Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park (formerly Indianapolis Raceway Park, O'Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis, and Lucas Oil Raceway) is an

auto racing Auto racing (also known as car racing, motor racing, or automobile racing) is a motorsport involving the racing of automobiles for competition. Auto racing has existed since the invention of the automobile. Races of various sorts were organise ...

facility in Brownsburg, Indiana, United States, about northwest of

downtown ''Downtown'' is a term primarily used in North America by English speakers to refer to a city's sometimes commercial, cultural and often the historical, political and geographic heart. It is often synonymous with its central business district ...

Indianapolis Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Marion ...

. It includes a

oval track Oval track racing is a form of closed-circuit motorsport that is contested on an oval-shaped race track. An oval track differs from a road course in that the layout resembles an oval with turns in only one direction, and the direction of traff ...

, a road course (which has fallen into disrepair and is no longer used), and a drag strip which is among the premier

drag racing Drag racing is a type of motor racing in which automobiles or motorcycles compete, usually two at a time, to be first to cross a set finish line. The race follows a short, straight course from a standing start over a measured distance, most ...

venues in the world. The complex receives about 500,000 visitors annually.

History

In 1958, 15 Indianapolis-area businessmen and racing professionals led by Tom Binford, Frank Dickie, Rodger Ward, and Howard Fieber invested $5,000 each to fund the development of a farm tract into a recreational sporting complex that would focus on auto racing. The original intention was to create a 15-turn, road course, but as an insurance measure against economic problems, the investment group decided to incorporate a quarter-mile drag strip into the long straightaway of the road course design. Constructed with assistance from the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA), the drag strip was the first to be completed, with the facility's first event held on the strip in the fall of 1960. The facility was called Indianapolis Raceway Park. A year later, a paved oval was completed to finish off the track capabilities of the complex. The oval track was used as-is until an overall track renovation was completed in 1988 in order to increase speed on the track. The premier feature of Lucas Oil Raceway is a long drag strip. The single NHRA event held at the facility is the oldest and most prestigious of the series. The NHRA U.S. Nationals, held every year during the

Labor Day Labor Day is a federal holiday in the United States celebrated on the first Monday in September to honor and recognize the American labor movement and the works and contributions of laborers to the development and achievements of the United St ...

weekend, is the only event on the NHRA schedule with final eliminations scheduled on a Monday. An all-star style race, called the Traxxas Nitro Shootout, is held for the two nitro divisions (Top Fuel on Saturday and Funny Car on Sunday). The winners in each division win $100,000 US, while the race itself has the largest purse of any NHRA sanctioned event at over $250,000 US. The drag strip has held the event every year since 1961, when the race was moved from Detroit. Sprint and midget races are held on the oval, along with other events suited to a shorter track. Raceway Park traditionally stages an extensive program on the Saturday nights of major races at the

Indianapolis Motor Speedway The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is an automobile racing circuit located in Speedway, Indiana, an enclave suburb of Indianapolis, Indiana. It is the home of the Indianapolis 500 and the Verizon 200, and and formerly the home of the United Sta ...

. On

Memorial Day Memorial Day (originally known as Decoration Day) is a federal holiday in the United States for mourning the U.S. military personnel who have fought and died while serving in the United States armed forces. It is observed on the last Monda ...

weekend, the venue hosts a USAC Silver Crown, Sprint Car and Midget Car event, serving as something of an unofficial preliminary event to the

Indianapolis 500 The Indianapolis 500, formally known as the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, and commonly called the Indy 500, is an annual automobile race held at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) in Speedway, Indiana, United States, an enclave suburb of Indi ...

. It was previously held on Saturday Night under the name Night before the 500, and is currently held on Friday night as the Carb Night Classic. Similarly, the NASCAR Busch Series Kroger 200 was given a "Night before the 400" status; a

Truck Series The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series is a pickup truck racing series owned and operated by the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, and is the only series in NASCAR to race production pickup truck based stock cars. The series is one of thr ...

race was added to the weekend in 1995. When

Formula One Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The World Drivers' Championship, ...

raced at IMS, midget, sprint, and stock car races were held at ORP in the "Night Before F1" meets, including the 2002 and 2003 USGP races that featured a twin 25-lap midget format, with a full inversion, and the winner winning $50,000 if they could win both features. The , 15-turn road course, was used by the Indianapolis area

Sports Car Club of America The Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) is a non-profit American automobile club and sanctioning body supporting road racing, rallying, and autocross in the United States. Formed in 1944, it runs many programs for both amateur and professional ...

road racing Road racing is a form of motorsport racing held on a paved road surface. The races can be held either on a closed circuit or on a street circuit utilizing temporarily closed public roads. Originally, road races were held almost entirely on publ ...

events. The initial Indianapolis Raceway Park road race was an SCCA event held in 1961. In 1965, rookie driver Mario Andretti won his first Indy car race on the road course, in an event which was historic in that it was the first time in modern history that American Indy cars raced on a road circuit. For the next six years, the road course hosted the Hoosier Grand Prix, a round of the USAC National Championship Series, the same series that included the

, as well as the USAC Stock Car series. Notably, in the 1969 movie '' Winning'',

Paul Newman Paul Leonard Newman (January 26, 1925 – September 26, 2008) was an American actor, film director, race car driver, philanthropist, and entrepreneur. He was the recipient of numerous awards, including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, three ...

's character, Frank Capua, competes in a USAC Stock Car event on the road course. O'Reilly Raceway Park

After an insurance investigation of the pit out opening for the road course, which is located along the left lane wall of the drag strip, the insurance carrier demanded the pit out be closed off with a permanent concrete wall. This effectively meant closing the road course for competition purposes, as there is no other area on the current track layout suitable to relocate a viable pit lane. However, club racing and private testing used a section of track that runs parallel to the backstretch of the oval (Turns 6–8) as a makeshift pit, although enough section of the return road for the drag strip could also be used if realigned. The last SCCA club road race was held in 2007. The road course surface is in disrepair and very bumpy, and would need improvement to be of use again. There are plans to redesign and renovate the road course, but track officials say it is a long term goal. In 2012, it was announced that the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Lucas Oil Raceway would move to Indianapolis Motor Speedway as the Indiana 250 to replace the Kroger 200, and that it would be joined by

Rolex Sports Car Series The Rolex Sports Car Series was the premier series run by the Grand American Road Racing Association. It was a North American-based sports car series founded in 2000 under the name Grand American Road Racing Championship to replace the failed ...

and Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge races under the banner " Super Weekend at the Brickyard". The Camping World Truck Series event was replaced with a new event at Eldora Speedway. As a result, the ARCA Racing Series became the lone national

stock car racing Stock car racing is a form of automobile racing run on oval tracks and road courses measuring approximately . It originally used production-model cars, hence the name "stock car", but is now run using cars specifically built for racing. It or ...

series to sanction a race at the track, running its own 200-lap event. NASCAR announced in September 2021 that the Truck Series would return to Lucas Oil Raceway in 2022 as the first playoff race, marking the return by NASCAR after an eleven year absence. On December 8, 2021, the track announced that it would be renaming to Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.

Track configurations

File:Indianapolis Raceway Park-Streetcircuit.svg, Road Course File:Indianapolis Raceway Park-Dragster.svg, Drag Strip File:Indianapolis Raceway Park-Oval.svg, Oval

Records

.686-mile oval

Qualifying records * SCCA Formula Super Vee Qualifying: Mark Smith, 19.581 sec. = , May 27, 1989 * Indy Pro 2000 Championship Qualifying: Matthew Brabham, 19.744 sec. = , May 25, 2013 * USAC Silver Crown Champ Car Series Qualifying: Jason Leffler, 20.298 sec. = , May 20, 2000 * U.S. F2000 National Championship Qualifying:

Bryan Sellers Bryan Sellers (born August 19, 1982 in Dayton, Ohio) is an American racing driver. Sellers won the title in the U.S. F2000 in 2002 and later competed in the Atlantic Championship and in racing sports cars. Racing career Bryan Sellers first co ...

, 21.016, , May 25, 2002 *

ARCA/CRA Super Series The CRA Super Series is a super late model stock car racing series owned and operated by the Champion Racing Association. It is a touring series based in the Midwestern United States, which competes at paved short ovals. It was formerly known as th ...

Qualifying: Evan Jackson, 21.284, , September 22, 2007 *

NASCAR The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. The privately owned company was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1948, and ...

XFINITY Series Qualifying: David Green, 21.766 sec. = , August 5, 1994 *

Camping World Truck Series The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series is a pickup truck racing series owned and operated by the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, and is the only series in NASCAR to race production pickup truck based stock cars. The series is one of th ...

Qualifying:

Joe Ruttman Joe Ruttman (born October 28, 1944) is a retired American stock car racing driver who competed in NASCAR's Sprint Cup Series, Nationwide Series, and Camping World Truck Series. With 13 career wins in the Truck Series he is currently tied for 13t ...

, 22.081 sec. = , August 3, 2000 * ARCA Racing Series Qualifying: Ty Gibbs, 21.820 sec. = , October 10, 2019 Race lap records * Indy Pro 2000 Championship Race: Matthew Brabham, 20.175 s = (), May 25, 2013 * USAC Silver Crown Champ Car Series Race:

Mike Bliss Michael Duane Bliss (born April 5, 1965) is an American professional stock car racing driver. A journeyman NASCAR competitor and the 2002 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion, he has run in all three national series. Racing career Bliss began ...

, 21.415 s = (), May 12, 2001 (100 laps) * U.S. F2000 National Championship Race:

, 21.016 s = (), May 25, 2002 *

Nationwide Series Race: Jimmy Hensley, 25.258 s = (), June 22, 1985 *

Race:

Greg Biffle Gregory Jack Biffle (born December 23, 1969) is an American semi-retired professional stock car racing driver. He last competed part-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 44 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for NY Racing Team and full-time in th ...

, 27.841 s = (), August 5, 1999 * ARCA Racing Series Race: Brandon Jones, 27.962 s = (), July 25, 2014

2.5-mile road course

''Source:'' * IMSA WSC Race: Eliseo Salazar,

Ferrari 333 SP The Ferrari 333 SP is a sports prototype race car that was built by Italian race car manufacturer Dallara and later Michelotto to compete in the World Sports Car championship for Ferrari. Unveiled at the end of 1993, at the behest of amateur rac ...

, 1:23.622 sec. = , July 10, 1994 * SCCA

Formula Atlantic Formula Atlantic is a specification of open-wheel racing car developed in the 1970s. It was used in professional racing through the IMSA Atlantic Championship until 2009 and is currently primarily used in amateur racing through Sports Car Club o ...

Race:

Larry Connor Larry Connor (January 7, 1950) is an American real estate and technology business person, as well as a space tourist. Connor is the head of the Connor Group, a real estate investment firm located in Dayton, Ohio. Education Born in 1950 in Al ...

, Ralt RT41, 1:24.529 sec. = , July 1, 2000 * IMSA GTS Race:

Irv Hoerr Irv Hoerr (born November 14, 1946) is an American racing driver from Peoria, Illinois. He is primarily known for racing in several sports car racing series. Hoerr was the 1992 IMSA GTO champion. He moved up to the GTS-1 class winning the 1995 and ...

, Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme, 1:27.451 sec. = , July 10, 1994 * SCCA Formula Continental Race:

Jeff Shafer Jeff Shafer (Born February 20, 1975) is a former racing driver. Shafer competed in USF2000, Atlantic Championship among other series. Career Shafer started his racing career in karting. Shafer won the International Kart Federation, IKF Sprint Gran ...

, Nemesis, 1:29.771 sec. = , July 1, 1997 * SCCA A Sports Racer Race:

Jerry Hansen Gerald Jon 'Jerry' Hansen (Born October 23, 1936 in Minneapolis, Minnesota) is a former racing driver. Hansen has won a record of 27 SCCA National Championship Runoffs, SCCA National Championships. Hansen has also competed in Can-Am, the Atlantic ...

, Lola T333, 1:25.880 sec. = , May 1, 1980 * SCCA

C Sports Racer C Sports Racer (CSR) now known as Prototype 1 (P1) is a class in the Sports Car Club of America. it consists of open top prototype style cars. The maximum displacement is 1615cc, in a 2 valve crossflow engine, with a minimum weight of 1300lbs w/dri ...

Race: Tony Coniewski,

Swift Swift or SWIFT most commonly refers to: * SWIFT, an international organization facilitating transactions between banks ** SWIFT code * Swift (programming language) * Swift (bird), a family of birds It may also refer to: Organizations * SWIFT, ...

, 1:27.130 sec. = , July 4, 2004 * IMSA GTO Race: Joe Pezza,

Ford Mustang The Ford Mustang is a series of American automobiles manufactured by Ford. In continuous production since 1964, the Mustang is currently the longest-produced Ford car nameplate. Currently in its sixth generation, it is the fifth-best selli ...

, 1:32.515 sec. = * IMSA GTU Race: Jim Pace, Nissan 240SX, 1:34.479 sec. = *

FIA FIA is the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (English: International Automobile Federation), the world's governing body for all forms of motor sport where four or more wheels are used. Fia or FIA may also refer to: People * Fia Backs ...

Group 4 Race: Peter Gregg,

Porsche Carrera RSR The original Porsche 911 (pronounced ''nine eleven'', german: Neunelfer) is a luxury sports car made by Porsche AG of Stuttgart, Germany. A prototype of the famous, distinctive, and durable design was shown to the public in autumn 1963. ...

, 1:40.200 sec. = , October 14, 1973 * USAC

Formula Junior Formula Junior is an open wheel formula racing class first adopted in October 1958 by the CSI (''International Sporting Commission'', the part of the FIA that then regulated motorsports). The class was intended to provide an entry level cla ...

Race: Jim Hall, Lotus 18, 1:42.400 sec. = , July 29, 1962

Major events

* NHRA – Dodge//SRT NHRA U.S. Nationals (since 1961) * Camping World Truck Series (formerly Craftsman Truck Series) – TSport 200 (1995–2011, 2022–) *

ARCA Menards Series The ARCA Menards Series is an American stock car series, the premier division of the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA). It is considered a minor, semi-professional league of stock car racing, used as a feeder series into the three nation ...

– Calypso Lemonade 200 (1983–1985, 2011–2012, 2014–2020, 2022–) * Indy Pro 2000 Championship (2010–2016, 2018–) * U.S. F2000 National Championship (2010–2016, 2018–) * USAC Silver Crown Series – Dave Steele Carb Night Classic (since 2015), Hoosier Hundred (2023-)

Former

* Hoosier Grand Prix – USAC RRC,

USAC National Championship From 1956 to 1978, USAC Championship Car seasons featured the top teams and drivers in U.S. open-wheel racing. Until 1971, the Championship contained road courses, ovals, dirt courses, and, on occasion, a hill climb. Thereafter, the schedu ...

IMSA GT IMSA GT was a sports car racing series organized by International Motor Sports Association. Races took place primarily in the United States, and occasionally in Canada. History The series was founded in 1969 by John and Peggy Bishop, and Bill F ...

(1961–1973) * USAC P1 Insurance National Midget Championship – Night before the 500 – (1969–1971, 1974–2014) – Midgets were swapped with Silver Crown cars beginning in 2015. * NASCAR Nationwide Series – Kroger 200 (1982–2011) *

NASCAR Busch North Series The ARCA Menards Series East (formerly Busch East Series, Busch North Series, Camping World East Series, and NASCAR K&N Pro Series East) is a regional stock car racing series owned and operated by the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) and ...

(1987–1990) *

NASCAR Winston Modified Tour The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour (NWMT) (previously the NASCAR Winston Modified Tour and NASCAR Featherlite Modified Series from 1985 until 2005) is a modified stock car racing series owned and operated by NASCAR in the Modified Division. The M ...

(1988–1989) *

Fast Masters Fast Masters was a made-for-television auto racing series, broadcast on ESPN in 1993, featuring notable drivers over the age of 50, most of whom were retired from professional racing at the time. The Fast Masters series was a summer-long eliminatio ...

(1993) * ASA National Tour (1997–2004) * Hooters Pro Cup Series (2001–2002, 2004–2006) * Superstar Racing Experience (2021)

References

External links

*
Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis Page
o
NASCAR.com
{{Lucas Oil Sports venues in Indianapolis Motorsport in Indianapolis NASCAR tracks ARCA Menards Series tracks NHRA Division 3 drag racing venues Motorsport venues in Indiana IMSA GT Championship circuits Lucas Oil Hendricks County, Indiana