Alaska Raceway Park facts for kids
Alaska Raceway Park is an exciting place for motorsports in Butte, Alaska. It's located near the beautiful Knik River and Knik Glacier, about 41.5 miles northeast of Anchorage, Alaska. Races happen here from Mother's Day to Labor Day. Imagine racing with the huge 6,398-foot Pioneer Peak watching over the finish line! This makes it a very scenic spot for race fans from all over the world. The track is 63 feet above sea level, which is great for racing because of the good air pressure.
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Drag Racing Fun at Alaska Raceway Park
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The 1/4-mile drag strip at Alaska Raceway Park first opened in 1964. For 30 years, it was known as Polar Dragway, run by the Nelson family. Over the years, it had a few different names, like Thunder Valley Raceway and Big Valley Raceway.
In November 1994, a group of businesspeople who loved racing bought the track. They named it Alaska Raceway Park. This group made many improvements. They cleaned up the area, built a new entrance, added new seats for fans, and put in a new sound system. They also fixed the roofs on all the buildings.
Joining the IHRA Racing Family
On March 1, 1995, the drag strip became the only IHRA member track in Alaska. This was a big step for the park! The IHRA even recognized Alaska Raceway Park as "Track of the Year" in 2003. They praised the park for growing and doing well. In 2012, it won another award, the Summit SuperSeries Track of the Year for its region.
In 1998, Earl and Karen Lackey, along with their daughter Michelle Lackey Maynor, became the owners. They kept making the track better. They added new seats on the pit side and updated the main building, which has a snack bar and lounge. They also added a gift shop and made the workshop bigger. New equipment for fighting fires and cleaning the track was brought in. The staging area and pit parking were paved, and a separate entrance for racers was installed.
By April 2000, after many years of racing, the track surface needed a lot of work. It was worn out and bumpy from the cold winters. A new sound system with a radio transmitter was also installed. Then, a huge team effort began! They ground up the old track and laid a new one using special laser-controlled machines. They built a heated 300-foot concrete launch pad and then laid down 4,100 feet of asphalt. Many volunteers helped, along with several companies. On May 21, 2000, a brand-new, super-fast computerized timing system was ready for use.
In 2002, the Lackey family bought the land the track was on, making its future permanent. They also bought more land from the Matanuska-Susitna Borough for extra parking.
Becoming an NHRA Track
In November 2019, Alaska Raceway Park joined the NHRA. This made it an official NHRA track in its region. This partnership gives racers at ARP many exciting chances. They can compete in the NHRA Summit Racing Series and the NHRA Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League. The track can also host special NHRA events like the National DRAGSTER Challenge.
The Voices of the Track
Many announcers have shared their voices over the drag strip's sound system. Some of these memorable voices include "Big Daddy" Dave, Jerry Pierce, Steve Byrd, Rodney Villanueva, "Big Schwag" Brett Wagner, "Chatterbox" Christa Mayfield, Alex Van Nice, Justin Giles, and Sean Farris.
Oval Track Racing Excitement
From 1980 to 1986, there was a 1/4-mile dirt oval track next to the drag strip.
In 2016, a brand-new 1/3-mile asphalt oval track opened! Many companies helped make this possible. In February 2016, this oval track became a home track for NASCAR in its Whelen All-American Series. This was a huge deal! It made Alaska Raceway Park the very first NASCAR-sanctioned track in Alaska. It also became the northernmost NASCAR-sanctioned track in the entire world!
Some famous NASCAR drivers have raced at Alaska Raceway Park. These include Jordan Anderson, Jake Griffin, Bobby Reuse, Ken Schrader, Roger Reuse, and Joe Hudson. Keith McGee, who is the first driver from Alaska to race in any NASCAR series, also competed at this track.
