[coverattach=1]In the racing world, it is often heard that race tracks can have personalities and that no two tracks are alike.
None may fit that bill more than Dallas Raceway.
The newest and most state-of-the-art drag racing facility in Texas , Dallas Raceway has been aptly dubbed the “ Concrete Palace ” thanks to its one-of-a-kind all-concrete layout. From the pits to the track to the parking area and everything in between, Dallas Raceway has the distinction of being the only all-concrete national event drag racing facility in the world.
And its owner didn’t hold anything back in creating one of the most talked about drag strips in the southern United States .
“Looking around at other tracks, most of them are 2 0 to 2 5 years old and back then they did it the cheapest way possible and all they had to deal with were some of these smaller rigs,” said Dallas Raceway owner Kenny Barnes. “Things have changed so much; everybody is going with big motor homes, 1 8 -wheelers, trailers and when they go to some of these tracks it starts tearing up the asphalt. We wanted to do something a little different so we created a maintenance free race track.”
And in just a few short weeks, Dallas Raceway and its streets of concrete will make its big debut on the national stage with the running of third Nitro Jam national event of the season, the IHRA Amalie Oil Texas Nationals, May 2 9 - 3 1 . The facility will also host a Summit Racing Equipment Pro-Am Tour presented by Mr. Gasket event Aug. 2 1 - 2 3 .
Sitting in a prime location just a few miles outside of downtown Dallas , Barnes is planning on seeing some big crowds when the world’s fastest cars hit the track for the first time next month.
“All the tracks around Dallas are close to two hours away and you could get racers there, but you couldn’t get the fans there,” Barnes said. “People still want entertainment, but they don’t want to drive two hours to and from the track. We are 2 4 miles from downtown Dallas and 1 4 miles from the interstate putting us in a great location.”
Along with the well documented all-concrete design, Dallas Raceway also has a few other unique features including a 3 , 6 0 0-square foot tower complete with a control room and suites, a massive hospitality center, 1 3 -and-a-half acres of paved concrete pit parking and even a 2 4 million gallon lake stocked full of bass and catfish, adding a little extra incentive for drivers to make an early arrival to the track.
The 1 1 2 -acre facility also has modern, air-conditioned bathrooms, showers, and even a game room, making Dallas Raceway a perfect destination for families.
“We are trying to make a nice track for the fans and for the racers. I have been a racer, they don’t like to park in the mud and be out of the way so we are trying to do the best we can to accommodate the fans and the racers,” Barnes said.
And to do that, Barnes did his homework hoping to create the perfect track without some of the hassles of older facilities.
“We went around and did some surveys on the dos and don’ts hoping to learn from everybody else’s mistakes instead of our own,” Barnes said. “This has been a big project, but things are starting to turn around and I can’t wait to get it up and running.”
None may fit that bill more than Dallas Raceway.
The newest and most state-of-the-art drag racing facility in Texas , Dallas Raceway has been aptly dubbed the “ Concrete Palace ” thanks to its one-of-a-kind all-concrete layout. From the pits to the track to the parking area and everything in between, Dallas Raceway has the distinction of being the only all-concrete national event drag racing facility in the world.
And its owner didn’t hold anything back in creating one of the most talked about drag strips in the southern United States .
“Looking around at other tracks, most of them are 2 0 to 2 5 years old and back then they did it the cheapest way possible and all they had to deal with were some of these smaller rigs,” said Dallas Raceway owner Kenny Barnes. “Things have changed so much; everybody is going with big motor homes, 1 8 -wheelers, trailers and when they go to some of these tracks it starts tearing up the asphalt. We wanted to do something a little different so we created a maintenance free race track.”
And in just a few short weeks, Dallas Raceway and its streets of concrete will make its big debut on the national stage with the running of third Nitro Jam national event of the season, the IHRA Amalie Oil Texas Nationals, May 2 9 - 3 1 . The facility will also host a Summit Racing Equipment Pro-Am Tour presented by Mr. Gasket event Aug. 2 1 - 2 3 .
Sitting in a prime location just a few miles outside of downtown Dallas , Barnes is planning on seeing some big crowds when the world’s fastest cars hit the track for the first time next month.
“All the tracks around Dallas are close to two hours away and you could get racers there, but you couldn’t get the fans there,” Barnes said. “People still want entertainment, but they don’t want to drive two hours to and from the track. We are 2 4 miles from downtown Dallas and 1 4 miles from the interstate putting us in a great location.”
Along with the well documented all-concrete design, Dallas Raceway also has a few other unique features including a 3 , 6 0 0-square foot tower complete with a control room and suites, a massive hospitality center, 1 3 -and-a-half acres of paved concrete pit parking and even a 2 4 million gallon lake stocked full of bass and catfish, adding a little extra incentive for drivers to make an early arrival to the track.
The 1 1 2 -acre facility also has modern, air-conditioned bathrooms, showers, and even a game room, making Dallas Raceway a perfect destination for families.
“We are trying to make a nice track for the fans and for the racers. I have been a racer, they don’t like to park in the mud and be out of the way so we are trying to do the best we can to accommodate the fans and the racers,” Barnes said.
And to do that, Barnes did his homework hoping to create the perfect track without some of the hassles of older facilities.
“We went around and did some surveys on the dos and don’ts hoping to learn from everybody else’s mistakes instead of our own,” Barnes said. “This has been a big project, but things are starting to turn around and I can’t wait to get it up and running.”
![Dallas Raceway 4-6-2009 007[1].jpg](/data/attachments/0/306-32aef045b10e7094fb0ebb664597c996.jpg)
