NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

On May 29-31, 2026, the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series will visit the state of Maryland for the first time at the inaugural NHRA Potomac Nationals. In advance of the landmark event, Maryland Int’l Raceway has been a beehive of activity this winter, as crews have worked tirelessly this winter to provide infrastructure upgrades to the facility, that was first opened in 1966, and has since earned a reputation as one of the finest dragstrips in the Eastern U.S.

Perhaps the biggest project currently in progress is the construction of new retaining walls on both sides of the dragstrip as well as the construction of a new sand trap at the end of the shutdown area. Two weeks into the new year, crews are working daily to pour concrete from the starting line to the sand trap.

“Right now, all of the walls are being replaced. We’ve got an existing wall that goes for 125 feet, and the new wall will go to the end of the track, so that’s nearly 3,000 feet on both sides of the track,” said track operator Royce Miller. “The company we’re working with, Paul Rach Construction, has been outstanding. They’ve been working rain or shine. As long as temperature is warm enough to safely pour concrete, they’ve got trucks on the property. 

“Yesterday, [Jan. 14] we did almost 1,000 feet of new wall, and I’m really pleased. We poured concrete until 7 p.m. last night, and by the time they finished edging, it was after 9 p.m. They were back on the job by 7:30 this morning. Larry Crispe is helping us with technical support. It’s a big project, but it’s going well.”

Along with the addition of new walls, Miller and his team are also planning to completely rewire the timing system, running conduit along the sides of the track for ease of maintenance.

“Our wiring was 34 years old, and it had been spliced in several areas, so this needed to be done,” Miller said. “The wiring has already been delivered, and next month, Bob Brockmeyer [of Compulink Timing Systems] will come in to help supervise the project.”

Equally as vital as the new walls is a new NHRA-accepted sand trap at the end of the track. Miller noted that the new track will be wider and more elaborate than the existing containment systems and will feature upgrades, including dual nets and debris fences on the sides and back.

Miller admitted that the list of offseason projects appears overwhelming at times but noted that his dedicated staff has tackled each one with a can-do attitude.

“We’ve got a lot going on,” Miller said. “We’ve got big changes with our fuel station with new tanks going in, and we’ve got a playground for kids, which was in the works long before we knew we were having an NHRA event. I’m also installing a new billboard on the starting line similar to the one they have in Norwalk.

“On top of all that, I’ve got a new home in the works; we just got the permits issued this week for that. At times, I feel like I’m a bit behind on the race stuff because we’ve been so focused on construction, but everyone has been wonderful to work with.”

Maryland Int’l Raceway annually features a full schedule of events that runs from March through November and includes major events, including the Haltech World Cup Finals, featuring the sport’s fastest domestic and import street cars. That event typically sells out of both tech cards and spectator admissions. This year, the NHRA Potomac Nationals has been added as well as an NHRA Northeast Division Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event that is scheduled for June 18-21.

“We open in March, with a test 'n' tune, and we may not make the first week just because of weather,” Miller said. “Obviously, we can’t run until we get the timing system installed. Overall, we’ve gotten very positive feedback [regarding the Potomac Nationals]. We do have a few questions that we don’t yet have answers for, but day by day, I see it all coming together.”