Richmond Dragway

Dan Weis, his father John “Pop” Weis and their family built this $300,000 strip, which opened in May 1964. It hosted an NHRA Southeastern divisional meet on Sunday, May 31, 1964. On June 7, Dan Weis, also the track manager, match raced his Mercury Comet A/FX against Frank Perry’s ‘64 Hemi Dodge. Dick Swicker of Staunton held the 1964 track record of 182.37 MPH in his AA/FD until June 28, when Joe Schubeck beat him in a two-of-three match and ran 7.96 seconds at 193.23 MPH. Over the July 4th weekend Jim Hundley beat Tony Nancy in a best-of-three, and on September 12, 1964, Richard Petty and Junior Johnson ran a best-of-five match race. Other big names in the early years included Tommy Ivo, Jack Chrisman, Doug Cook, Don Garlits, Ronnie Sox and Don Nicholson, along with jet cars and wheelstanders. The track was AHRA sanctioned in 1965 and was booked for the AHRA Spring Nationals in May 1966. On August 8, 1965, Ivo ran an unofficial 220.58 MPH in 7.69 seconds in his streamlined four-engine dragster. The track didn’t open in 2020 because of Covid-19 restrictions, and during the shutdown owner Johnny Davis decided to sell. A real estate development firm bought it.