Walt Disney World Speedway

Lake Buena Vista, Florida: Tucked away in the fourth largest parking lot in the world lies a hidden gem of Walt Disney World. The Walt Disney World Speedway comes to life daily as race fans life out their dreams of getting behind the wheel of race car.

Built in 1995, the speedway was built to host sanctioned races. The one mile asphalt tri-oval was designed by IMS and was dedicated in late 1995.

It didn't take long for the speedway to host their first event as they held the Indy 200 at Walt Disney World in January 1996. They would continue to host the Indy Racing League through 2000. In 1997, the speedway added a second event as they added the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in 1997 and 1998.

Unfortunately sanction events would not last long. Scheduling conflicts, parking and crowd control issues and big accidents caused sanction racing to come to an end at the conclusion of the 2000 season.

With the loss of sanction events, the future of the speedway was uncertain until Richard Petty Enterprises stepped in and opened a driving school. The Richard Petty Driving Experience allows race fans to step inside a race car a witness what it is like to drive around the track at 180 mph. From a two lap ride around with a professional driver to a full experience where you drive the car in race conditions, there are plenty of packages to help you get on the track. Even if you aren't up to driving the car, fans can watch the action for free from the infield seating gallery.

Although the Walt Disney World Speedway no longer hosts sanctioned race events, there is still plenty of racing excitement to enjoy. Click on the photo above to view my Walt Disney World Speedway photo gallery.

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