Srca Dragstrip

About SRCA Dragstrip

SRCA Dragstrip is a quarter mile drag strip at 9951 B-29 Way in Great Bend, Kansas, built on the runways of a World War II B-29 training base. It is the site of the first NHRA national event ever held, it is listed on the Kansas register of historic places, and as of 2026 it has a completely rebuilt racing surface. Few tracks anywhere can claim that combination of history and new asphalt.

Where the NHRA Nationals Began

The airfield went up around 1942 and 1943 to train crews on the B-29 Superfortress. When the military declared it surplus, the City of Great Bend bought the base in 1946. Local hot rodders started racing on the runways, with the first race run on May 12, 1953. The Sunflower Rod and Custom Association formed in 1954 and joined the NHRA a year later.

In 1955, when Wally Parks decided the NHRA needed a national championship, Great Bend got it because of its central location in the country. Parks and the NHRA Safety Safari came to Kansas, and the first NHRA Nationals drew 219 cars and roughly 15,000 spectators. The event stayed in Great Bend for four years. Art Chrisman ran 146.16 mph at that first meet and Lloyd Scott set an American drag racing speed record of 151 mph.

The AHRA then chose the 8,000 foot strip for its own first national event in 1956 and kept it through 1959. Don Garlits won his first national title here in 1958 driving Swamp Rat. Chris Karamesines beat Eddie Hill in 1959. In 1960 the AHRA moved the event to Kansas City, and the track settled into a quieter local existence.

Volunteers and a Historic Listing

The club eventually disbanded, and the track drifted. In 1993 it was reorganized under the original Sunflower Rod and Custom Association name specifically to maintain the facility, and in 1994 the effort to have the site recognized as a Kansas historic place succeeded.

SRCA today is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and the entire staff that runs the dragstrip is volunteer. That is worth knowing before you show up. The people working the tower, the gate and the starting line are there because they want the track to exist.

The 2026 Reconstruction

The City of Great Bend approved a full overhaul in 2025 and the work was completed in spring 2026 at a cost of about $5.9 million, the largest investment in the facility’s history. It included a completely reconstructed racing surface, a new timing tower, and a starting line moved roughly 300 feet west to leave room for future expansion.

City officials describe the result as one of the flattest tracks in the country, which for drag racing means consistency. A ribbon cutting was held on May 14, 2026 to reopen the facility.

Racing and Schedule

The season runs May through October. Bracket racing is the backbone of the calendar, as it has been for decades.

Recent seasons have included the first and last stops of Rocky Mountain Race Week in early June, which brings a large field of street driven high horsepower cars through Great Bend twice in the same week, and NHRA Hot Rod Heritage Series competition tied to the association’s 75th anniversary. Given the reopening, check the current schedule before planning a trip, since dates have shifted around the construction.

Getting There and What to Know

The track is northeast of Great Bend on B-29 Way, on the former airfield grounds at the Great Bend Expo Area. Great Bend sits in Barton County in central Kansas, about an hour and a half northwest of Wichita.

Because the facility is owned by the city and run by a volunteer nonprofit, information flows through the SRCA website and its Facebook page rather than through a promoter’s marketing operation. Those are the two places to check for dates, rain calls and race entry details. The phone number is 620-792-5079.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is SRCA Dragstrip known for?

It hosted the first ever NHRA national event, in 1955. The strip is also on the Kansas register of historic places.

How long is the track?

It is a quarter mile drag strip, laid out on the runways of a former B-29 training airfield with roughly 8,000 feet of usable length.

Who runs the track?

The Sunflower Rod and Custom Association, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit staffed entirely by volunteers. The property is owned by the City of Great Bend.

What was rebuilt in 2026?

The full racing surface, a new timing tower, and a starting line relocated about 300 feet west. The project cost roughly $5.9 million and reopened in May 2026.

When does the season run?

May through October.

Who has raced here?

Don Garlits won his first national title at Great Bend in 1958. Art Chrisman, Lloyd Scott, Chris Karamesines and Eddie Hill all competed here during the national event years.

Where is SRCA Dragstrip located?

9951 B-29 Way, Great Bend, Kansas 67530, on the former Great Bend Army Airfield grounds. The phone number is 620-792-5079.

Phone: 620-792-5079

More information on SRCA Dragstrip; Click here https://www.srcadragstrip.com/

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