISC to have decreased to 46,000 seats according to Bob Pockrass of Sporting News . By 2019, according to Forbes ' Dave Caldwell, the facility decreased its seating capacity to 43,000. That same year, NASCAR bought out ISC in October, taking control of the lease for the track; a month later, Becherer left his position as president, being replaced by senior vice president of operations of Homestead–Miami Speedway, Al Garcia. Garcia retained his position until 2024, when he

6862-861: The race track construction boom of the late 1990s, these tracks began to be labeled with the rather derogatory term "cookie cutter" tracks, as their differences were perceived to be minimal. In 1992, Charlotte became the first intermediate track to install lights and allow for night racing. It is now commonplace for these types of tracks to host night races. Intermediate tracks usually have moderate to steep banking. Almost all modern race tracks that are still used in NASCAR and IndyCar today are of this type. Since their size allows them to compromise high speeds with sightlines, especially tri- and quad-ovals of 1.5-mile length have become commonplace in major racing series that use oval tracks. While intermediate speedways were designed primarily with stock cars in mind, they were also believed to be suited to host Indy cars as well. In

6956-529: The race was cancelled for safety reasons. As of 2020, the IndyCar Series has only one race remaining at a high-banked intermediate track ( Texas ). These tracks began to be removed from the Indy car schedule in the late-2000s and early-2010s due to low crowds and serious crashes, including the fatal accident involving Dan Wheldon at Las Vegas in 2011. Originally a superspeedway was an oval race track with

7050-412: The rectangle track into an oval-shaped track at a cost of $ 8 million, with Sanchez stating that if they did not reconfigure the track, "there is no chance we'll get a Winston Cup race." That same month, the facility oversaw its first fatality when NASCAR driver John Nemechek suffered brain injuries from a crash during a NASCAR Truck Series race. Construction on the reconfiguration started on March 24 and

7144-447: The same front straightaway. The now defunct Ascot Speedway featured 1/2 mile and 1/4 mile dirt oval tracks, and Irwindale Speedway features 1/2 mile and 1/3 mile concentric paved oval tracks. Pocono Raceway once had a 3/4 mile oval which connected to the main stretch, and circled around the garage area. In 1991, Charlotte Motor Speedway connected the quad oval start-finish straight to the pit lane with two 180 degree turns, resulting in

7238-403: The same start/finish line, and same pit area, but a mid-course diversion to a winding road circuit in the infield (and/or outfield). At some point, the circuit leads back to the main oval, and completes the rest of the lap. On some of the faster ovals, a chicane is present on long back-straights, to keep speeds down, and create additional braking/passing zones. Some more complex facilities feature

7332-439: The similar construction boom of the baseball/football cookie-cutter stadiums of the 1960s and 1970s, and the subsequent sport-specific stadium construction boom that began in the 1990s. Most of the oval tracks are located in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. However, there are also many oval tracks elsewhere too, as listed below. Florida House of Representatives Minority The Florida House of Representatives

7426-612: The sport's ruling body to reduce the high speeds accommodated by their steep banking since 1988. Other superspeedways used by NASCAR include the Michigan International Speedway (2.0 miles), Auto Club Speedway (known as California Speedway prior to February 2008) (2.0 miles), and Pocono Raceway (2.5 miles). Auto Club Speedway and Michigan are often considered intermediate tracks by NASCAR due to their similarities with 1.5-mile tracks, while Pocono and Indianapolis are sometimes classified separately, as they are

7520-469: The total number of oval tracks, drag strips and road courses in the United States is 1,262, with 901 of those being oval tracks and 683 of those being dirt tracks. Among the most famous oval tracks in North America are the Indianapolis Motor Speedway , Daytona International Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway . Pack racing is a phenomenon found on fast, high-banked superspeedways. It occurs when

7614-548: The track was too difficult. The $ 10 million reconfiguration was officially announced the following month, with the track's turns being reconfigured to a variable banking system of 18–20°. Along with the reconfiguration, the addition of soft wall SAFER barriers were announced to increase driver safety. The reconfiguration was completed in time for the 2003 Ford 400 in November and received positive reactions from drivers and NASCAR officials. In 2004, Gray announced his consideration of installing lights to accommodate nighttime racing at

7708-411: The track's oval layout. Multi-car tests were run two months later; although consistent praise for the track's oval layout was given, numerous drivers crashed during the session, including one that injured driver Mike Harmon with a fractured left leg. The first race run at the facility on November 4, with Dexter Canipe winning a NASCAR Goody's Dash Series race. The track's first highlight race occurred

7802-423: The track. By the end of the track's initial construction, plans for the track included 65,000 total seats, 70 condominiums, and an oval track layout similar to the layout of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway , with a final projected cost of $ 59 million (adjusted for inflation, $ 117,974,230). The first tire tests on the facility were conducted by Busch Series driver Chad Little on August 9, 1995, with Little praising

7896-399: The track. In March 1998, Sanchez's ownership was bought out, with ISC and Penske Motorsports each increasing their ownership to 45%. In September, Skuza officially announced the confirmation of a Winston Cup Series date for 1999. In order to accommodate a Cup Series race weekend, the facility was upgraded to hold 71,763 permanent seats; an addition of 21,000. In July 1999, the facility underwent

7990-407: The traditional symmetrical design, asymmetrical tracks are not uncommon. Additional prominent examples: The tri-oval is the common shape of the ovals from the construction booms of the 1960s and 1990s. The use of the tri-oval shape for automobile racing was conceived by Bill France, Sr. during the planning for Daytona. The triangular layout allowed fans in the grandstands an angular perspective of

8084-414: The turns and are considered low banked, superspeedways like Talladega have up to 33° of tilt in curves, Daytona has up to 32°, both are considered high banked. Atlanta is the intermediate track with the highest banking, 28°. Winchester has the highest banking of any active oval track with 37° Track surfaces can be dirt , concrete, asphalt, or a combination of concrete and asphalt. Some ovals in

8178-486: The vehicles racing are cornering at their limit of aerodynamic drag , but within their limit of traction . This allows drivers to race around the track constantly at wide open throttle . Since the vehicles are within their limit of traction, drafting through corners will not hinder a vehicle's performance. As cars running together are faster than cars running individually, all cars in the field will draft each other simultaneously in one large pack. In stock car racing this

8272-531: Was approved in November, with Sanchez stating that with the approval, "we can start to build almost right away." Another $ 1.7 million investment was given by the Homestead City Council in February 1993. However, three months later, the project was put into jeopardy when a real estate deal was delayed when Homestead Properties, the owner of approximately 360 acres (150 ha) of prospective land

8366-781: Was built as a facility for the automotive industry to conduct research and development. Daytona International Speedway was built as a replacement for the Daytona Beach Road Course , which combined the town's main street and its famous beach. Daytona hosts the Daytona 500 , NASCAR's most prestigious race, while the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is home to the Indianapolis 500 and the Brickyard 400 . The longest superspeedway in North America

8460-494: Was completed by November for the track's annual Busch Series race. In further efforts to lure a Winston Cup race, attempts were made to make NASCAR president Bill France Jr. a partner for the Miami Motorsports group that leased the track from the city of Homestead; however, the talks broke down by March 1997. However, by the following month, the city of Homestead voted on changing the lease to allow an option to let

8554-548: Was replaced by Guillermo Santa Cruz. Since 1999, the track has hosted the annual Straight Talk Wireless 400 . Starting in 2002, the race became the final race of the Cup Series season, a tradition that lasted until 2019 when the season finale was moved to the NASCAR-owned Phoenix Raceway . NASCAR's lower-tier series, the second-tier Xfinity Series and third-tier Truck Series , have also raced at

8648-634: Was temporarily blocked and the initial announced opening of November 1994 was delayed. On February 24, 1994, Sanchez stated in The Palm Beach Post that he hoped construction would resume the following week; however, new complaints from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service arose the following month. In May, construction resumed on the complex after

8742-539: Was the site of Mario Andretti's closed-course record of 214.158 mph (344.654 km/h) which stood for 12 years. No major professional series have raced at TWS since the 1990s. The 2.5 mile Ontario Motor Speedway was known as the "Indianapolis of the West", but was bought by the Chevron Land Company in 1980 and partitioned for development. NASCAR and IndyCar use different measuring systems to measure

8836-521: Was used only twice (both in 1987) and has not been used for major motor racing since hosting Round 9 of the 1987 World Touring Car Championship . There have been two distinct oval race track construction "booms" in the United States. The first took place in the 1960s, and the second took place in the mid-to-late 1990s. The majority of tracks from the 1960s boom and the 1990s boom have survived, but some tracks failed to achieve long-term financial success. Incidentally, these two booms loosely coincided with

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