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The floods that recently hit parts of the midwestern U.S. had a dramatic impact on several NHRA member tracks, including Ohio Valley Dragway, Beech Bend Raceway Park, and Edgewater Sports Park.

All three tracks received substantial water damage, which will impact the early part of their season schedule. Edgewater Sports Park in Cleves, Ohio, is looking to make the best of a tough situation by hosting a “Big Clean Up” no-prep event on April 18 as part of their popular Cincy Street Nights program. Ohio Valley and Beech Bend are also hoping to reopen in mid-April.

“The one thing that everyone can do is support these tracks once they have reopened,” said North Central Division Director William Tharpe. “From attending events, buying merchandise, and even patronizing the concession stands, every bit will help with getting these tracks back on their feet.”

One of the hardest hit tracks was Ohio Valley Dragway, a popular eighth-mile facility located near Louisville, Ky. Ohio Valley remains closed as of April 16 but is hoping to reopen soon. Track management recently shared on the track’s Facebook page that they are working around the clock to restore the track to operating condition.

“We have dealt with flooding in the past, but this is close to as bad as it was in 1997,” said track owner Terry Huff. “We have a long road ahead of us but plan to start assessing and mitigate the water damage as soon as we are able to. We would like to thank the racing community for their willingness to help us get back up and running as quickly as possible.”

Those sentiments are echoed by the management of Beech Bend Raceway Park in Bowling Green, Ky., which has already been flooded twice this season. Beech Bend had to cancel their Tuesday night test 'n' tune event scheduled for April 16, but is planning to go ahead with a similar event on Saturday, April 19.

“For most racers, it is hard to believe the little river at Beech Bend can jump out of its banks and be several feet deep on the racetrack, but it certainly can happen,” said track manager Broc Porter. “It is very unusual for it to happen twice in a year, and hopefully flooding doesn't become more frequent.

“Typically, there are plenty of warnings and river level forecasts provided by the NOAA help to know what to expect during heavy rain events," he added. "In preparation, we will pull timing sensors from the track, scoreboard components [yes it can get that high], concession trailers, fuel tank, E.T. booth, scales, anything on wheels, and the timing system computer just in case.

“Cleanup begins soon after the river crests, and chasing the water down is the most time-saving effort we have found,” said Porter.�� “The following days are spent washing mud with water trucks and pressure washers. Grass and sticks will be found in almost every inch of chainlink fencing if it's still standing. The task is incredibly labor intensive. Time frames vary depending on the severity of the flooding and the amount of staffing available.
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"The support from racers and fans is incredible, and we greatly appreciate it when they reach out and offer help," he said. "Most of the time, we just ask that they support us once we swing the gates open.”