IHRA welcomes award-winning North Star Dragway
North Star Dragway becomes 15th IHRA track in state of Texas
NORWALK, Ohio (February 1, 2013) –
The International Hot Rod Association is pleased to welcome North Star
Dragway and its new owner Gene Nicodemus to the family of IHRA member
tracks.
Located
in Denton, Texas, the facility becomes the 15th track located in the
state of Texas to join the IHRA family and was named NHRA’s Most
Improved Track in 2012.
“North
Star Dragway is a great facility and one we are proud to welcome to the
IHRA family,” said Frank Kohutek, IHRA Division 4 Director. “They
already have a great racer base and some pretty big events and I know
that owner Gene Nicodemus is dedicated to growth and making it one of
the premier tracks in the state of Texas. This is an outstanding track
made obvious by its recognition by the NHRA last year and one that we
are very excited to have in the division.”
North
Star Dragway opened in 1995 as I-35 North Texas Dragway and over the
last 18 years has undergone significant upgrades. In the early 2000’s
the track was lengthened by over 800 feet making it the longest
all-concrete 1/8th mile track in the state of Texas. The track has also
added other amenities including a brand new timing tower, concession
stands and brand new bathrooms in addition to 300,000 square feet of
asphalt parking.
In
addition to being named the 2012 NHRA Most Improved Track, North Star
Dragway is the reigning NHRA Division 4 Bracket Finals champions.
It
is an extremely popular facility with both the racers and the fans.
Multiple outlaw events attract thousands of fans to the track during the
weekends and the weekly bracket series makes North Star Dragway a
premier destination for racers in and around the Dallas area. While the
track is already a popular choice in the area, Nicodemus hopes to grow
the track even more in 2013 and beyond.
“We
have a great lineup in 2013 and with great sponsors like Evolution
Custom Auto coming on board we are dedicated to making North Star
Dragway a premier racer destination while also attracting the kinds of
crowds you would see at some of the bigger races out there,” Nicodemus
said. “I originally helped with all of the upgrades in 2003 for the
people that owned it before so I got to know a lot about the track. As a
former racer and now track owner, I know what needs to be done to
continue to bring racers and fans out to the track and I am dedicated to
continuing that growth.”
North
Star Dragway is the first facility signed under the new IHRA ownership
of Jason Rittenberry, Michael Dezer, Jospeh Lubeck and Edward Kobel and
Nicodemus is excited about the possibilities created by the new
ownership group.
“We
are looking forward to it, especially with the new owners of IHRA. We
are excited to see what is in store,” Nicodemus said. “They seem fired
up and I think they will be a good fit. When you are directly involved
like they are it tends to bring a little more intensity and that
intensity will be great for the growth of the IHRA.”
