hindesky Posted July 14, 2021 Share Posted July 14, 2021 Houston reddit u/gt35r posted.... https://www.speedsport.com/drag-racing/nhra/houston-raceway-park-to-close-in-2022/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mkultra25 Posted July 15, 2021 Share Posted July 15, 2021 (edited) AutoWeek ran the same article yesterday. Sucks that Houston is losing an NHRA National event, let alone all of the other events that run there. It's hard to tell if the property owners got an offer they couldn't refuse, or if they just decided that 35 years was a good run and it was time to pack it in. I wonder if anyone else will decide to build another track in the Houston area capable of hosting National events, or if the economics just don't make sense anymore for new venues. NHRA teams have certainly had some sponsorship woes in recent years, and there's the uncertainty surrounding the looming transition in the automotive industry from internal combustion engines to EVs. EVs are certainly not lacking in speed, and the NHRA has a new EV class debuting next year, but it's sure not the same thing as seeing, hearing, and feeling a Top Fuel car going down the track at full chat. Update: Not long after posting the above, I ran across a new piece in AW with a lot more details regarding what led to the sale. A Belgian logistics service provider needed additional warehouse space, and had engaged the track owners in talks back in 2018, which ultimately led to a sale agreement in 2019 with a four-year leaseback provision which expires next year. There were apparently subsequent discussions about extending the leaseback another two years, but that ultimately did not come to pass. Why NHRA-affiliated Houston Raceway Park Is Closing in 2022 Edited July 16, 2021 by mkultra25 added new info 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nate99 Posted January 5, 2022 Share Posted January 5, 2022 It's a testament to the metro area's growth. The track was way off in the middle of nowhere beyond a bunch of industrial stuff when it was built, but Houston caught up to it. They could build another strip up 59 in the Earthquest/DinosaurLand zone, it might hang on another 30 years before being overrun. Not sure where else you would put one that could host an NHRA national event, the nitromethane cars make jet engines sound tame. The track in Ennis is off Highway 287, not close to anything. Other national tracks are similarly located away from most everything else, with the exception of Concord, NC (outside Charlotte), where they love motorsports more than a quiet home and Pomona, CA that has persisted for a long time from the very first attempts at organization of drag racing as something other than an illegal backroad thing. 2022 NHRA Schedule & Tickets | NHRA 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hindesky Posted April 18, 2022 Author Share Posted April 18, 2022 Last race at the track will be held this weekend. Baytown area is brimming with old and proposed warehouses due to it being so close to the port of Houston. Houston Chronicle has a story about it..... "The land will be used for warehouse space for Katoen Natie, an international logistics service provider headquartered in Antwerp, Belgium." https://www.houstonchronicle.com/texas-sports-nation/general/article/NHRA-drivers-are-flooded-with-memories-as-Houston-17086932.php 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hindesky Posted April 5, 2023 Author Share Posted April 5, 2023 Coming down. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pleak Posted April 5, 2023 Share Posted April 5, 2023 Bummer to see this. Remember seeing concerts there in early 90's. Think it was Metallica, Candlebox, et al. Hot as blazes but definitely a good time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DotCom Posted April 12, 2023 Share Posted April 12, 2023 https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/article/houston-raceway-park-baytown-demolition-17882635.php Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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