Billy Meyer’s Texas Motorplex was built on horsepower, but this year’s biggest roar came from guitars and amplifiers.
In a bold twist to drag racing tradition, Meyer and his daughter, Christie Meyer Johnson, have turned pre-event concerts into the driving force behind record attendance for the annual Stampede of Speed and the NHRA Texas FallNationals. What began as a creative experiment has evolved into a Texas-sized entertainment blueprint — one that’s drawing tens of thousands of new fans to the sport.
Over three nights of music, Meyer and his team delivered a festival that blended country music, bull riding, lantern lightings, and bursts of nitro thunder between sets. “We do a Texas country night, then a modern country night, and then a 1990s country night,” Meyer said. “Saturday night we had the lantern lighting, where 20,000 of them went into the air, and in between sets, we ran drag racing. It’s teaching new people what this sport is about.”
The results were staggering even by Motorplex standards. “That was 9,000 people in the grandstands just to watch four Funny Cars run,” Meyer said. “We’re trying to get new drag race fans, and the way to do it is to bring in people who like other exciting sports like bull riding — they come to see another kind of excitement.”
By the time the last song ended, the Motorplex had welcomed more than 45,000 fans over the weekend. “That was 21 percent bigger than we’ve ever had for a concert,” Meyer said. “Saturday’s always the biggest day, but we didn’t think it would be a record crowd.”
The success wasn’t just about entertainment — it was about exposure. Each concert night fed directly into anticipation for the 40th annual NHRA Texas FallNationals, the anchor event of the 10-day Stampede of Speed. Meyer and Meyer Johnson built the concerts to do more than fill seats; they created a bridge connecting live music and motorsports.
Meyer said the concept was born from a simple realization. “In Texas, people will always come out for country music,” he said. “So, if you can get them on the property for that, and then show them a few nitro cars between sets, you’ve got a whole new group of potential fans.”
The concerts featured top country names like Mark Chesnutt and Chris Young performing just a few hundred feet from the Motorplex’s iconic quarter-mile surface. Between acts, the crowd was treated to live drag racing demonstrations — a sensory jolt that no music festival in Texas can match. “It’s something no one’s really done,” Meyer said. “You can’t run drag racing and concerts at the same time in the stadium area, but doing it festival-style in the pits makes it all work.”
Meyer’s approach rewrites the playbook for drag racing promotion. While tracks in the 1970s occasionally paired concerts with races — Ontario Motor Speedway being one notable attempt — few found long-term success. “Nobody’s ever done them during a drag race much because you can’t really,” Meyer said. “But when we do them in the pits, everyone brings their chairs and just hangs out. It’s an event, not just a race.”
For Christie Meyer Johnson, the fusion of music and motorsports is part of a broader goal to modernize the fan experience while honoring the Motorplex’s roots. She’s overseen the evolution of the Stampede of Speed from a niche racing festival into a 10-day cultural event that appeals to both hardcore fans and first-time visitors.
“We want people to experience everything — the concerts, the cars, the food — and understand that this is more than a race; it’s Texas entertainment at its best,” she said.
That philosophy was echoed by NHRA stars who joined the festivities, including Steve Torrence, Erica Enders, Greg Anderson, and Tony Schumacher. Torrence, a four-time Top Fuel world champion and Texas native, said the crowds reminded him why the Motorplex remains one of the sport’s crown jewels. “I’ve been racing at Texas Motorplex my whole life,” Torrence said. “Being here with Billy and Christie, seeing these kinds of crowds before the FallNationals — it just shows how much this place means to Texas racing.”
The concerts also provided a launch pad for track-branded marketing, including the unveiling of the Stampede of Speed’s new 40th anniversary logo and a one-of-a-kind Funny Car designed for promotional appearances across North Texas. Funny Car driver Buddy Hull fired the ceremonial burnout to officially open the event, calling it a career highlight.
“It was a real thrill to make the ceremonial burnout to get the Stampede of Speed and NHRA Texas FallNationals started,” Hull said. “To have a Stampede-themed Funny Car do a burnout and then go on tour is cool. I don’t think any other track has done anything like this.”
Adding to the carnival atmosphere, the Motorplex introduced its new signature dessert — the “Burnout Bun.” The deep-fried cinnamon roll, drizzled with Nutella and topped with pecans, quickly became a fan favorite. “We wanted to offer something delicious that also had a racing vibe,” Meyer Johnson said. “We served them along with Jambo’s BBQ, and everyone loved them.”
The concerts and festival components served as a crucial feeder to the NHRA’s playoff race. When the FallNationals took place Oct. 8–12, the track came within reach of a sellout, validating the Meyers’ entertainment-first approach. It was a testament to the new formula that successfully blended mainstream music, local culture, and world-class drag racing into one of the most attended weekends in Texas Motorplex history.
As Meyer recalled looking across his grandstands filled with both lifelong fans and new converts, he knew the formula worked. “It’s all about giving people a reason to come out here,” he said. “If you can give them great music, great food, and a taste of 330 miles an hour, they’ll come back for the racing.”
The Texas Motorplex’s evolution is a reminder that drag racing’s future may lie as much in its stage lights as its starting lights. For Meyer and Meyer Johnson, the roar of a crowd can be just as satisfying as the bark of a Funny Car.
“This is enjoyment for me,” Meyer said. “With my daughter running everything, I’m just the sounding board. I get to see what we built — and it’s working.”
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