History
The Stardust hotel's owners opened the raceway in late 1965 on desert land west of the Strip, pairing a 3-mile road course with a drag strip. It quickly landed the Can-Am season finale, won by John Surtees in 1966 and 1967 and by Denny Hulme in 1968, along with USRRC, Trans-Am and a single USAC Indy car race won by Bobby Unser.
After the hotel and track were sold in 1969, road racing stopped, and drag racing continued only intermittently. Pardee Homes bought the land in 1970 and built houses that became part of Spring Valley; the drag strip's last races were in 1971.
Why it matters: A casino-funded circuit that briefly made Las Vegas a stop for the sport's top sports car series.
Timeline
- July 25, 1965Groundbreaking[1]
Groundbreaking.
- November 1965
Track opens.
- 1966
The track hosted the first of three Can-Am season finales; John Surtees won.
- March 31, 1968USAC Stardust 150[1]
Bobby Unser won the only Indy car race at the track.
- January 1969
The hotel and raceway were sold; the road course shut soon after.
- August 1970Land sold for housing[1]
Pardee Homes acquired the property.
- October 1971Drag racing ends[1]
Drag racing ends.
The site today
| Physical status | Site redeveloped |
|---|---|
| Current use | Residential: Pardee Homes built part of the Spring Valley community on the land.[1,2] |
| Mapped location | Former venue site |
Street View near the former site · Satellite view (external, current imagery)
Venue facts
| Location | Spring Valley (Las Vegas Valley), Nevada |
|---|---|
| Venue type | Racetrack |
| Sports | Motorsports |
| Level | Can-Am, USRRC, USAC, Trans-Am, NHRA |
| Opened | November 1965[1,2] |
| Last used for sports | October 1971[1,2] |
| Physical status | Site redeveloped |
| Surface | Asphalt |
| Owner / operator | Stardust Racing Association (to 1968); Parvin-Dohrmann Corporation (from 1969) |
| Closure | The property was sold with the Stardust hotel in 1969 and then to a homebuilder. |
Documented details
- Bruce McLaren set the road course lap record of 1:30.950 in 1968.[1]
Sources
- Stardust International Raceway, Wikipedia. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: closed, coordinates, current land use, events, opened
- #TBT Stardust International Raceway 1965-1970, Sports Car Club of America. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: closed, current land use, opened
Research confidence
Some facts on this page rely on a single source or are still being corroborated. Treat specific dates and figures with care. Last reviewed 2026-10-19.
Where sources disagree (1)
- SCCA says drag racing ended in 1970; Wikipedia says October 1971.
See something wrong or missing? Suggest a correction or submit a source.