Southwest Raceway/Tulsa International Raceway/Tulsa Raceway Park

History

James Kirkpatrick, Jerry Enterline and R. Lollar filed incorporation papers for Southwest Raceway on November 18, 1964. NHRA started its World Finals here in 1965 and returned in 1966, 1967 and 1968. The 1965 race set up the system of crowning season champions at the World Finals, with the top two points earners in each class from each division qualifying. Maynard Rupp won top fuel that year. In April 1966 a group of businessmen bought the strip, planning a $5 million complex with a 1.5-mile oval, a 2.5-mile sports car course, a half-mile oval and the drag strip. The track had a distinctive timing tower and covered grandstands. Benny Osborn became NHRA’s first two-time world champion with top fuel titles in 1967 and 1968.

The track became Tulsa International Raceway in 1968, kept that name through at least 1996 and probably later, and is now Tulsa Raceway Park. Over Memorial Day weekend 1972, the Professional Racers Association, organized by Don Garlits, held National Challenge ‘72 there with AHRA backing, opposite NHRA’s Nationals at Indianapolis and with a bigger payout, a $25,000 purse across the three top pro categories. Don Prudhomme, Garlits, Larry Brown and Dennis Baca were among those who skipped Indy for it. Don Moody won top fuel, Tom McEwen funny car and Bill Jenkins pro stock, before 30,000 people on the final day. The AHRA Spring Nationals ran there in 1979. It still operates under NHRA sanction.