By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post
Publicly sorting out the root of the reason why the SRCA Dragstrip in Great Bend is closed has been left up in the air. The SRCA, and their volunteer board, canceled the 2023 race season because the racing surface was unsafe and needed substantial remedial work. The City of Great Bend, the owner of the track, noted in July that repairs to the recently surfaced track are a legal matter and were advised not to discuss the details of the proceedings.
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If or when the track will be repaired have yet to be answered, but a few racers went before the Great Bend City Council Monday night to voice their support of keeping the track. Caleb McDonald was introduced to junior drag racing at the age of seven at the SRCA.
"This year, since SRCA has been closed, we've been having to go around to different tracks, like Topeka and Denver," said McDonald. "That's quite a drive, especially having to spend a couple hundred dollars on fuel. Sure did find out we're pretty spoiled here. I appreciate all your (city / city council) work in trying to get things back going. I hope we see it open back up sometime soon."
For $1.6 million, Suchy Construction completed the reconstruction of the historic dragstrip in May 2021. The SRCA notified the city there were several high spots on the surface which required grinding. Grinding and polishing the track exposed air pockets in the concrete, leaving holes throughout the dragstrip. SRCA board members questioned if the project was done right in the first place and the proper steps to fix the issues were not taken.
Joe Fross has been coming down to the race track since 2001.
"If you watch NHRA races on FOX (television) you'll see some of the equipment they're using to prep the track, tractors, rotators, sprayers...SRCA owns the same equipment that those guys are using on TV," said Fross. "That comes from investing the money right back into the race track."
The SRCA was formed in the 1950s.