The Texas Motorplex gearing up for a Stampede.

A return of the Stampede of Speed as prelude to the 37th annual Texas NHRA FallNationals highlights the multi-use 2022 schedule at Texas Motorplex in Ennis.

In addition to a variety of racing weekends _ including the second annual Funny Car Classic _ International Drag Racing Hall of Famer Billy Meyer’s facility will play host to music festivals and dozens of specialty events throughout the year.

Meyer, a former Funny Car driver, opened NHRA’s first “super-track” in September 1986. Located 40 miles south of downtown Dallas, the facility off U.S. Highway 287 in Ellis County introduced the three-story, stadium-style horseshoe tower with 28 enclosed corporate boxes to the sport, along with hospitality and meeting areas, 29,000 grandstand seats (since expanded to 40,000), upgraded media center and plenty of restrooms. Additionally, its post-tension/all-concrete quarter-mile surface was hailed as revolutionary.

Before the Motorplex ramped-up, a major domestic drag racing facility had not been built in 11 years. The Plex remains the only quarter-mile, multi-use racing facility in North Texas.

The 10-day Stampede of Speed will anchor the season’s traditional NHRA visit into the Dallas-Fort Worth market Oct. 7-16. The 2021 Stampede made a successful debut as the longest continuous motorsports event on the NHRA tour and second nationwide only to the famed Month of May at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

“This season will be a huge step forward for entertainment opportunities in the State of Texas thanks to the success of the Stampede of Speed,” said Christie Meyer Johnson, co-owner with her father of The Plex. “We took a big risk last year and produced a 10-day event in advance of our largest race of the season, the NHRA Texas FallNationals, and it really paid off. The event was very well-received and drew national attention.”

TicketSmarter, the national resale ticketing marketplace, will continue as Texas Motorplex’s preferred ticket reseller. TicketSmarter offers over 48-million third-party tickets for 125,000 sports, concerts and theatre live events nationwide. In addition to providing fans a safe, trusted platform to buy and sell tickets, TicketSmarter “gives back” with $1 from every transaction helping its charitable partners. That list includes St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, V Foundation and Quarterbacking Children’s Health Foundation.

TicketSmarter also will operate as a marketing partner of Texas Motorplex. Fans can purchase tickets to all major events through TicketSmarter.com, or its link on www.texasmotorplex.com. Texas Motorplex is part of an expansive list of motorsports venues in the U.S. partnering with TicketSmarter, including several NHRA national event tracks.

Highlights of the 2022 Motorplex schedule:

Radial Round-Up (March 18-19) _ This kick-off event will feature radial tire drag racing produced in conjunction with veteran North Texas racer Michael Hollis.

Funny Car Classic (March 25-26) _ The inaugural event in 2021 drew over 60 Funny Cars, including nitro burning entries from Funny Car Chaos and Outlaw Fuel Altereds. Various NHRA Top Fuel and Funny Car racers are scheduled to be on-site.

Ubbi Dubbi (April 22-24) _ The second edition of a massive springtime outdoor concert and dance festival.

ADRL Dragpalooza (May 13-14) and U.S. Drags (Sept. 16-17) _ These two American Drag Racing League events will feature the quickest “door-slammer cars” in the sport.

Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series NHRA Double Divisional (May 18-22) _ Four full days of racing will start the summer season, with future NHRA competitors in Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car battling for championship points.

Stampede of Speed and Texas NHRA FallNationals (Oct. 7-16) _ The second annual Stampede of Speed will feature concerts, a rodeo, lantern festival, beer expo and racing leading into the cornerstone event of the Motorplex schedule. Fans will experience every NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series professional category, Lucas Oil Sportsman categories as well as the Constant Aviation Factory Stock Showdown series finale. In addition, Pro Mods will return along with the popular Friday Night Live event.

Pro defending event champions are Justin Ashley (Top Fuel), Ron Capps (Funny Car), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) and Matt Smith (Pro Stock Motorcycle).

Ticket renewals for the Texas NHRA FallNationals will go on sale this month; Funny Car Classic tickets are on sale now. Fans can purchase tickets by calling 1-800-MOTORPLEX or at www.texasmotorplex.com.

TEXAS MOTORPLEX 2022 PREMIER EVENT SCHEDULE

Jan. 14-15 _ T&E Showdown

Feb. 26 _ Cadillac V-Racing Top Gun invitational

March 5 _Convoy Truck Show

March 6 _ Import Face-Off

March 18-19 _ Radial Round-Up

March 25-26 _ Funny Car Classic

April 8-9 _ The Big Showdown

April 22-24 _ Ubbi Dubbi Music Festival

May 6-7_Texas Motorplex Bulls & Bugs Bash

May 13-14 _ American Drag Racing League Dragpalooza

May 18-22 _ Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series NHRA Double Divisional

May 27-29 _ MITM Elite

June 5 _ Racewars

June 17-18 _ Texas Truck Jams

June 25 _ Texas Whip Fest

July 22-23 _ Rumble in the Jungle

Aug. 20 _ Import Face-Off

Aug. 27 _ Summer Truck Invasion

Sept. 3 _ Street Car Takeover

Sept. 16-17 _ American Drag Racing League U.S. Drags

Sept. 24 _ Hood-2-Hood Picnic

Oct. 7-16 _ Stampede of Speed/Texas NHRA FallNationals

Oct. 23 _ Racewars

Oct. 28-29 _ Street Outlaws No-Prep Kings

Nov. 1-Jan. 7 _Radiance at the Races

(Editor’s Note: John Sturbin is a Texas-based journalist specializing in motorsports. During a near 30-year career with the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, he won the Bloys Britt Award for top motorsports story of the year (1991) as judged by The Associated Press; received the National Hot Rod Association’s Media Award (1997) and several in-house Star-Telegram honors. He also was inaugural recipient of the Texas Motor Speedway Excellence in Journalism Award (2009). His list of freelance clients has included Texas Motor Speedway, the Dallas Morning News, New York Newsday, NASCAR Wire Service and Ford Racing).