Memphis Int’l Raceway Officially Re-Opens

The revived Memphis International Raceway, closed in 2009 and auctioned in late 2010, triumphantly re-opened its gates last Sunday evening, hosting a test and tune session for invited loyal area drag racers to take their first crack at the Memphis racing surface in nearly two years. The feedback given from the racers assured Memphis International Raceway officials – the same group behind the successful re-opening of Palm Beach International Raceway in Florida – that the track is now officially ready to open.

“We are very excited to be opening the drag strip at MIR,” said Pam Kendrick, General Manager and VP, Memphis International Raceway. “We held the Track Tune Up to prepare the MIR staff and facility for a full drag racing event. At the conclusion of the event on Sunday, we determined that facility is safe and race-ready for both racers and spectators. Thanks to all the racers and spectators for joining us on Sunday; we had a solid group of cars.”

Kendrick credits several key staff members for their assistance in bringing racing back to Memphis, “I would like to thank Chris Sowell, MIR facility manager; Sharon Nix, MIR grounds and housekeeping supervisor; and Chris McMahan, Director of Race Operations at Palm Beach International Raceway for their countless hours and dedication.”

MIR – not be confused with Maryland International Raceway that’s famous for the “MIR” abbreviation – opened its gates at 6pm on Sunday and John Williams and Dan Perkins were the first two racers to put their cars in the beams. Millington resident Cody Graham followed them with a 7.82-second blast down the quarter mile.

MIR officials, following the successful tuneup, have announced a two-week schedule for the drag strip, and a fall schedule is currently in the works and should be forthcoming in the next few weeks. As previously reported, this Saturday, MIR will host it’s much-anticipated heads-up shootout, featuring True 10.5, Super Mean Street, Heavy Metal, and 6.00 and 7.00 Index categories.