The Historic Redding Dragstrip
It was about 1948 when local Hot Rodders, including Roger Whipp, first sought a safe place to drag race their cars, and in Roger’s words, “…offer encouragement to be legal.” That search led to the dusty, but straight abandoned runways at Redding Airport. With support from community elders, including the mayor, city council, and newspaper editor, the meager beginnings of a long, grassroots history of the Shasta Roadsters and Redding Dragstrip began. Redding is a very automotive oriented town, and community support for our Dragstrip has always been very enthusiastic.
During the 1950s, Redding Dragstrip signed-up to become an officially sanctioned NHRA track and has run ever since. In the early 1960s, the Redding Dragstrip became the place to race. Now, Redding Dragstrip is the oldest continuously operating NHRA drag racing facility in United States.
The NCDRA (Northern California Drag Racing Association) actively made improvements to the drag racing facility over the years.
Shirlene Bramson operated Redding Dragstrip from 2011 through 2021 making improvements and adding spectator events for all motorsports enthusiasts and families around northern California.
Today, the dragstrip property is leased to Redding Dragstrip, Inc., a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation and managed by the Trimp Family. Dragstrip improvements will continue, under the leadership of Tony Trimp as Redding Motorsports Park seeks to become the premiere facility for Northern California racers and spectators.
While the Redding Dragstrip hosts several large drag racing events throughout the year, the facility still retains a family friendly, community-oriented environment. The dragstrip proudly participates in Redding’s Kool April Nites, and offers a wild weekend of drag racing on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday after the car shows. Attracting nationwide attention and participation, the Kool April Nites weekend is widely recognized as one of the West Coast’s premier car show events.
As a Division 7 NHRA drag racing facility, Redding Dragstrip racers participate in a wide variety of NHRA programs including, but not limited to the Hot Rod Heritage series, NHRA ET Challenge, JR street, NHRA JR Dragster Divisional, Highschool Drags (all students race free) and the NHRA Summit Racing Series, which includes Junior Dragsters. The facility also hosts many Street Machine events and other drag racing special events, which are designed to keep street racers safe and legal by giving them an opportunity to race the strip instead of the streets.
2023 – New Winner’s Circle Sign with Sponsors highlited with cut metal signs, 86,000 sq ft. of all new asphalt for parking, add metal shade to startline area
2024 – new equipment cover at starting line, add new east lot racer parking with asphalt access from return road out to new pit area, 1,000′ asphalt on return road, facelift to ticket booth and timing tower, addition of 1/8 mile finish line bridge, add new timing equipment to align with NHRA’s host timing system Compulink, upgrade to larger scoreboards and rewire entire track, add a brand new Compulink starting line tree, add 800′ of kwall to top end of track and at each lite pole, additional grandstand seating on the West side of the track.
2025 – Widen the racing surface from 16′ to 20′ wide each lane, add 1/4 mile finish line bridge so our elderly racers can see where the finish line is located, add 10 lite poles and speakers throughout the pit areas, add a new ambulance for onsite emergencies, move timeslip booth to 200′ feet downtrack for ease of return road traffic.
2026– 1,800′ of Track Grinding to smooth out the concrete seams
