That only added to a history that dates back to 1963 with the track operating under names like Iowa Dragway, Western Dragway and North Iowa Dragway. That history which included a much publicized best-of-three match race between Don “The Snake” Prudhomme and Tom “The Mongoose” McEwen. Tom literally grew up at the track and saw his father race a Mach 1 there. Monson later became a Yamaha-sponsored snowmobile drag racer.
Tom and Melanie are making even more of an impact as track owners, helping the track thrive during a time when many tracks struggle.
Humboldt County Dragway racers competed in the IHRA Division 6 (Midwest) Summit Team Finals in 2023 and the group mentioned what a great time they had.
Drivers from Humboldt who qualified as track representatives at the IHRA Summit SuperSeries World Finals were: Tony Henderson (Box), Brad Nickerson (No Box), Craig Delfs (Sportsman), Pat Finder (Motorcycle) and Autumn Hansen (Junior Dragster).
The track, located an hour from Minnesota, celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2023 and hosted such events as the Nostalgia Drags, No Prep races and a concert with rising country star Ashley Cook. They’ve got 17 points races already scheduled for the 2024 season.
Over the time that Tom and Melanie have run the track, they’ve installed lights, a new public address system and a new Accutime timing system. They’ve also purchased equipment to provide the best racing surface possible. It has resulted in rave reviews from the racers.
You can click here to check out the Humboldt County Dragway Facebook page for the latest updates.
