NHRA Pleased to Welcome Pine Valley Raceway to NHRA Member Track Network

LUFKIN, TX – May 30, 2023 – (Motor Sports NewsWire) – NHRA has announced the addition of Pine Valley Raceway in Lufkin, Texas to the NHRA Member Track Network.

Originally built in 2004, the track reopened in 2023 under the leadership of Buck and Austin Hayward, also joining the NHRA Member Track Network for the first time. The family has already made several improvements to the NHRA Division 4 facility with the goal of making it a top-notch racing facility in East Texas and to bring sanctioned NHRA events to the track.

“In 50 years of supporting drag racing manufacturing timing systems, installing timing systems to building tracks I never thought I would ever find myself as a track operator. After thinking about retiring, all I can think about now is how we can make Pine Valley Raceway into the premier track in East Texas,” said Buck Hayward, who served as the NHRA Electronics Director for 30 years.

Added Austin Hayward, who also serves as the NHRA Timing System Specialist: “We wanted to make a big change coming into Pine Valley and what better way than bringing a new track into the NHRA Division 4 network. We hope to do big things out here. I think with the knowledge my dad has and the drive and passion we both share for drag racing, you’ll see Pine Valley become bigger than ever.”

As one of the 120 NHRA Member Tracks, Pine Valley Raceway will be eligible to offer racers in the area a variety of NHRA racing opportunities in the future, including the NHRA Summit Racing Series, the NHRA Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League, NHRA Street Legal, NHRA Jr. Street and more. Additionally, the track will have the chance to host NHRA specialty events like the NHRA Summit King of the Track and more.

The quarter-mile track started its 2023 racing season earlier this month and will play host to racers throughout the year as it aims to become a marquee destination for competitors in the region.

“We’re excited to welcome Pine Valley Raceway to the NHRA Member Track Network for the first time,” NHRA Division 4 Director Mady Ayesh said. “Buck and Austin have such strong passion and knowledge when it comes to drag racing, and it’s great to already see their dedication to making this a standout facility in Division 4. We’re thrilled with their involvement and look forward to bringing NHRA events to their facility.”

About NHRA

Headquartered in San Dimas, Calif., NHRA is the primary sanctioning body for the sport of drag racing in the United States. NHRA presents 21 national events featuring the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series, NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, FuelTech NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by Type A Motorsports, Flexjet NHRA Factory Stock Showdown™ and Top Fuel Harley Series. NHRA provides competition opportunities for drivers of all levels in the NHRA Summit Racing Series and NHRA Street Legal™. NHRA also offers the NHRA Jr. Street® program for teens and the Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League® for youth ages 5 to 17. With 120 Member Tracks, NHRA allows racers to compete at a variety of locations nationally and internationally. NHRA’s Youth and Education Services® (YES) Program reaches over 30,000 students annually to ignite their interest in automotive and racing related careers. NHRA’s streaming service, NHRA.tv®, allows fans to view all NHRA national events as well as exclusive features of the sport. In addition, NHRA owns and operates three racing facilities: Gainesville Raceway in Florida; Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park; and In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip in Southern California. For more information, log on to www.NHRA.com, or visit the official NHRA pages on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.

Source: National Hot Rod Association 

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