Commerce Municipal Airport
ClosedClosed No longer racing, but some of the track is still there.
- One racer recalled a strip near Commerce paved with asphalt roofing shingles
- Raced
- 1962-63
- State
- Texas
- What's left
- A good length of the old track surface is still there, in poor to good condition.
- Raced on
- An airport runway
- First race
- spring 1962
- Last race
- May 10, 1963
- Surface
- Runway
- Location
- Commerce Municipal Airport
- People
- Commerce Hot Rod Club, organizer (1962)
- Draggin' Dragoons car club, organizer (1962)
- Elevation
- 510 ft (156 m)
- Coordinates
- 33.29263, -95.89794
The Commerce Hot Rod Club had been holding Sunday drag races at the airport for several weeks before June 17, 1962, when it gave out eleven class trophies, and it was working on getting insurance. On June 15, 1962, the Commerce city commission gave the Draggin’ Dragoons car club use of the airport for two or three more weeks, after the club promised to build its own strip. Land had already been obtained near the Eagle Grove community, three miles north of Commerce, and money was being raised to build it, so the club was grateful for the airport in the meantime. Drag races were held at the airport on May 10, 1963, as part of East Texas State College’s Freshman Day. One old racer recalled a strip near Commerce paved with torn-off asphalt roofing shingles, the weirdest he’d ever seen, though it had decent traction for the power anyone had 40 or 50 years ago.
More in Texas
- Closed No longer racing, but some of the track is still there. Abernathy Municipal Airport 1958-60
- Closed No longer racing, but some of the track is still there. Abilene Dragway/Big Country Raceway 1964-75
- Closed No longer racing, but some of the track is still there. Abilene Municipal Airport 1954-57
- Closed No longer racing, but some of the track is still there. Alamo Dragway (San Antonio) 1974-96
- Active Still racing today. Amarillo Dragway 1960-present
- Closed No longer racing, but some of the track is still there. Andrews County Airport (Andrews) 1966-69
- Closed No longer racing, but some of the track is still there. Angleton Dragway/Raceway 2003-10
- Closed No longer racing, but some of the track is still there. Aransas County Airport (Rockport) 1957-58
- Nothing left No longer racing, and nothing of the track remains. Ascarate Park (El Paso) 1960-61
- Nothing left No longer racing, and nothing of the track remains. Austin Raceway Park/Austin Dragway Park 1966-70
- Closed No longer racing, but some of the track is still there. Bergstrom Air Force Base (Austin) 1954
- Closed No longer racing, but some of the track is still there. Big Bend Drag Strip (Alpine) 1968