The site on Florida State Road 33, just north of Interstate 4 exit 38, had a motorsport history predating USA International Speedway itself. Lakeland Interstate Speedway, also known as Lakeland International Speedway, opened on the property in 1971. That earlier oval gained unusual notoriety in 1977 when it hosted Florida Sunfest, a music festival billed as the largest in Florida history, attracting more than 100,000 fans across 20 acts including Jimmy Buffett. The festival was organized by Richard Flanzer of AtlanticPacific Music.
When USA International Speedway opened in 1995, it replaced the older facility with a purpose-built 0.75-mile concrete oval featuring 14-degree banked turns — a configuration well-suited to the American stock car short-track series that would become its primary tenants.
The speedway served as both a championship venue and a regular-season stop for several American racing circuits. The USAR Hooters Pro Cup Series used the track in two distinct roles: an early-March race and the season-finale championship event held in mid to late November. The track also functioned as a test venue for the ARCA Racing Series, the CRA Super Series, and, at various points, the NASCAR Cup Series.
In national competition, USA International Speedway hosted three NASCAR Southeast Series events between 1999 and 2001, and five ASA National Tour races between 2000 and 2004. All race winners in those events had NASCAR experience: Gary St. Amant, Mike Garvey, and Joey Clanton each took one victory, while Butch Miller won twice.
The speedway's most historically significant race in terms of career impact came in 2007, when it hosted a single ARCA Racing Series event — the Construct Corps–Palm Beach Grading 250. The race required an extension from 250 to 253 laps to accommodate a green-white-checker finish. The winner was James Buescher, who went on to become NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion; his Lakeland victory made him the youngest winner in ARCA Racing Series history at the time.
The track's longest-running series relationship was with the CARS X-1R Pro Cup Series, which held 40 events at the facility between 1997 and 2008. Among the drivers who won Pro Cup races there were several who became prominent at higher NASCAR levels, including Brian Vickers and Joey Logano, alongside regulars such as Chad Chaffin, Mario Gosselin, Sean Murphy, Michael Ritch, Scott Wimmer, Bobby Gill, Shane Huffman, Clay Rogers, and Benny Gordon.
The Cale Yarborough Executive Racing School also operated at the track, using the facility for driver training.
The speedway closed mid-season in 2008; its final race was run on August 2 of that year. In 2010, the grandstands and control tower were removed. By early 2012, the track had been completely demolished. An Amazon warehouse now occupies the property.