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2013 NHRA: Oklahoma Drag Strip Quickly Becoming One Of The Best In The Country
In a span of a little more than a year, Osage Casino Tulsa Raceway Park has become one of the biggest comeback stories in motorsports.
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In fact, the track's fortunes have improved so much it was hand-picked by the X-DRL for is inaugural event, the April 6-7 X-DRL Spring Nationals, quite an honor considering the facility was saved from closure late in 2011 by co-owners Todd Martin and Keith Haney.
"We like to think we've created doorslammer heaven here," Martin said. "We completely understand drag racing because we're racers ourselves. We know what it takes."
Haney added that the proof is in the performance the track provides. NHRA Pro Stock champion Mike Edwards recently used Osage Casino Tulsa Raceway Park as his personal testing spot before going to the Gatornationals and setting the Pro Stock national record.
"Mike couldn't say enough about what a great facility we've built here," Haney said. "He's not alone. We've got full testing the week before the X-DRL event. There are going to be NHRA cars coming out on their way to Las Vegas and XDRL cars getting ready for the event we're having here. Everyone is really taken with the place.
"The response has been overwhelming. We're expecting 25 or 30 cars a day during the week just to test."
X-DRL official David Cook said the track has a growing reputation for having one of the best racing surfaces in drag racing.
"The surface in Tulsa is one of the best in the country," Cook said. "It's proven itself time and again. They've got all the top of the line equipment and they prepare their track as good as anyone out there.
"Racers can't wait to get here to race. We strive to always have it prepped perfectly; we want to say you can never blame a bad run at Tulsa Raceway Park on the track surface."
And that close competition has translated to a growing legion of fans and strong marketing relationships with a list of top-notch companies.
"All the marketing partners we had last year came back this year," Haney said. "Plus we got Osage Casino to come aboard with the track's naming rights for two years. We're one of the few tracks out there with a naming rights sponsor, and that's been a huge deal for us.
"We've established something big here in Tulsa with events that fill up the stands with 30,000-plus people."
Martin and Haney said entries and ticket sales for the X-DRL Spring Nationals are brisk and he's looking forward to the excitement the event will bring.
"We've got cars coming in from all over the U.S. and Canada," Track Manager Jimmy Boles said. "We've had an incredible number of requests for RV spots from racers and fans alike. It's been exciting to see the anticipation for the X-DRL Spring Nationals. And it's building every passing day."
PaddockTalk Perspective
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