25 Reasons to Be Excited About Drag Racing: No. 9 – New and New-Look Tracks are Emerging
Yes, the sport has lost historic and iconic racetracks over the last 10 years. Old Bridge Township Raceway Park in New Jersey, Palm Beach International Raceway (formerly Moroso Motorsports Park) in Florida, Atlanta Dragway in Georgia, Memphis International Raceway in Tennessee, and Houston Raceway Park in Texas are just a handful of the memorable facilities that have closed since the original “25 Reasons” feature was first published.
[Editor’s Note: This story originally appeared in DI #190, the State of Drag Issue, in September/ October of 2024.]
But in that same time, many other tracks have either been rebuilt, renovated, or built entirely new. Even in the face of rising property values, land-hungry property developers, and increasing costs for track owners, the sport has seen numerous business owners step up to the plate to provide places to race across the country.
Dragway 42 in Ohio and GALOT Motorsports Park (formerly Dunn-Benson Dragstrip) in North Carolina are several years into ownership changes that also came with extensive, multi-million-dollar renovations. In the same timeframe, Virginia Motorsports Park in Virginia and Bradenton Motorsports Park in Florida were acquired by racers – Tommy Franklin and Victor Alvarez, respectively – who have continued to pour funds and efforts into those facilities to build them up.
More recently, Flying H Dragstrip has established a new, world-class facility in the Midwest, bringing drag racing back to the Kansas City area. While a rumored NHRA national event there hasn’t panned out yet, the track has hosted an NHRA divisional and a Street Outlaws: No Prep Kings event, while the $150,000-to-win Smackdown, September 19-21, will bring some of the top Pro Mod teams in the country to Flying H.
In July, news broke that father-son racers Doug and Justin Kirk and partner Ronnie Herald purchased the track formerly known as Twin Branch Motorsports Park. Now 304 Motorsports Park, the site is a reclaimed West Virginia coal mine that was never developed past a racing surface and concrete walls. With the WDRA advising the group, they hope to get the track functional in the near future.
Finally, after years of fans and racers criticizing the aging Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, the NHRA-owned facility is getting a facelift. The three-phase project will include a new Wally Parks Tower and renovated suites, fan enhancements, a new entrance, new restrooms, a new ticket office, and a shifting of the pro pits to the west side of the facility. The new tower won’t be ready in time for this year’s 70th annual NHRA U.S. Nationals, instead targeting a 2025 U.S. Nationals debut, but this multi-year renovation project is a huge step in the right direction for one of the sport’s most historic tracks.
This is just scratching the surface when it comes to new tracks, new ownership, and renovations happening all over the U.S. and beyond. As a community, we should do our best to support and celebrate these individuals and groups that are investing in drag racing. It can be as simple as sharing a social media post or attending a weekly test-and-tune. Big or small, we can all play a role in the future of drag racing’s racetracks.
This story was originally published on November 8, 2024.
The post 25 Reasons to Be Excited About Drag Racing: No. 9 – New and New-Look Tracks are Emerging first appeared on Drag Illustrated.
