A little over two years ago, news hit about Sunflower Rod and Custom Association (SRCA) Dragstrip in Great Bend, Kansas closing for the season because of concerns about the recently constructed track surface. The concerns have led to the track not holding a race since April of 2023.

Just over a month ago, the popular Thunder Valley Raceway Park (TVRP) in Noble, Oklahoma would close their gates after the lease expressed tough times and monthly loses were too much to bear.

Recent news has hinted that both tracks are making strides to come back to racing soon, with construction under way at SRCA Dragstrip, and three events scheduled at TVRP.

Since the very beginning of the drag and drive event structure, change has been part of the plan. Each and every year, Hot Rod Drag Week has changed tracks, routes and in some cases, classes.

Since that first event in 2005, over 50 more drag and drive events have been created, and while some follow the same plan of changing tracks at a minimum each year, some have held true to the same tracks, to the appeal of the competitors and spectators alike.

As part of a group of street car enthusiasts for Indiana called Team 260, Adam Hodson has participated in several events, usually with a large crew. From drag and drive events, to no prep-style races, Adam did a lot of events in an 8-second Chevrolet Camaro, usually alongside his Indiana friends.

That crew came into play during the 2020 season of Horsepower Wars, which resulted in the acquisition of the Chevrolet S-10 pick-up. Adam recently guided that truck to the win in Small Tire at the Back To The Streets drag and drive, and now is preparing for back-to-back events in Michigan, including Roadkill Nights and Sick Michigan Miles.  

After news of at least three race tracks closing for various reasons in 2025, including two in the last month, it’s refreshing to hear of a track announcing plans for re-opening for the remainder of the 2025 calendar year, as well as future plans.

That’s the case for Pine Valley Raceway in Texas, which announced their future plans on both their website and social media yesterday.