A Brand-New Drag Strip Getting Built in Texas, as Plans for Concho Valley Dragway in San Angelo Are Revealed
After news of several tracks closing last year, 2024 has been off to a solid start with news of tracks not only being re-opened, but also upgraded their facilities and surfaces.
There’s even been news of a couple new tracks under construction, and now we have news of a third due to open this year!
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San Angelo, Texas, located within four hours of major Texas cities San Antonio, Austin, Fort Worth and Dallas, will be the site of the newest drag strip in the United States, Concho Valley Dragway.
And although an announcement was made a couple months ago about the decision on the track, the forces behind the decision and its reasoning felt it deserved some attention.
Justin Harvey, a local business owner and previous cart track manager in Texas, had a live stream on Facebook Wednesday April 10 to discuss some of the particulars of the track.
“I’m just one of many involved in the track,” said Harvey during the first live stream. Noting Terance Harrison, Mark and Jared Winger, as well as some silent partners and help, Harvey admitted the amount of street racing around the area had gotten to such a peak, that either a street permit to do something, or building a race track were the likely solutions.
Thankfully, Jared Winger had some property to donate towards the cause, and Concho Valley Dragway was conceived.
It will be an eighth-mile drag strip, 2100 feet in total length, and the first 100 feet of track being concrete, then transitioning to asphalt. The smaller concrete area is “due to funding,” according to Harvey. “We hope in the future we get enough support to rip out the asphalt and convert it to concrete.”
The track will also feature concrete retaining walls, and a nearly 1500-foot shutdown area, that is also uphill to aid in slowing down, and there will also be a sand trap at the end.
The land will allow room for expansion if demand shows a bigger track is needed. “We have positioned the track where we can expand 1000 foot to the north and 1000 foot to the south,” Harvey noted, commenting on if the track could be opened up to quarter-mile racing.
The current proposed opening date will be in June 2024, and Harvey hinted the track might open before a timing system is completely in place. They will also entertain both prepped and no-prepped events, and there’s already an inquiry about possible sanctioning with the International Hot Rod Association (IHRA).
The venue will be a multi-use facility, with plans of a large concert happening in 2024 or possibly 2025. For more information and updates, visit the Concho Valley Dragway Facebook page here.
Written by Derek Putnam. Photos courtesy of Concho Valley Dragway.
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