During its annual Racer Appreciation and Awards Gala at the Texas Motorplex on Sunday evening, the American Drag Racing League unveiled its 2012 ADRL Tour schedule, which is highlighted by the debut of two nationally renowned tracks and the return of two other prominent facilities that were once popular stops on the ADRL tour.

On April 20-21, the ADRL will makes its first visit to the fabled Bristol Dragway in Bristol, Tenn. for the ADRL Spring Drags III – the second event of the 10-race season. Then on August 3-4, the series will roll into Charlotte, N.C. and the impressive zMAX Dragway, which will become the new host of ADRL Dragstock IX after Rockingham Dragway bowed out of the tour in 2012.

“It’s a perfect fit – one of the ADRL’s biggest events at the world’s greatest drag strip,” said Christian Byrd, general manager of zMAX Dragway. “Hosting the best eighth-mile drag racers in the world for Dragstock IX is a tremendous addition to Charlotte Motor Speedway’s Fall Season of Speed and zMAX Dragway’s ever-expanding 2012 schedule.”

The ADRL will also return to their home track of Gateway Motorsports Park near St. Louis, Mo. for the Gateway Drags IV after a one-year hiatus from the schedule. Also returning is the Memphis International Raceway in Memphis, Tenn., which last hosted an ADRL race in 2009. Memphis was on the 2011 schedule, but track officials were forced to cancel the event due to delays in the revamping process. MIR will host the Memphis Drags III September 7-8.

Image credit: ADRL/Roger Richards

“This 2012 schedule is a tremendous step for the ADRL. Not only are we are going to the greatest drag strips and best markets in the world but we have also had such tremendous support from the track operators in preparing the schedule and developing our plans for 2012,” ADRL Executive Vice President Jeff Fortune said.

The series will kick off with its traditional opener at the Royal Purple Raceway in Houston on March 30-31, and after the Bristol event, will makes its second visit to the Maple Grove Raceway for the Northeast Drags II on May 4-5. Following the return to St. Louis, the tour will head to the 2011 ADRL Track of the Year, the Virginia Motorsports Park, for the U.S. Drags V and onward to the ADRL Summer Drags VIII at the U.S. 131 Motorsports Park in Martin, Mich.

Along with the Charlotte debut, the season will wind down with the Summit Racing Equipment Ohio Drags VI at the Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio on September 28-29, and finish at its customary bookend race, the World Finals VIII at the Texas Motorplex in Ennis, Texas.

“A fantastic season starts with a great schedule. I think everyone can look forward to the biggest and most exciting year ever from the ADRL in 2012,” Fortune said.

2012 ADRL TOUR
March 30-31: ADRL Dragpalooza VIII; Royal Purple Raceway, Houston
April 20-21: ADRL Spring Drags III; Bristol Dragway, Bristol, Tenn.
May 4-5: ADRL Northeast Drags II; Maple Grove Raceway, Reading, Pa.
June 1-2: ADRL Gateway Drags IV; Gateway International Raceway, St. Louis
June 22-23: ADRL U.S. Drags V; Virginia Motorsports Park, Richmond, Va
July 13-14: ADRL Summer Drags VIII; U.S. 131 Motorsports Park, Martin, Mich.
Aug. 3-4: ADRL Dragstock IX; zMAX Dragway, Charlotte, N.C.
Sept. 7-8: ADRL Memphis Drags III; Memphis International Raceway, Memphis, Tenn.
Sept. 28-29: ADRL Summit Racing Equipment Ohio Drags VI; Summit Motorsports Park, Norwalk, Ohio
Oct. 19-21: ADRL World Finals VIII; Texas Motorplex, Dallas.