The NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series held its last event at the famous Houston Raceway Park last weekend. The Texas dragstrip is set to close after hosting a final HPT Shootout event on April 1st. One could only wish this was an April Fools’ joke.
On July 14, 2021, Houston Raceway Park and the NHRA announced that the facility will permanently be closing after the 2022 NHRA SpringNationals event. The property is set to be repurposed for an industrial business park expansion. However, an extended contract allowed the Houston Raceway to schedule events through the spring of 2023. Now, it’s time is up.
As posted on the Houston Raceway Park’s Facebook page, “The end of an era is on the horizon for Houston Raceway Park. Following our spring 2023 race calendar, we will turn the page in history, when we officially close the doors to drag racing in Baytown, TX. It has been an amazing 35-year run. Simply put, thank you to our fans, our sponsors, and all our stakeholders who were integral in our drag racing journey.”
The Houston Raceway Park’s quarter mile drag strip that was once called the Royal Purple Raceway opened in 1988. The expansive facility has seating capacity for over 30,000 spectators and its pit area holds around 400 race cars. The drag strip also has a three-story building that accommodates 23 VIP suites, race control facilities and a media center. Its sea-level location at the top of Trinity Bay creates an oxygen-rich environment perfect for racing, and the track has a renowned reputation for being one of the fastest tracks on the NHRA circuit.
Many special moments in racing history went down at the Houston Raceway. The NHRA saw its first four-second run at 4.99, set by Gene Snow in 1988, shortly after the track opened. That record was beaten on the same day by Eddie Hill with a 4.93-second run during the final round of Top Fuel racing. The raceway also saw first-time victories for future multi-time world champions Scott Kalitta and Jeg Coughlin Jr., Michael Phillips becoming the first African American to win in a pro category in 1997, and Larry Dixon’s first quarter-mile pass under 4.5-seconds in 1999.
Top Dragster racer Jessica Ogden took to her Facebook page with final thoughts around the racetrack’s closing: “This track has been such a big part of my life as it has been for many others! Leaving today, for the very last time, was bittersweet and I’m still in disbelief that I will never be able to go back to that track. Houston Raceway Park is where it all started for me, from watching my dad race to me starting in juniors and working my way up to big cars. So many memories made here that I’m forever grateful for. We will miss this home track dearly.”
When the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event came to a close, announcer Chris Monaghan gave an emotional sendoff that was shared on CompetitionPlusTV’s YouTube channel. Turn up the volume:
Announcer Chris Monaghan delivers emotional goodbye to Houston Raceway Park, one final time