Bruton’s Texas track to get world’s ‘finest drag strip’

Thursday, July 22, 1999 | 9:39 a.m.

Las Vegas Motor Speedway's new drag strip held the title as the world's finest facility of its kind for less than 24 hours.

Shortly after the announcement that LVMS would begin construction on a $10 million state-of-the-art dragway to host an annual National Hot Rod Association national event next April, Texas Motor Speedway announced plans for what TMS vice president Eddie Gossage is calling "the finest drag strip in the world."

Both Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Texas Motor Speedway are owned by Bruton Smith's Speedway Motorsports Inc., but LVMS general manager Chris Powell said he was not offended by the proximity of Texas' announcement to his.

"I don't know that we have had any thunder stolen (from our announcement)," Powell said Wednesday. "We're very excited about our NHRA date and the drag-racing facility that we're now in the process of building.

"The Las Vegas drag-racing facility and NHRA date will stand on their own merits. We're very proud of what we have got."

Smith, chairman of SMI, said he is going ahead with plans to build the drag strip at Texas Motor Speedway despite the fact that neighboring Texas Motorplex in Ennis, Texas, has a 15-year exclusive agreement with the NHRA for national events in a 150-mile radius.

Former NHRA Funny Car driver Billy Meyer, who owns Texas Motorplex and has a standing agreement with the NHRA, reportedly is trying to finalize financing for the construction of a $74 million drag-racing facility in Grand Prairie, Texas, to replace the Texas Motorplex.

NHRA president Dallas Gardner said Smith is aware of the organization's contractual agreement with Meyer.

"I would be surprised if (Speedway Motorsports) would do it," Gardner said of the proposed facility at TMS. "It would make no business sense."

It is believed, however, that there is a clause in the agreement between the NHRA and Meyer that if Texas Motorplex is not upgraded and the Grand Prairie project falls through, that the NHRA can end its agreement with Meyer.

Gossage said the new drag strip at TMS would be operational in less than two years, but did not say the facility would host an NHRA national event. "All I know is we will run drag races and we will fill the stands," Gossage said. "I assure you of that."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.