Possible 1/8 mile drag strip in CT

A Full size drag strip is coming back to Connecticut!

10/31/13

Exciting times are here! The HDRA organization is leading the way with a group of investors to build an eighth mile drag strip in Windham, Connecticut. The plan is to have the track up and running by mid to late summer 2014. Our purpose is to bring a viable business to the area that will benefit the town, its civic groups, as well as the racing community. The well being of the people of Windham will always be a priority as we move forward with this project.

After a twenty two year absence, HDRA (Holeshot Drag Racing Association) brought legal drag racing back to CT. in 2007, and has done so for its seven years of existence. The benefits of the short racing format have been many. First, this style of racing allows us to utilize existing facilities such as the Waterford Speedbowl. Second, many rounds of racing can be completed in a short time. Wait times between rounds is short. Third, the short distance keeps the cost of racing down to an affordable level.

However, HDRA also recognizes the limits of the using facilities that were not built to accomodate drag racing. Many things become a compromise when promoting a drag event at a facility that was never built with that usage in mind. Track banking, makeshift burnout boxes, no concrete launch pad, the inability to use of traction spray, and so forth. All of these issues collectively become reasons for many competitors to choose not to come back, or to never come at all.

With this in mind, HDRA is moving forward with plans to build and operate its own facility in Windham, CT. While we plan to have many types of activities such as firemen and church carnivals, antique shows, antique truck, tractor, and car shows, etc., our main attraction will be the eighth mile drag racing. Much of the funding to operate these other activities will come from the revenues of the racing operation.

The drag racing operation will actually have a little twist from what is considered the norm. Along with the eighth mile track, there are plans to build a “Holeshot” drag strip as well. The smaller track will serve many purposes. First, because of its size it will be simpler and quicker to build. We could have it operational within weeks of town approval. This would allow us to get the racing operation up and running at a much earlier date while the big track is under construction. Second, once the big track is operational, the Holeshot drag track could be used by competitors to check their 60 foot times while they are waiting to be called to staging. Competitors will have more opportunities to get runs in during race day compared to other race tracks.

The “Holeshot” drag track would feature two lanes of side by side racing, a proper burnout box, a concrete launch pad, and a sprayed surface prepared identically to the big track. While the big track would be our main focus, we would still promote events on the small track. This would include trophy and money races, as well as events for kids.

While competitve events on the Holeshot track would be sanctioned by HDRA, we are currently looking at different sanctioning bodies for the eighth mile track. Although we are keeping our options open, it appears that going with an IHRA sanction would be our best choice. They have been under new ownership, and we like the direction they are taking. As we see it, IHRA is for the Sportsman racer, the mainstay of any weekly operation. They are also very eager to help us get up and running. We believe their involvement could be key to our ultimate success.

Of course, we are in the early stages of this project. For more information and to keep track of our progress, keep checking on this site. HDRA.net will be used to keep people informed through Phase 1 of this project, which is getting this venture through zoning. Once approval is received from the town, we will develop another website for the eighth mile track at that time. Our HDRA site will continue to promote the small track shows, as well as any other Holeshot Drag events.

Remember, when sharing info about this website with others, remember to tell them that it’s a “.net” … not a “.com”.

It would be a tremendous understatement to say the interest for bringing a drag strip back to Connecticut is huge. This area has a very large racing community, and the local racers would absolutely love to have a facility in their own back yard. We will be attracting racers from Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Long Island, and more.

The amount of traffic on the HDRA.net website will be nothing short of fantastic. Advertisers on our site will receive the benefit of exposure from thousands upon thousands of hits, while at the same time help our efforts to bring a full size drag strip back to Connecticut. We would appreciate your business and support at this very exciting time!

You can email us at HDRAinfo@yahoo.com for further info.

STAYED TUNED… MORE INFO IS COMING!

I wish you good luck with your drag strip we need more to open not close. myself and a some dragracers tried to get one here in orange county new York Middletown area few years ago got shot down at very corner. I will support you in any way I can has a old dragracer. I h r a is a better fit for 1/8 mile and they like the smaller racers better. nhra is to big and like the big guy with money. im a member of both for a long long time was ahra racer too. any way hope it happens and dragracers get behind it and help. we almosts lost Island dragway this pasted year. thank you BILLY THE KIDD BENDER

To quote a comment from another racing forum….”When I’m pulling into the burnout box and get the signal to light ’em up I’ll beleive it” Not being a Debbie Downer here but how many times have we heard this in the northeast?? I wish them all the luck though and if it does open up for full 1/8 mile racing, I’ll be there opening day to support it.

Bobby Smith

HEY, check out hdra.net . this guy seems serious about this.

Originally Posted by BigAl1961 “Hamb” – http://www.jalopyjournal.com
“I live in the area,and would love to see it happen, but believe me, it’ll never go. Too many have tried and ALL have failed. There will never be another drag strip of any kind in CT. The powers that be will see to that”.

…. I Agree .. I saw what happened at our track “just’ to get the town permit EACH year…..way too many hurdles to jump. Watch what happens if they get as far as a public hearing ..complaints about noise, traffic, property values, safety…..”if” they wade through all the inspections-insurance-site plans-EPA-……I predict It isn’t going to happen. Guess we’ll all see.