Thomas County Speedway

About Thomas County Speedway

Thomas County Speedway is a 3/8 mile progressive banked clay oval at 480 South Range Avenue in Colby, Kansas, on the county fairgrounds. It runs IMCA sanctioned racing on Friday nights and it is one of only two dirt tracks left in the northwest corner of the state. For anyone traveling I-70 across western Kansas, this and Sherman County Speedway in Goodland, 34 miles west, are the racing options.

Progressive Banking on the High Plains

The progressive banking is the technical detail that matters here. Rather than one fixed angle across the racing surface, the banking increases toward the outside wall, which lets drivers run the bottom, middle or top depending on how the track takes rubber through the night. On a 3/8 mile oval that produces genuine multiple groove racing rather than a single fast lane, and it is why car counts hold up in classes where the racing could otherwise get single file.

Colby calls itself the Oasis on the Plains, and the speedway fits that description for racers in this part of the state. Thomas County has about seven thousand people. A track this size operating on a fairgrounds in a county that size runs on volunteer labor and local sponsorship, not on gate receipts alone.

Racing and Classes

The weekly card is built on IMCA divisions: Modifieds, Stock Cars, Northern Sport Mods, Hobby Stocks and Sport Compacts. Cruisers have also run as a local budget class. Points count toward the IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing Series, so drivers here are chasing regional and national standings alongside the track title.

Sprint cars come through as well. The United Rebel Sprint Series, the regional 360 sprint tour that serves western Kansas and the surrounding states, has Colby on its schedule, and those nights draw the biggest crowds of the regular season.

The season is compact. Racing is on Friday nights, and championship night usually falls in early August rather than in September, which is earlier than most Kansas tracks. Plan accordingly if you are trying to catch a points race here.

Fair Week and the Jeff Hartwell Memorial

Two dates stand out on the calendar. The Thomas County Fair races in late July put the speedway in front of a crowd that comes for fair week generally, which makes it the best night of the year to bring people who have never been to a dirt track.

The other is the Jeff Hartwell Memorial, run in combination with championship night in early August. It closes out the points season and crowns track champions across the divisions.

Getting There and What to Know

Colby sits on I-70 in Thomas County, and the fairgrounds are on South Range Avenue on the south side of town. The track phone is 785-269-7688.

One practical note. There is no standalone website for this track. Schedules, results and cancellations run through the track’s Facebook page and its MyRacePass listing, and those are the two places to check before making the drive. Western Kansas weather moves fast, and Friday programs do get called.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is the track?

It is a 3/8 mile progressive banked clay oval.

What does progressive banking mean?

The banking angle increases as you move up the track toward the outside wall, instead of staying constant. It gives drivers more than one usable groove and generally produces better side by side racing.

What night does Thomas County Speedway race?

Friday nights during the season.

What classes race there?

IMCA Modifieds, Stock Cars, Northern Sport Mods, Hobby Stocks and Sport Compacts, with Cruisers as a local class and United Rebel Sprint Series sprint cars for specials.

When is the biggest event?

Fair week in late July, followed by the Jeff Hartwell Memorial and championship night in early August.

Where is Thomas County Speedway located?

480 South Range Avenue, Colby, Kansas 67701, at the Thomas County Fairgrounds just off I-70. The track phone is 785-269-7688.

How do I find the schedule?

The track’s Facebook page and its MyRacePass listing carry current dates, results and cancellations. There is no separate track website.

Phone: 785-269-7688

More information on Thomas County Speedway; Click here https://www.facebook.com/thomascountyspeedway/

For more venues click here: https://www.plainspowersports.com/category/auto/