Firebird Motorsports Park Repaves Dragstrip ahead of 40th Annual NHRA Arizona Nationals in 2025

PHOENIX, AZ – December 21, 2024 – (Motor Sports NewsWire) – After previously announcing a multi-year extension for the annual NHRA Arizona Nationals as part of a bright long-term future, operators at Firebird Motorsports Park are full speed ahead on some impressive improvements heading into the 2025 season.

Next year’s Arizona Nationals takes place March 21-23 and will celebrate 40 years of the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series event at the famed Phoenix-area track. Tickets are on sale now for the annual “Duel in the Dessert” and fans and race teams will get a freshly repaved dragstrip, building excitement for what will be an incredible event in 2025.

Currently, the track is utilizing 125 truckloads of asphalt and employing pavers, rollers, and active-leveling skis. The 35 members of Sunland Asphalt crafted a continuous pour with no cold joint thanks to a solid plan by the company, building plenty of excitement for the 2025 NHRA Arizona Nationals and beyond.

“When we made our announcement Dec. 7 of last year that we were not only continuing operation of the facility, but rebranding as Firebird Motorsports Park, we understood the importance of our actions of proving to the motorsports community how committed we were to making the track successful, and how great our support is from Gila River Development and the Gila River Indian Community,” Track Manager Casey Buckman said.

“I can’t think of a better display of commitment than being able to ink a long-term agreement with NHRA to host the Arizona Nationals, as well as making the largest facility improvement in decades by replacing the asphalt surfaces of the dragstrip, within weeks of each other. We have great partners on this project in Sunland Asphalt and Kurt Johnson, whose reputation in the drag racing industry speaks for itself, all to make the most competitive surface possible for our great racers and fans.”

Sunland led the charge on the continuous pour and they boast an impressive track record, including paying the Miami Formula 1 track and other big racing venues. It adds another exciting element to one of the hallmark events on the NHRA tour.

“This project just shows how strong our sport is right now, seeing NHRA Member Tracks investing in the future of their track, their local racers and our sport as a whole simply makes me happy,” NHRA Pacific Division Director Matt DeYoung said. “It’s great to see vendors like Sunland Asphalt, Total Venue Concepts, and RDO show so…