Tracks Closing. New destinations? (2 Viewers)

[AJSMapleGrove]

It's no secret of tracks closing recently. It's already been talked about a lot. E-town, Atlanta, Houston, RT 66, Firebird. So, what's the future? Maybe it's time to get serious about it. Will NHRA keep shrinking their schedule? Honestly I'd like to see smaller tracks get a shot at a National Event. I see Milan Dragway is now a NHRA member track, yes it needs improvements, but as someone who's seen a IHRA National Event there, Milan can easily host a National Event and even have a throwback feel to it where you don't have huge timing towers and huge grandstands. Plus it's close to the Motor City. I really think Tulsa has a shot to host a National Event too. It stinks sitting here having to wait 3 weeks between Vegas and Houston, and to think next year if Houston is not on the schedule, it may be a whole Month between events. Would be nice to get the schedule back to 24 solid events. Also would like to see track like Charlotte drop a event and give one of their races to Rockingham Dragway. Only Pomona and Vegas should have two events a year.

 

[HEMI6point1]

I read somewhere that Rockingham lost their NHRA sanction because the grandstands were too close to the racing surface? Or something like that.

 

[TSK]

As many times as I’ve been to Tulsa since the early ‘70s, I just don’t think it could be, reasonably, brought up to national event standards.
Divisional meets are one thing.
Besides, how secure is the lease on the Tulsa track?

 

[Cliff]

From Phoenix, all we will have in the future is Tucson. Next closest Nat'l events tracks will be Vegas and Pomona. I wish NHRA would look at Tucson for a Nat'l event. AHRA usta run the AHRA Winternats at the old Tucson track and they got a good crowd. I know that Tucson is leased on the Pima County fairgrounds, so that might be something to have to deal with. I can't think of another place in Arizona that a Nat'l event could be held. Maybe someone with LOTS of $$$ could bring Speedworld back to life, but I ain't holding my breath. Land is soooooo expensive in
Phoenix area.

 

[camaro]

I read somewhere that Rockingham lost their NHRA sanction because the grandstands were too close to the racing surface? Or something like that.

i remember that . . . . . . , it looked like, from the pictures i've seen, if u were in row 1 you were only about 10 feet from were the race car would pass u on the track

 

[TK]

^ Yes, it was absolutely HEAVENLY !!

 

[Chili]

From Phoenix, all we will have in the future is Tucson. Next closest Nat'l events tracks will be Vegas and Pomona. I wish NHRA would look at Tucson for a Nat'l event. AHRA usta run the AHRA Winternats at the old Tucson track and they got a good crowd. I know that Tucson is leased on the Pima County fairgrounds, so that might be something to have to deal with. I can't think of another place in Arizona that a Nat'l event could be held. Maybe someone with LOTS of $$$ could bring Speedworld back to life, but I ain't holding my breath. Land is soooooo expensive in
Phoenix area.

If you get a chance, listen to this weeks Comp Plus pour hour. They had an interview with Jim Hughes, owner of Tucson dragway. He was having a meeting with NHRA about the possibility of hosting National events.

 

[Butch]

Like I've said before, NHRA has to start buying tracks. Being at the mercy of the landowners that a track is on is beginning to show that NHRA
has no guarantee the track will be operating in the future.
As for Milan my 1st. legal drag race, would be a good Div.3 points meet. IDK about a Nat. event.
Also, Dragway 42 has had a lot of $$ put into it. Quaker City was NHRA then dropped was an excellent track for points meets.
Edgewater, another point meet track.
Other then Nat. Trail I can't think of another track in the area that could handle a Nat. Meet.

 

[Al]

COMMENTARY: WITH PHOENIX TRACK CLOSURE, TIME TO CONSIDER TRIMMED NHRA SCHEDULE | Competition Plus

Initially, the news about Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park closing after the NHRA’s 2023 visit there to Chandler, Ariz., sounded terrible. The mere fact the NHRA delivered it in a press release at 11:58 p.m. Pacific Time Friday (2:58 a.m. Eastern Time Saturday) smacks of damage-control...

www.competitionplus.com

There are some good points in this article. Maybe keeping the schedule a bit smaller may help the sport, especially when it comes to getting sponsors, as with a 24 event schedule, it was becoming more difficult. Food for thought.
The closest national event for me to attend (Seattle) is a 12 hour drive away (yes, I know, it is my decision to live here), and less events will create a similar situation for many more people. But do we really need 24 events ?
Having said that, there are many things in the article I don't agree with, such as only 15 events (too little). And running only Friday and Saturday won't work in most (but not all) venues, as they haven't had large sized Friday crowds for years. National events need two "big crowd" days (Saturday and Sunday) to make a profit.
Anyway, like I said, food for thought.

 

[none]

Like I've said before, NHRA has to start buying tracks. Being at the mercy of the landowners that a track is on is beginning to show that NHRA
has no guarantee the track will be operating in the future.
As for Milan my 1st. legal drag race, would be a good Div.3 points meet. IDK about a Nat. event.
Also, Dragway 42 has had a lot of $$ put into it. Quaker City was NHRA then dropped was an excellent track for points meets.
Edgewater, another point meet track.
Other then Nat. Trail I can't think of another track in the area that could handle a Nat. Meet.

NHRA owned Atlanta Dragway. When urban sprawl overruns the racetrack, it doesn't matter who owns the dirt underneath it. You get run out of business.

Billy Meyer told me that when he built the Motorplex he had a 25 year business plan, and he was thinking that he would be overrun in that time. He feels now like he is on borrowed time, but if you have been there then and now, you would know that civilization is getting closer every year.

Alan

 

[Nunz]

NHRA owned Atlanta Dragway. When urban sprawl overruns the racetrack, it doesn't matter who owns the dirt underneath it. You get run out of business.

Billy Meyer told me that when he built the Motorplex he had a 25 year business plan, and he was thinking that he would be overrun in that time. He feels now like he is on borrowed time, but if you have been there then and now, you would know that civilization is getting closer every year.

Alan

Man that's not too encouraging to hear.

 

[Dennis]

I read somewhere that Rockingham lost their NHRA sanction because the grandstands were too close to the racing surface? Or something like that.

I wouldn't doubt it. We used to go to the IHRA events there and you were right on top of the track. We were sitting at about 800 ft or so and a FC hit the timing block at half track. It turned the reflector into a frisbee and it went whizzing past my head. If I was a few feet to the left I would have taken that between the eyes!

 

[Cliff]

If you get a chance, listen to this weeks Comp Plus pour hour. They had an interview with Jim Hughes, owner of Tucson dragway. He was having a meeting with NHRA about the possibility of hosting National events.

Thanks for the heads-up Chris. I just finished listening to the show. Now I wanna see what happens. It would take a number of improvements to bring the track up to par but it could be done. If you look at the history of drag racing in AZ, it goes from Phoenix to Tucson and back again. I used to go to the old Tucson Drags when I first moved to AZ in 1981. That track reminded me of San Fernando a bit, really old school. AHRA had the Winternats there, racers like Garlits & Snake would come to race. When they built the new Tucson track, it was way better than the old one. The Pros used to test at the new Tucson & Kenny Bernstein said it would be a great Nat'l event track.

 

[camaro]

This may be goofy talk, but is it conceivable to hold a NHRA Level drag race on a street course. If Indy car or F1 can covert city streets into a 2 mile or so race track, why couldn’t you find a level half mile straight-a-way, somewhere and covert it into a temporary drag strip. The ‘Street Outlaw’ show does this, of course, but all they require is about an 1/8th mile straight road and a flash light and they’re done
i figure they probably could do this but it wouldn't be cost effective at all

 

[tb]

I read somewhere that Rockingham lost their NHRA sanction because the grandstands were too close to the racing surface? Or something like that.

I am not from the area, but NHRA Division schedule has:
May 20-22 Rockingham Dragway

 

[mike]

NHRA owned Atlanta Dragway. When urban sprawl overruns the racetrack, it doesn't matter who owns the dirt underneath it. You get run out of business.

Billy Meyer told me that when he built the Motorplex he had a 25 year business plan, and he was thinking that he would be overrun in that time. He feels now like he is on borrowed time, but if you have been there then and now, you would know that civilization is getting closer every year.

Alan

Alan who twisted NHRAs arm to sell -it had to be their own choice

 

[Jimbo]

NHRA owned Atlanta Dragway. When urban sprawl overruns the racetrack, it doesn't matter who owns the dirt underneath it. You get run out of business.

Billy Meyer told me that when he built the Motorplex he had a 25 year business plan, and he was thinking that he would be overrun in that time. He feels now like he is on borrowed time, but if you have been there then and now, you would know that civilization is getting closer every year.

Alan

As strange as it sounds, electric cars might be part of the answer, at least as far as noise is concerned. The Highest and Best use formula for land is always going to dictate the best use and ROI

Jim Hill

 

[Pete]

NHRA owned Atlanta Dragway. When urban sprawl overruns the racetrack, it doesn't matter who owns the dirt underneath it. You get run out of business.

Billy Meyer told me that when he built the Motorplex he had a 25 year business plan, and he was thinking that he would be overrun in that time. He feels now like he is on borrowed time, but if you have been there then and now, you would know that civilization is getting closer every year.

Alan

well said Alan. Just a quick story I've probably told before....racing at Epping back in 2005, we had the cops show up at the gate one fine Sunday morning. Extremely long story short, if you've seen the overpass in front of the track (probably from the views looking towards the starting line) thats how you get to RT101, but if you keep going that drops into a populated neighborhood. On the right, there is a couple of rows of townhouses and I guess there was a new owner, that had no clue there was a drag strip less than a mile away. Well, our start engines time was 9:30am and they lost thier mind and called the cops...since then, I believe all new residents of Epping & Brentwood sign disclosures stating they understand there is a loud race track in the vicinity.

I am also curious if circle tracks have a similar issue...in some cases I've heard that 'drag strips are bad, circle tracks are fine'...that doesn't make sense to me

 

[none]

Alan who twisted NHRAs arm to sell -it had to be their own choice

Mike, the track was simply being swallowed up by urban sprawl. I took this picture from the back porch of the tower last year. With apartments being built right there, do you really think there was a choice?

Alan

 

[Jim]

I read somewhere that Rockingham lost their NHRA sanction because the grandstands were too close to the racing surface? Or something like that.

Still listed on the NHRA website as a member track.