Top Ten Tracks in America

Well I thought it might be time to look at what I personally think are the top ten dragstrips in the United States today.

Now, before you get your panties in a wad, please know that this is solely my opinion and not anyone else’s. Also, some criteria for my selections include location, amenities, track ownership and staff, lighting, hotels, track surface, and much more. So here we go.

10. GALOT Motorsports Park

If you are a photographer, GALOT is one of the best tracks in the country. The lighting at night is actually better than photographing during the day. It’s a well laid out facility with plenty of room no matter the size of your rig. The track surface is a great surface as well. The only downfalls are a lack of dedicated media area (at least last time I was there) as well as a lack of hotels and restaurants in the surrounding area. The staff is great to deal with also.

9. U.S. 131 Motorsports Park

Unless you are from the midwest, you might not know about US131, better known as Martin. I first competed at this track in 2006 I believe. The track surface is great, the staffing is solid, and the layout of the facility is very good. They have a great tower to work out of and shooting during the daytime isn’t bad at all. There are spacious grandstands, and the concession food isn’t overpriced. The reason that they are at number 9 is because of their location to hotels and restaurants though. If you are in to camping at the track though, this is one that I would suggest checking out in the spring or fall. I don’t recommend camping there in the middle of the summer though. I know from experience.

8. Bristol

One of the most beautiful tracks in the entire country. Carved out of the side of the mountain, this track is something to behold. Hearing nitro cars rip though at over 300 mph is a different experience at Bristol. Expect to do a lot of walking though. This track will certainly put you through the paces when it comes to your energy levels. Getting up to the top of the grandstands on the left side is one hell of a hike, but also well worth it. The track location is easy to get to, and there are plenty of hotels in the surrounding area. Traffic to get in and out is well controlled as also. The concession stands are greatly overpriced, but no different than going to any other professional sporting event.

7. Las Vegas Motor Speedway

It’s Vegas…what more can you say? There’s a lot to say about this track. First off it’s easy to get to, and easy to park. There are gas stations etc. in the area also. Since it’s Vegas, there are no shortages of food and hotels pretty close. The lighting at night in Vegas is some of the best in the country. More than enough space in the tower to work, along with enjoying the view of the mountains downtrack. As a photographer, during the day the best place to shoot is the return road. At night is when the fun begins though. The biggest reason for this being so far down my list is my experience with track staff. To say that I wasn’t impressed by their attitude and bullshit last time I was there would be an understatement. If they had better staff in certain places, this would be a top five track for me.

6. Brainerd Motorsports Park

Before everyone loses their shit about me having my home track on here, let me explain. This track might be small in stature, but it does offer a lot of amenities that other tracks don’t. For one, the staff and ownership treat everyone like family. It’s a small track with a huge family atmosphere. There is certainly plenty of room for rigs throughout the property as well. The lighting at night is workable, and during the day certainly isn’t terrible. You can get great shots at sunset as well from behind the cars. If you want to talk about concession stand food, this is the place. A local restaurant called Farm to Fork handles concessions, and for the price you pay at Bristol for a shitty burger, you are going to get real food like you were having a sit down meal at Brainerd. The track surface works. I have seen dragsters go 3.60’s in the 8th. If you are looking for a small track worth being at, Brainerd is the place to be.

5. Gateway

It goes by some ridiculous name now, but most of us in the industry just call it St. Louis or Gateway. Situated in Madison, IL. just over the river from St. Louis, this Mecca of the Midwest has held some of the greatest events I have ever attended. The media center is on the first floor, making life very easy for those with a lot of gear. Trackside grass is always nicer to stand in than pavement on those hot summer nights. The lighting at night isn’t the greatest, but it will do. There is an abundance of hotels either right across the river or a short drive to Collinsville. Track location is about as central as you can get in the US as well.

4. South Georgia Motorsports Park

SGMP for a photographer is like heaven. In my opinion, this is the best lit track in the country at night. I absolutely love photographing here at night. There are times during the day when I wouldn’t even bother shooting the starting line due to the glare from the sun though. There are plenty of hotels and restaurants in the area, whether you are in Adel, Valdosta, or even up in Tiffton. The property is sprawling and open, so there is plenty of space for hundreds of rigs. Getting in to the track depending on traffic, can be a pain in the ass because it’s on a two lane road. My suggestion is to always get there early and you should have many issues. Since some devastating weather took out the suites at SGMP there really isn’t a place for media to work though. Keep that in mind if you are going to be there for days on end.

3. Tulsa Raceway Park

TRP and my number two on the list were really neck and neck. It could have gone either way with this. Tulsa has some of the best owners in the country, and that’s something that you’ll notice about the top three tracks on the list. All three have tremendous ownership. Of the top three on the list, Tulsa has the smallest area for media to work out of. The staff at TRP is some of the best in the country as well. There are plenty of hotels and food in the area, and the track is easily accessible from the highway. The lighting at night for photography isn’t bad, but not on par with SGMP or our #2 on the list. Todd Martin, the Co-Owner of TRP does a great job at keeping fans entertained and engaged during oil downs. You will see him out there tossing frisbees and even offering 2 for 1 beer. TRP is always looking to improve and I have seen the growth over the years.

2. Virginia Motorsports Park

As I said previously, the #2 and #3 spots could have very easily been swapped back and forth, but over the last two years VMP has surpassed TRP for the #2 spot, and very easily can compete on any given day for the number 1 spot in the country. While the hotels aren’t exactly a stones throw away, they aren’t that far either. Plenty of restaurants within a 15 minute drive from the track as well. As for lighting, the only track in the country that can beat VMP is SGMP. The grandstands on the left and great for watching from or photographing from. The hill on the right side for RV parking with electric makes it great for the fans that want to see all the action and spend their time at the track, and not a hotel. There are plenty of options for concession stand food, and the prices aren’t terrible. Like St. Louis, the media center is on the first floor and very accessible. Parking is never an issue even during larger events. The track surface always seems to be on kill, and it doesn’t hurt that Judy and Tommy Franklin brought Tyler Crossnoe in a few years ago to handle the day to day operations. Lastly, I have yet to find a track with a more beautiful sunset than what I have seen at VMP.

1. Bradenton Motorsports Park

It’s hard to compare VMP to Bradenton in certain aspects. Bradenton is much more dated in a lot of ways, but I think that there are other things that make up for it. A few years ago Victor bought the track and set out goals for the venue. He is a track owner that actually listens to ideas and gathers the input needed to make his venue better. The nighttime lighting is by far the worst of the top 4 tracks listed, but that’s also something that someday will get address. The food at the concession stand is better than most tracks, and the pricing is better too. There are a ton of great hotels in the Bradenton area, making it easy to find a place to stay. Victor continues to grow his paved parking area, and I love the split pit areas with two sets of staging lanes as well. Wade Rich has come back to Bradenton, and created a track surface that on any given day can be record setting. The track is near the interstate and easy to get in to whether you are a racer or a spectator. Victor has had new scales installed, a new timing system put in, new equipment on hand, and a staff that does a pretty good job.

So there you have it. That is MY top ten in the country right now. I think when I revisit this list in a year or so, you will still find the top of the heap right where there are. Those are the tracks that are willing to invest in themselves, and they understand that drag racing is a customer service based industry. I look for VMP and Bradenton to be fighting for the number one spot in 2022 as well.

Leave a comment and tell me why a track that I left off is deserving to be on the list.