When the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series arrived at Maple Grove Raceway this week, it found a significantly longer racetrack.
 
A total of 300 feet of pavement was added to the end of the dragstrip over the summer. With a new 250-foot sand trap, the track, from end to end, is 4,075 feet long. An additional 400 feet is used for runoff.
 
The $150,000 project was started in June and, despite persistent rainy weather, was completed in time for the Toyo Tires NHRA Nationals.

When the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series arrived at Maple Grove Raceway this week, it found a significantly longer racetrack.
 
A total of 300 feet of pavement was added to the end of the dragstrip over the summer. With a new 250-foot sand trap, the track, from end to end, is 4,075 feet long. An additional 400 feet is used for runoff.
 
The $150,000 project was started in June and, despite persistent rainy weather, was completed in time for the Toyo Tires NHRA Nationals.
 
“This shows the further desire of the Stauffer family to invest in the facility and the sport,” said Maple Grove vice president/general manager Lex Dudas.
 
Other improvements included aligning the track’s pavement with Kachel Road, which runs through the strip, and two sets of catch nets that measure 6- and 8-feet, respectively. Concrete retaining walls measuring 52 inches tall – the highest in drag racing – were also added.
 
The improvements make Maple Grove the 10th longest track out of the 22 used on the Full Throttle Series. zMAX Dragway near Charlotte, N.C., is the longest at 6,350.
 

Advertisement