Houston Raceway Park (2 Viewers)

[Chili]

Saw this on Instagram. Sounds like they won’t be hosting an NHRA event after 2022.

 

[andujar]

End Of An Era: Houston Raceway Park Announces Closure In Spring '22

Immediately following the 35th running of the Mopar Express Lane NHRA SpringNationals, the new property owners will repurpose the drag racing complex into an industrial business park.

www.dragzine.com

 

[TSK]

It sucks that yet another long-time facility is being "repurposed."
But, if the property is more valuable as an industrial park, I guess I can't blame the new owners.
Soon to follow; news stories out of Houston reporting a dramatic increase in street racing.

 

[NitroWill]

Not cool. Sad day indeed.....

1988 Fram Supernationals...memory lane!

 

[Al]

Just what the world needs- another "Industrial Business Park". A real shame.
But I did say when the pandemic hit, we may lose some racetracks when the loss of revenue puts them over the edge. I don't know if that is the case here but let's hope this doesn't continue.
Interesting that there is continued mention of the Tulsa facility. Hopefully they can make any necessary upgrades to host a national event.

 

[Chili]

Maybe some good news is on the way. Circuit of America’s in Austin is interested in building a drag strip. Alexis Dejoria was on WFO today and said that was a real possibility.

 

[Jim]

But I did say when the pandemic hit, we may lose some racetracks when the loss of revenue puts them over the edge. I don't know if that is the case here but let's hope this doesn't continue.

We will continue to lose race tracks as the current owners get older and become more concerned with their retirement, and the track is worth more as land than it is as a drag strip.

 

[Paul]

This sucks, each of my 7 years when I lived in Houston I would attend this race. Glad they are having one final one, I will be flying in to be a part of the final. Sucks losing tracks. I hope we can get Rt. 66 back on the schedule next year, they are running dirt races this year, which is located on the same property as the drag strip.

 

[Cliff]

I had the chance to go to a race here a few years back. Place really made a good impression on me. Well, add this to the list of "tracks I have been to" that ain't her no more.

 

[vegasnitro]

I went to Houston this year and watched it rain, so the good news is, I already have tickets for next year's race (rain checks from this year)!!!

Bad news is, it will be the last.

 

[Notch1320]

At least they're having a "last drag race" unlike Englishtown who dropped off the schedule abruptly. The talk about a drag strip being built on the Circuit of the Americas property has some legs, Alexis' dad is one of the big investors in the track and she lives in Austin, it will be interesting to see what happens.

 

[tb]

Weren't their rumors that Houston was going to close several years ago. Or do I have that mixed up with another track.

 

[Cliff]

Terry I think you're right. The track had problems with the company next door, who had a lot of rock dust going onto the track surface. Track sued and won, but there was a danger of the track closing. Don't remember all the details.

 

[Jim]

Weren't their rumors that Houston was going to close several years ago. Or do I have that mixed up with another track.

According to Susan Wade's article in Autoweek, the land was sold back in 2019 but the Angel family leased the land so they could keep operating the track until 2022. The lease expires after the national in 2022.

Why NHRA-affiliated Houston Raceway Park Is Closing in 2022

Racing facility in Baytown, Texas, has hosted Camping World NHRA Drag Racing national events for more than 3 decades.

www.autoweek.com

Jim

 

[sammi]

COTA

 

[ol21stud]

Regarding the Circuit of the Americas dragstrip idea while trying to stay out of the political side of this…
Do you think the growing tree hugger/anti internal combustion engine folks that seem to have overtaken Austin could ever give the track enough grief that it would stop certain types of racing? Some road races already have electric car classes that the “green people” tend to favor (if they favor anything about motor racing at all). I would think Austin’s tree huggers would go after NHRA’s premier classes with big engines, toxic fumes and low mpg way before harassing the small motor F1 and other classes.
I know there is big money behind the Circuit of the Americas, but if the tree huggers attack those same investors businesses, who knows what damage they could do to a drag track. They are already trying to make it so we can’t make a racecar out of your grandma’s old car.

 

[z28]

The folks in Austin may be more liberal than other Texans but they're not dumb:
Circuit of The Americas' economic impact by the numbers:

• $5 billion: COTA's cumulative economic impact on the Austin metro area.
• $423 million: Direct visitor spending injected into Austin-area businesses during COTA events.
• $306 million: Annual payroll for Austin-area workers attributable to COTA's annual activities and operations.
• $53.2 million: State tax surplus created by tax revenue generated by COTA events
• $810 million: Economic impact attributed directly to COTA operations.
• $3.1 billion: Economic impact for all other major sporting events, including F1, MotoGP, X Games, and more.
• $36 million: Economic impact of concerts and events at Austin360 Amphitheater.
• $14 million: Economic impact of track rentals and other miscellaneous events.
• 46,100: Jobs supported by COTA's annual activities and operations.

 

[T.Smith]

The folks in Austin may be more liberal than other Texans but they're not dumb:
Circuit of The Americas' economic impact by the numbers:

• $5 billion: COTA's cumulative economic impact on the Austin metro area.
• $423 million: Direct visitor spending injected into Austin-area businesses during COTA events.
• $306 million: Annual payroll for Austin-area workers attributable to COTA's annual activities and operations.
• $53.2 million: State tax surplus created by tax revenue generated by COTA events
• $810 million: Economic impact attributed directly to COTA operations.
• $3.1 billion: Economic impact for all other major sporting events, including F1, MotoGP, X Games, and more.
• $36 million: Economic impact of concerts and events at Austin360 Amphitheater.
• $14 million: Economic impact of track rentals and other miscellaneous events.
• 46,100: Jobs supported by COTA's annual activities and operations.

There you go ruining a perfectly good narrative.

 

[ol21stud]

Ken Bode, I didn't mean to imply that ALL Austin, TX residents were dumb... just enough of their tree hugger community to screw up NHRA's nitro show should it go there. Yesterday Disney World just cancelled their popular "Very Merry Christmas" parade and promotion due to the same type of attacks.
Speaking of "dumb". I hate to admit that being a young guy in 1972, I bought the national media's BS that "The world will run out of oil by 1984". Being a good citizen, I traded my highly loved 1970 Swinger 340 for a Pinto so I would get that better gas mileage and "Save the World". 50 Years later and I'm still mad that I bought their lies.
(At least it wasn't an oil eating Vega and no I didn't own one of the 11 Pintos that became fireballs after being rear ended.) Guess this all falls under: "You can't fix stupid." and unfortunately, stupid still exists.

 

[Cliff]

Phil, I bought my first new car in 1971 - a Pinto. But I was glad I had it when the gas crisis hit & could only buy gas on odd or even days, depending on license plate. "Max 10 gallons". BTW, the "crisis" was BS & we all knew it, like stuff going on today. arghhhhh