Our normal Friday excuse to go home early and drink has been aimed at a reason to drown our sorrows, but in keeping with the celebratory nature of Brian’s story last week about new 2010 Camaros actually being built, I give you another upbeat excuse to cut out early and guzzle: there’s a new dragstrip being built! Dallas Raceway in Crandall, Texas, will be opening its gates for the first time April 9-12 for test and tune. While it’s not an IHRA national event, that will be coming later. In an effort to provide gription for the IHRA’s Top Fuel, Pro Mod, and Pro Stock entries, Dallas Raceway will hold test and tune sessions throughout April and May leading up to the Amalie Oil Texas Nationals presented by Napa Auto Parts. Weekly racing events will keep their current schedule full through October 30th.
Don’t let the virtually limitless number of test dates make you think there won’t be killer racing action to watch, as Texas Outlaw Back-half, Texas True 10.5, and Pro Mods will all be racing in April and May. After Dallas Raceway’s first National Event, you will find plenty of racing action week in and week out. If you are thinking about running your own car out at Dallas Raceway you’ll be pleased to know that the facility boasts 1,320 feet of smooth southern concrete to race on, and over 2,500 feet of it to stop on. In addition to an all-concrete racing surface, the pits, grandstand areas and staging lanes are concrete as well. Dallas Raceway boasts that it “is the newest and most state-of-the-art drag racing facility in Texas.” So take that Billy Meyer and the Motorplex. I for one am excited to see it and run on it. As of January 26, 2009, the racing surface, pits, staging lanes and grandstands were complete. The tower has been finished, and support buildings appear to be complete as well. We have a team of supporters who are going to be attending the inaugural day of testing and we’ll bring you reports as they come in.
Given the usual news of closures, lawsuits, city council meetings, and noise ordinances that surround dragstrips today, it is great to see that the fine folks at Dallas Raceway are persevering. With the reputation Texas has earned for having some of the country’s fastest cars and fastest tracks, we hope that Dallas Raceway adds to the history built by tracks such as the Motorplex and Texas Raceway. We wish them luck in the future, and hope we can make it out to tear up the 1,320 in Texas sometime soon. It is with great pleasure that I raise my glass this fine Friday, and tell you all, drag racing is ALIVE!
