U.S. NATIONALS....It's amazing to think Detroit, the "Motor City", home to the Big-3 Automakers, doesn't have an NHRA National Event. It doesn't even have a dragstrip anymore, since Detroit Dragway was demolished a few years ago. Detroit did host the NHRA for a short time, many moons ago. In 1959 and 1960, when the NHRA only had one national event, the "U.S. Nationals" were held at Detroit. The U.S. Nationals moved in 1961, when the brand new Indianapolis Raceway Park opened, and Detroit forever lost it's time in the drag racing spotlight. THE END....A 1994 plan by the NHRA to rebuild the track, and bring in a national event was by killed by local opponents, sealing Detroits fate. Detroit slowly died, and finally closed in 1998. The closure forcing racers to travel to Milan or further, or back onto the streets. Following the demolition, Detroit-area industrial real estate builder Ashley Capital, built their Brownstown Business Center warehouse complex on the grave of Detroit Dragway. How ironic is it that one of the first tenants to lease warehouse space there was none other than Ford Motor Company. RIP Detroit Dragway.
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