Dover Motor Speedway
Oval TrackDelaware, United States
Dover Motor Speedway (known as the Dover International Speedway from 2002 to 2021 and as the Dover Downs International Speedway from 1969 to 2001) is a 1.000 mi (1.609 km) oval track in Dover, Delaware. The venue has hosted major events since its inaugural season in 1969, including NASCAR and IndyCar races. It has a 54,000-seat capacity as of 2022. Adjacent to Bally's Dover, which owns the surrounding property, the speedway itself is owned by Speedway Motorsports, LLC (SMI) and managed by Mike Tatoian. The track opened in 1969 as a combined horse and auto racing facility under the control of David P. Buckson, then-Attorney General of Delaware. The facility, particularly its horse racing endeavors, quickly faced financial troubles but was sustained by its NASCAR events and financial support from then-owner John W. Rollins. Expansion occurred in the 1980s and 1990s, spurred by the rise in popularity of NASCAR in the 1980s and the legalization of slot machines in Delaware in the mid-1990s. In 2002, ownership of the horse racing track and auto racing oval was split, with Dover Motorsports taking over the auto racing oval. Following the Great Recession in the late 2000s, the track downsized. In 2021, SMI acquired Dover Motorsports, taking control of the venue.
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Dover Motor Speedway (known as the Dover International Speedway from 2002 to 2021 and as the Dover Downs International Speedway from 1969 to 2001) is a 1.000 mi (1.609 km) oval track in Dover, Delaware. The venue has hosted major events since its inaugural season in 1969, including NASCAR and IndyCar races. It has a 54,000-seat capacity as of 2022. Adjacent to Bally's Dover, which owns the surrounding property, the speedway itself is owned by Speedway Motorsports, LLC (SMI) and managed by Mike Tatoian. The track opened in 1969 as a combined horse and auto racing facility under the control of David P. Buckson, then-Attorney General of Delaware. The facility, particularly its horse racing endeavors, quickly faced financial troubles but was sustained by its NASCAR events and financial support from then-owner John W. Rollins. Expansion occurred in the 1980s and 1990s, spurred by the rise in popularity of NASCAR in the 1980s and the legalization of slot machines in Delaware in the mid-1990s. In 2002, ownership of the horse racing track and auto racing oval was split, with Dover Motorsports taking over the auto racing oval. Following the Great Recession in the late 2000s, the track downsized. In 2021, SMI acquired Dover Motorsports, taking control of the venue.