From Amarillo to Atco: Where HRDW Has Been and Where It Might Go in 2027
38 Unique tracks in 21 years
Hot Rod Drag Week has hosted events as far West as Amarillo, TX, East as far as Acton, NJ, South to Montgomery, AL and North to Kaukauna, WI. To me, this is why drag and drive events are such a huge draw for participants. We say it all the time, drag and drive gives you a reason to visit new tracks and get out and see new parts of the country. Hot Rod Drag Week has done an incredible job providing this experience for its racers and fans by visiting 38 unique tracks.
While we know the event does the best when hosted in the midwest, I appreciate the fact that the team is willing to “spread the love” and host in a lot of different areas. Possibly my favorite event was 2023’s trip to the Carolinas and Tennessee. Thunder Valley in Bristol, TN at sunrise is an experience like few others.
But, where have they been the most???
The Top Tracks
8 Visits - Indianapolis, IN
7 Visits - Cordova, IL
6 Visits - Madison, IL (St Louis)
5 Visits - Hebron, OH and Martin, MI
4 Visits - Byron, IL
3 Visits - Bowling Green, KY, Memphis, TN, Norwalk, OH, Tulsa, OK, Union Grove, WI
2 Visits - Bristol, TN, Great Bend, KS, Milan, MI, Rising Sun, MD, Topeka, KS
There are 24 tracks that have only been visited once in the 21 year history of the event.
2005: Kansas City, MO
2007: Kaukauna, WI and Cedar Falls, IA
2008: Steele, AL and Montgomery, AL
2009: Muncie, IN
2010: New Alexandria, PA
2011: Amarillo, TX
2012: Ennis, TX and Gilliam, LA
2014: Noble, OK
2018: Atlanta, GA; Darlington, SC; Charlotte, NC
2019: Dinwiddie, VA; Atco, NJ; Mechanicsville, MD
2023: Hartsville, SC; Rockingham, NC; Aiken, SC
2025: Budds Creek, MD; Numidia, PA; Reading, PA
2026: Joliet, IL
*I removed the 5th day of racing from each year to only account for one unique track for each event (except 2005). The host track is not counted twice for each event.
Where are they headed next?
As a promoter, you are truly at the mercy of track managers and owners for scheduling. So, while everyone may think that the Hot Rod team is working 2-3 years ahead, that is most likely not the case. Tracks these days rarely even look at the next season until late October or early November. The team most likely has an idea of the region they would like to host the events, but until tracks are willing to discuss the potential dates, there is nothing that can be done.
While no information is available for Hot Rod Drag Week 2027, we can speculate….
If we look at the history, and ask Claude for some help, the top region shows to be the Southeast with a mix of TN/NC/SC as they hosted there in both 2018 and 2023, so a return would be great. A close second is the Mid-West with OH/MI/IN as they hosted in 2021 and 2024 - this to me seems too quick of a return to that area, especially with HRDW ‘26 being in IL.
My hope is that the success of the Hot Rod Power Tour leads them back towards the MO/OK/KS region of the country. Returning to Kansas City would be awesome. KC, Great Bend, OKC and Tulsa would be a real test of the cars as it would return to the long drives with a Google Maps route at 974 miles for the loop. These tracks haven’t been a visit since 2014….. And Matt and June of Rocky Mountain Race Week do well with their Race Week event at these locations.
Historically, Hot Rod Magazine announces the dates and tracks around PRI in early December. So, until then we will pester our contacts at the magazine and bring you the most up to date information as we receive it.
Where do you want them to host Hot Rod Drag Week 2027??
Article by Mike Narx. Photos by Eric White
