North Carolina’s longest-running drag strip joins the Alliance for the 2025 season

NORWALK, OH – The World Drag Racing Alliance (WDRA) and Wilkesboro Dragway will join forces, effective immediately, as the historic North Carolina facility has signed a multi-year sanction agreement to become part of the Alliance.

The Ellis family built the historic facility in 1955 as a quarter-mile dirt dragstrip with no return road.  Seventy years later, David and Stacey Staten have taken control of North Carolina’s longest-running dragstrip with full intentions of continuing the track’s legacy. Several renovations are underway on the track and the facility buildings, with an opening day scheduled for March 1st. Racing will be held on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday to include various programs, such as grudge, no prep, bracket racing, daily driver, and test and tune events.

“Wilkesboro Dragway is very important to the North Carolina drag racing community,” said Josh Peake with the WDRA. “The track is going on seventy years now, and multiple generations of racing families have called Wilkesboro home. I appreciate David and Stacy Staten for placing their trust in the WDRA to help them with their new venture running the facility. Continue reading →

The WDRA’s mission of reducing operating costs for member tracks continues with a new program introduced to the sport

NORWALK, OH – The World Drag Racing Alliance (WDRA) announces the launch of a new insurance provider option aimed at helping member racetracks navigate the expensive world of insuring their facilities. Crafting a specialty program alongside Laris Motorsports Insurance has been a goal for drag racing’s newest sanctioning body from the start.

“We are proud to welcome a familiar name to our track insurance program,” said Skooter Peaco with the WDRA. “Laris Motorsports Insurance, who has been a WDRA partner from the very beginning, will now extend its expertise into the track benefits program with the launch of their track insurance offerings.”

Racetracks will now have the opportunity to receive quotes from Laris Motorsports Insurance in addition to WDRA’s other insurance providers. Adding another option to the mix will allow tracks to carefully consider the best route for their business and add another element of stability to all the work that goes on behind the scenes. Continue reading →

The WDRA expansion continues by adding State Capitol Raceway as the latest member racetrack

NORWALK, OH – The World Drag Racing Alliance (WDRA) surges to sixty racetracks heading into its third year of operation with the addition of State Capitol Raceway. The Port Allen, Louisiana, facility has entered into a multi-year sanction agreement with the WDRA, effective immediately.

“We are very grateful to have the support of Lanny Lewis, Gary Carter, and Cody Pollage,” said Frank Kohutek with the WDRA. “Starting 2025 with another vote of confidence from another track joining our family is very rewarding. State Capitol Raceway has been operating for nearly fifty-five years and has hosted major NHRA and IHRA events in the past. The SCR team is doing their part to keep the sport growing in Louisiana, and we look forward to helping their efforts.”

The action is nearly non-stop at the southern site, with events filling State Capitol Raceway’s calendar from January to December. They provide an exciting environment for various racers and fans, including points races, Sunday Funday test-n-tunes, big money bracket races, Import Faceoff, the Southwest Junior Dragster Series, car shows, and more. Continue reading →

NORWALK, OH – The World Drag Racing Alliance (WDRA) is pleased to announce a new partnership with Gearhead Coffee, a family-owned coffee company specializing in high-quality, motorsports-inspired coffee.

Through this exclusive agreement, WDRA member tracks will gain access to significant discounts on Gearhead’s full line of coffee products- including whole bean, ground, and single-serve Piston™ pods compatible with most Keurig 2.0 brewers.

“We believe in supporting our member tracks by providing them access to high-quality products at competitive prices,” said Jon O’Neal with the WDRA. “This partnership with Gearhead Coffee allows tracks to provide a premium product at the similar costs to the mundane. To those who can see the big picture, there is an opportunity here for a positive fan experience, facility branding opportunities, and the support of a family-operated company willing to work directly with the WDRA tracks. This stands as a shining example of how the WDRA is different by design.”

In addition to bulk coffee, WDRA member tracks can expand their souvenir stand offerings by selling a range of Gearhead merchandise, including branded drinkware, apparel, and custom co-branded tumblers featuring their track logo at no extra cost. Continue reading →

Northern Michigan Dragway becomes the latest facility to choose a sanctioning agreement with the WDRA

NORWALK, OH – Michigan racers will have another World Drag Racing Alliance (WDRA) facility to compete during the 2025 season with the addition of Northern Michigan Dragway.

The eighth-mile racetrack in Kaleva was founded in 1970 by Michigan Motorsports Hall of Famers Tom and Jim Ledford. Now entering its 55th season, Northern Michigan Dragway has experienced tremendous support, with over two hundred racers registering for the points chase in 2024. This growth is credited to the friendly atmosphere and family-forward management of Brian and Wayne Ledford.

Northern Michigan Dragway has made various improvements in recent years, including a complete resurfacing of the racetrack and increased paving throughout the vast pit area, staging lanes, and return roads. Becoming a sanctioned facility again has rejuvenated the excitement and camaraderie that comes with earning a coveted spot in the year-end festivities. Continue reading →

This partnership with the FOD Control Corporation can assist racetracks in cutting costs on track maintenance in 2025

NORWALK, OH – The World Drag Racing Alliance (WDRA) has procured a partnership with the FOD Control Corporation in 2025, adding to its already impressive line-up of discounts and perks that come with being part of the Alliance. The FOD Control Corporation will provide a ten-percent discount to WDRA member racetracks who purchase a FOD-Razor Motorsports Sweeper, which is an innovative drag mat that picks up FOD (foreign object debris) from the racing surface, pits, and staging lanes.

“The beauty of this system is that it doesn’t send the debris airborne,” said Jon O’Neal with WDRA.  “Most racetracks have traditionally used air power to move debris off the racing surface, but that becomes sketchy near cars in the pits or the lanes. This concept of a sweeper was built for airfield use, but the effectiveness of these drag mats on racing surfaces has amazed me. The only other way I know to lift material is a vacuum truck, and the cost savings with a device like this are extraordinary in comparison.”

The FOD-Razor Motorsport Sweeper is an ingenious pull-behind sweeper built to ensure a clean surface while enhancing performance and safety during competitive events. The durable design quickly removes rocks and aggregate, loose tire rubber, glass, fiberglass, carbon fiber debris, and other foreign substances.  It’s an easy and low-maintenance way to prevent tire and vehicle damage, operates seamlessly on various track surfaces, and is compact, lightweight, and easy to deploy. To drive home the positives, the FOD-Razor Motorsport Sweeper can be connected to any motorized vehicle, has a lifetime warranty, and is manufactured in the USA. Continue reading →

WDRA racers are rewarded with an exclusive discount when purchasing Champ Pans products in 2025

NORWALK, OH – The World Drag Racing Alliance (WDRA) is pleased to announce the addition of Champ Pans to its growing list of marketing partnerships ahead of the 2025 racing season. All WDRA members will receive an exclusive $50 discount certificate with Champ Pans through the innovative WDRA Racer Benefits program.

For over forty years, Champ Pans by JR Manufacturing has been a trusted resource for top-notch oil pans and products manufactured in-house at its facility in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. The Redetzke family-owned and operated business began with humble roots in a 10×20’ workshop and quickly expanded due to the demand for their exceptional oil pans. Through hard work and dedication, Champ Pans has grown to manufacture over one thousand products while maintaining a focus on quality, high performance, and affordability. With two generations of dirt track experience at the helm, Champ Pans understands a racer’s need for the best products to improve efficiency.

“Champ Pans is a perfect fit for the WDRA and the type of racers that we advocate for,” explained Jessica Spears with WDRA. “The Redetzke family knows all about thrashing on a racecar to get it ready for the weekend and how important it is to have high-quality parts to stay competitive on the racetrack. We appreciate their generous contribution and awareness of the sportsman drag racers throughout the WDRA member track network.” Continue reading →

NORWALK, OH – GetInTheStands.com, a leader in promoting grass roots motorsports online, has offered its services to World Drag Racing Alliance (WDRA) member tracks with an exclusive discount. This partnership is designed to allow track owners and operators to get a taste of the power of event-specific digital marketing to engage new fans and sell more tickets.

WDRA member racetracks will receive an exclusive 50% discount on a single race date post as a trial to see how effective the GetInTheStands marketing strategy is. For just twenty-five dollars, a track’s race date will be posted to the GetInTheStands event calendar with a custom event graphic and receive social posting and geo-targeted boosting focusing on reaching drag racing fans within 50 miles of the track. Participating racetracks will also receive a ‘Digital Accountability Recap’ providing insight into the number of race fans reached, how many interacted with the post, where they were from, and how many clicked through to the track’s digital assets.

“I used the GITS process to claim the track I manage and found it to be easy and free,” said Gari Harper of Mid America Dragway. “I also used the site’s paid opportunity to promote an event, which worked very well. Customers showed up at our ticket booth and told me they saw the event promoted by Get In The Stands and decided to check it out. I am pleased to see a positive return on investment as the new tickets sold easily pay for the service.” Continue reading →

Norwalk, OH- The World Drag Racing Alliance (WDRA) and Gleason Dragway have announced a multi-year sanction agreement that will see the newly renovated Gleason Raceway Park join the alliance in 2025 and beyond. The Northup family have been on a tear of improvements since their acquisition of the facility in early 2021, and flying the WDRA flag will give them the opportunity to expand on those improvements.

“There is no better definition of a family owned and operated facility when most of the staff with radios on are part of that family,” said Jon O’Neal with the WDRA. “The essence of providing a safe, attractive, and family oriented experience is alive and well at Gleason.”

Brothers Sam and Rick Northup, alongside Samantha Archabal and the extended Gleason family, have been hard at work with a fresh AccuTime Timing System and wiring, starting line concrete work, extension of the shutdown and return road, and a mass of equipment purchases and repairs to get the facility to their level of operation. Sam and Rick are carrying on the tradition of being in business together for over thirty years. Continue reading →

Prolube Oil will directly support racers at the 2025 WDRA Summit World Championships by sponsoring the Free $5K Sportsman Gamblers Race

NORWALK, OH – Prolube Oil joins forces with the World Drag Racing Alliance (WDRA) as the class sponsor for the Free $5,000-to-win Sportsman Gamblers Race contested at the WDRA Summit World Championships.

Partnering with a drag racing sanctioning body is a full-circle moment for Prolube Oil founder Paul Wireman, who owned and operated Riverside Dragstrip & Speedway for fourteen years, beginning in 1964.  As a car enthusiast and late model racer, Wireman began experimenting with oil additives in hopes of creating a competitive edge on the racing surface. He adjusted the formula throughout the late 1980s until the development of the Prolube Oil Treatment, which reduces friction, increases engine life, and even expands the time between oil changes. This winning combination has been used to secure five National Championships in NASCAR, NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle, and JEGS Pro Stock Truck and is now welcomed as a marketing partner for the sportsman racing ranks with the WDRA.

“The Prolube team is thrilled to partner with the WDRA for a great event that gives back directly to the racers,” said Jake Wireman with Prolube Oil. “This partnership is very meaningful to us because it takes us back to our roots and feels like home.” Continue reading →