The Venue | Memphis Motorsports Park
Memphis International Motorsports Park was founded in 1986 by Ed Gatlin who, along with a group of investors, bought a 400-acre tract of land in northeast Shelby County, Tenn., and built a drag strip with an adjacent road course, a dirt track and go-kart track. The drag strip drew the attention of the NHRA and was awarded a sanction in 1988 as the host site of the Mid-South Nationals. While the NHRA has 140 member tracks, Memphis is one of only 23 to host a national event, and one of only two to host night racing.
The entire facility was purchased by the Grand Prix Association of Long Beach in 1996, and in 1997, a ¾-mile paved tri-oval was added on the site of the old dirt track, while a new dirt track was built on the site of the former go-kart track. The name of the facility was also changed-to Memphis Motorsports Park-and the tri-oval opened on June 5, 1998.
The following month, Memphis Motorsports Park was acquired by Dover Motorsports, Inc. in connection with its purchase of the Grand Prix Association of Long Beach. On September 13, 1998, before a sold-out crowd and a national television audience, the facility hosted its first NASCAR event-the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Memphis 200.
From those humble beginnings, Memphis Motorsports Park has established itself as one of the most popular and versatile racing facilities in the country, playing host to more than 200 events a year, including the best that NASCAR and NHRA have to offer.
The map of the entire motorsports park. Please click the image for a .pdf version.
NHRA Drag Strip Facility
Considered one of the fastest tracks on the NHRA circuit, the ¼-mile championship drag strip annually hosts the NHRA Powerade Drag Racing Series, the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, the NOPI Nationals, the Super Chevy Show, the BTE Million Dollar Drag Race and the Pro Street Car World Finals. Elevation: 540 feet. Capacity at the drag racing events is 25,000.
Please click on the image for a .pdf version of the drags map:
Road Course
The 1.7 mile road course includes the 1/4 mile drag strip, wide, sweeping turns, and the symbolic "m' shapes. For safety reasons, there are no walls at the turns. Instead, tire barriers are set up. The end of the track will be a 90 degree turn instead of sweeping turn to insure drivers slow down before regaining their speed as they head back into the 1/4 straight-away drag strip. Run groups are expected to last 20-25 minutes. Over the course of 4 hours, that equates to a minimum of 4 sessions per group, with a possibility of more.
You can see the road course tied into Memphis Motorsport Park in the maps linked above!
AutoCross
The AutoCross this year will be held in parking lot B. On the main map of the venue, you will see it near the bottom. Below is a zoomed in shot of where the parking lot is.
Banquet
We are very pleased to tie Memphis into our National Gathering by holding the banquet at the famous Graceland!!! Banquet tickets are sold separately this year, but include an after-hours tour for NG participants only. Upgrade your tour to the Platinum ticket to include Elvis After Dark, both jets, the auto museum (SOOO cool!), and more.
Graceland Website
Please click the map for a larger version!
Race On Road Race Driving Experience
COMMON SENSE HIGH SPEED DRIVING.
For more information, visit the website for a more detailed explanation of the Race On Road Race Driving Experience :: http://www.memphismotorsports.com/roadcourse/drivingexp.php
Race On driving school will teach you to drive YOUR car better and more safely while navigating the intense road course at Memphis Motorsports Park. Participants will spend time both in the classroom and on the track.
Each classroom session is followed with track time. The first session focuses on "Common Sense High Speed Driving," the second on Corners and Braking, the third on passing awareness, signals, and passing techniques. The fourth session is an open session. On-the-track instruction is also provided, teaching the participant about the use of cones, navigating corners and turns, and many other important racing tools.