Nestled in the northeast corner of North America, Eastbound International Dragway is part of Eastbound Park, a state-of-the-art racing facility located on the grounds of the former Avondale Raceway. The completely redone 55-acre motorsports park formally opened in 2014 and consists of a 1/3 mile asphalt oval track, 1/8 mile drag strip, go-cart track, motocross circuit, major concert park and more. The facility will run IHRA’s Summit SuperSeries program beginning this year, with additional race dates currently in the works.
“We are very excited to partner with the IHRA as we work to put this facility on the map,” said Mike James, Events Director at Eastbound Park. “Our goal is to bring international motorsports exposure to the island, which sometimes gets forgotten about, and our involvement with the IHRA is another big stepping stone in accomplishing that goal and helping put this track on an international stage.”
Completed in 2014 with a limited schedule and fully opening this year, Eastbound International Dragway is located in Avondale, Newfoundland, just 20 miles from St. John’s. The facility hosts a wide array of events throughout its calendar year, including monster truck events, US Legend Cars, drag racing and major concerts.
New ownership purchased the former Avondale Raceway property in 2012 with plans to give the facility a major facelift and turn it into a major motorsports and concert destination. The new Eastbound Park formally opened its doors in 2014 with a major Nashville music festival and will further expand its operations in 2015 with more than 60 events planned this season.
“Last year was our opening year where we had an opportunity to introduce ourselves to the world. This year we really make some noise,” James said. “Drag racing in this area goes all the way back to the 1960s on a US Naval base in Argentia and progressed with a group of local diehard drag racers who operated the former Clarenville Dragway for the last 20 years. That kept the sport of drag racing alive here and now we are hoping to take it to a new level.”
In addition to a sanctioned oval facility, James said it was important to partner the dragstrip portion of the facility with a world-class organization, and the decision to go with IHRA was an easy one to make.
“The big thing for us is safety. We want to give our racers a chance to compete on a world stage with a first-class organization and the best safety standards, and that is what the IHRA brings to the table,” James said.
The addition of Eastbound International Dragway continues IHRA’s strong presence in Canada, where it is one of the leading motorsports organizations. Currently, IHRA sanctions eight tracks in six Canadian provinces with two of its biggest Nitro Jam Drag Racing Series national events taking place in the country.
“It’s exciting to see new development in drag racing on any level, anywhere in the world, but what the hard working crew at Eastbound have done is remarkable,” said Jon O’Neal, IHRA Division Director. “The facility will stand as one of the most unique drag strips in the IHRA, while upholding the standards set forth by the sanction and being set in a beautiful piece of country. Couple that with the culture, hospitality and never-say-die attitude, and the facility is set for a bright future.”
For more information on IHRA’s newest facility, visit www.eastboundpark.com. And for a complete list of IHRA member tracks, visit www.ihra.com.
