After hosting the SpringNationals for more than three decades, officials announced that the Houston Raceway Park had been sold to a Belgium-headquartered service provider for an expanding port development. A staple for the NHRA Camping World Series tour for thirty-five years, the historic event will no longer be run at the Baytown facility. This makes the fourth NHRA race track that has been lost over the past four years.
The news on Wednesday was met with mixed emotions by NHRA drag racing fans. On the one hand, they will always cherish the amazing memories that started in 1988 when Houston Raceway Park hosted its first national event. Nonetheless, racers never want to lose such a storied event. The famed Old Bridge Township Raceway Park at Englishtown, Chicago’s Route 66 Raceway, and Atlanta Dragway in Commerce GA had already gone the way of the famed Houston facility.
Since the start of the pandemic, many track owners including the National Hot Rod Association have been forced to make critical decisions about historic venues that were originally built decades ago on real estate that was far from the madding crowd. After thirty-five years of spectacular drag racing events and a frequent host of two nationals a year, Houston Raceway Park will be repurposed into a 500 acre industrial park. While some people may be glad to see it go, lost tracks often lead to an increase in illegal forms of street racing.
Brittany Force Breaks Track Record at Baytown
In qualifying for the historic final race at Houston Raceway Park, Brittany started the ball rolling on Friday by breaking her own track record with 3.695 ET and a top speed of 333.58 mph. Nothing new for Force she has been posting big speeds in 2022. But, the defending four-time NHRA Top Fuel champion, Steve Torrence, was not to be denied and posted a quicker 3.693 ET to better Force’s faster run in qualifying. The Texan was definitely hoping to adorn his ten-gallon hat on the podium.
Starting the elimination rounds in second spot, Force and her Monster Energy team consistently worked past Josh Hart, Shawn Langdon, and Billy Torrence to face off with Justin Ashley in her second final round of the season. Brittany claimed a holeshot win over Ashley with .041 reaction time to post a slower 3.767 ET to Justin’s 3.763 ET at a faster 329.58 mph. The win gave Force a 32 point lead in Top Fuel over four-time defending champion Steve Torrence.
Matt Hagan Claims 41st Career Win at SpringNationals
Three-time world champion Matt Hagan gave Tony Stewart Racing a second win in the team’s inaugural season competing in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series. Hagan drove his Dodge Power Brokers Charger to victory at the 35th annual NHRA SpringNationals at Houston Raceway Park. Nonetheless, the road to the Finals is never easy. After eliminating John Force in the opener, next up was the number one qualifier and defending NHRA funny car champion Ron Capps.
Capps smoked his tires as Hagan took the win. In the semifinal, JR Todd lost an engine at the start and Hagan advanced to his 75th career final round with a match up against rookie driver Bobby Bode who was competing in his first career final round. But, Hagan wouldn’t be denied and posted a 3.982 ET at 326.63 mph while Bode dropped a cylinder and blew his supercharger to smithereens. It was TSR’s fourth final round in five events giving Hagan the points lead in Nitro Funny Car.
COMING UP NEXT:
NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at Charlotte
Drivers will head east and take to the track for next weekend's event at zMAX Dragway in Charlotte NC for the Circle K NHRA Four-Wide Nationals on April 29-May 1.
