Anderson Speedway is a quarter mile (400 m) high-banked paved oval racetrack in Anderson, Indiana, United States.
The track hosts the annual Little 500 sprint car race and the Redbud 400 stock car race. Weekly racing features several stock car divisions, Including: Minicups (also known as Supercups), Legends, Asphalt Late Models, Super Late Models, Street Stocks, Asphalt Sprint cars, and Winged Asphalt Sprint Cars. In 2021, midget races returned after ten years of absence.
The corners are banked at 17 degrees. The 2010 track record of 10.28 seconds in a winged sprint car was the world record for quarter-mile paved ovals[1] until a sprint car driver qualified at Slinger Speedway in 9.909 seconds in August 2010.[2]
The premier stock car race at Anderson is the Redbud 400, a 400-lap super late model race held since 1967. It was sanctioned by the American Speed Association from 1969 to 1999 before the original tour ended. The race is part of the ARCA/CRA Super Series since 2001, and in 2023 it will be co-sanctioned by the new ASA STARS National Tour. Originally held in August, the event is currently held in mid July.
The quote, "It's like racing jet fighters in a gym", is attributed to noted short track driver Dick Trickle concerning racing ASA stock cars at the track.[3]
Notable winners include Tiny Lund, Mark Martin, Alan Kulwicki, Dick Trickle, Kyle Busch, Daniel Hemric and Erik Jones.
The track hosts the annual Pay Less Little 500 presented by UAW on the Saturday of the Memorial Day weekend, the night before the Indianapolis 500. At 500 laps, or 125 miles, the race is unusually long for sprint car races (typically races are between 10 and 50 miles), and is considered one of the premier wingless asphalt sprint car races.
The field consists of 33 cars lined up in eleven rows of three, mimicking the traditional Indy 500 lineup. Likewise, qualifying is held over four consecutive laps. Many eventual Indy 500 drivers competed in the Little 500 over the years. The 70th edition of the Pay Less Little 500 presented by UAW-GM paid out over $125,150 to the field.[4] The 72nd edition, held in 2020, was moved to September because of county governmental regulations.
In 2022, the race became part of the 500 Sprint Car Tour, a new ten-event pavement sprint tour at Anderson, Lucas Oil Raceway, Berlin Speedway (MI), and other stops. All races use identical specifications and share rules, except for the Little 500 with its formation (eleven rows of three).