Forty years of speed and high-octane passes down the strip may soon come to an end in Phoenix.
Formerly Firebird International Raceway, Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park is one of only two National Hot Rod Association-sanctioned drag strips in the entire state of Arizona alongside Tucson. A western staple for both professional and local drag racing, WHPMP could cease operations by the end of the year.
Every month, the drag strip is filled with drivers from as young as five years old to 70, 80, or even “more experienced.” June 17 is the final scheduled race at the drag strip, and once the final pass is made that night, the future of the strip is uncertain. The Wild Horse Pass Development Authority announced on March 25, 2022, that they would close the 440-acre facility in February 2023 and begin demolition as part of a 3,300-acre development and rumored I-10 expansion.
But since that announcement over one year ago, the NHRA moved their annual national race to March, the NHRA Summit Series extended its series through June, and Travis Pastrana’s Nitrocross series announced they will race on the dirt track in November. Meanwhile, there has only been radio silence on the future of the property.
For now, racers are trying to enjoy what could be the final races at the famed track, with hopes that the only drag strip in the valley may survive at least one more year.
Devon Henry
