Thursday, October 5, 2000

checkered flag
IHRA may hold drag-racing events at two Abilene tracks
By Al Pickett

Except for one time a year, drag racing enthusiasts in the Big Country have to drive to Hobbs, N.M., Idalou (near Lubbock), Penwell (near Odessa), Wall (near San Angelo), Kennedale (near Fort Worth) or Walters, Okla., to enjoy their hobby.

That may be about to change.

Merkel’s Orville Pirraglia, who is building the new eighth-mile Abilene Dragway Park west of the city, has received a promise to hold International Hot Rod Association divisional races at his track. Dirt work has already begun at Abilene Dragway Park, located west of Abilene Speedway.

“Dennis Tarkington, the area director of the IHRA, told me at the Shootout last weekend, that there is a possibility of a divisional race at our track in 2001, although all the tracks are currently signed for next year. But we will definitely have IHRA races in 2002.”

If that happens, the IHRA could be conducting events at two different locations in Abilene in 2002.

The IHRA has promised the proposed Star of Texas Raceway both a national event and divisional races in 2002.

Mike Dohrse, one of the owners of the proposed Star of Texas Raceway, said IHRA events at Abilene Dragway Park will have no effect on their track’s plans.

“The more activity, the better for everyone,” Dohrse said. “We’ll benefit from them running on an eighth-mile strip.”

The big question for the Star of Texas Raceway, of course, remains when and where the track will be built. Its proposed site near Abilene Regional Airport created such a furor from nearby Lytle Shores’ residents that the owners went back to the drawing board to find a new location.

“We moving forward with our plans,” Dohrse said. “Everything is on track. We’ll announce the site as soon we’re ready. Right now, we’re discussing the scope of the project. We spent an hour-and-a-half last night with some of our partners determining how big the project will be. We have no timetable, but it will be soon. I think it will be weeks instead of months.”

The Star of Texas Raceway plans to include a quarter-mile paved drag strip and seating for 10,000 in the first phase, with an oval and a road course to be added later.

Abilene Shootout

Both Pirraglia and Dohrse said the eighth annual Abilene Shootout, held last weekend at Abilene Regional Airport, was a huge success.

“We had 537 race teams,” Dohrse. “We picked up 69 teams on Sunday over what we had on Saturday, and we have a super match race. We had over 26,000 spectators. By any yardstick, it was a super, super event. It’s gotten bigger and better every year.”

Currently, the annual Abilene Shootout is the only drag racing event in Abilene.

Lawn mower races

Go-kart and lawn mower races, along with moto-cross practice, will be held Sunday, beginning at 1 p.m. at Mesquite Hills Moto-Cross Park, located west of Abilene. For more information, call (915) 691-9036.

Contact sports editor Al Pickett at 676-6772 or picketta@abinews.com. We are on the Web at sports.texnews.com.