Coastal Plains Dragway Coastal Plains Dragway Announces 50th Anniversary Season Schedule JACKSONVILLE, N.C. (Nov. 2, 2022) – Coastal Plains Dragway, an eighth-mile dragstrip located in Jacksonville, N.C., will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2023. To celebrate that milestone, the track is hosting one of its most ambitious schedules yet. With new events joining treasured Coast Plains traditions, the 2023 season will offer something for fans and racers of all ages and interests. “We couldn’t be more excited to go into our 50th season of operation,” said Ronnie Humphrey, whose family has owned Coastal Plains Dragway since 1972. “We’ve been proud to offer North Carolina drag racers and drag racing fans a place to race for five decades now. With the help of a wonderful team and our incredible racers and fans, we’ve stood the test of time. I’m looking forward to seeing what the future of Coastal Plains Dragway looks like in 2023 and beyond.” Coastal Plains Dragway went into the 2022 season with a new track manager, Charles Myers, who grew up racing at Coastal Plains and went on to manage multiple tracks around the country. With a full season at Coastal Plains under his belt, he’s ready to continue working with the Humphrey family as they build the track’s already solid reputation. “The 2022 race season has been a big learning curve for all of us here at CPD with some of the improvements that we had made during the offseason,” Myers said. “We are really excited to capitalize on those improvements we have made with a little more of an aggressive schedule to help commemorate the Humphrey family being involved for 50 years.” Coastal Plains Dragway has a robust schedule planned for its 50th season. Highlights include the Valentine’s Day Classic (Feb. 11), the St. Patrick’s Day Kick-Off (March 25), the Gunslinger Shootout (June 10), the Father’s Day Extravaganza (June 24), the Stars and Stripes Shootout (July 4), the Night of Honor (July 8-9), the Never Forget the Fallen Shootout (Sept. 9-10), the Pumpkin Smasher Nationals (Oct. 14-15), the second annual Nostalgia Drag Race (Oct. 21-22), the Inaugural Spooky Drags (Oct. 28), the 36th annual Thanksgiving Classic with CCRA (Nov. 18-19), and the New Year’s Bash (Dec. 30). The schedule also includes seven Tuesday Night Drags and nine points races. Racers will have with three opportunities to win a points championship. In addition to the special 50th Year Specialty Race Series Champion, the track will crown a WDRA Points Series Champion and a Tuesday Night Points Champion. “We are dedicated to improving the racer experience by adding two other chances to win a track championship at Coastal Plains,” Myers said. “The 50th year of Coastal Plains Dragway will be one to remember.” In 2023, CPD will also launch its new automotive museum, the goal of which is to preserve some of the history of motorsports in eastern North Carolina, along with educating the youth through STEM-related programs and activities. The track plans to open the museum in April. “Returning to my roots has been part of why I returned to CPD, and by adding the museum to the roster for 2023 just makes my time here come full circle,” Myers said. “There is so much drag racing history that eastern North Carolina has been a part of and we are so excited to bring some of that history to life. Names like Daniels, Warren, Taylor, and Silance that have won here and have gone on to win multiple national events and championships. Even ‘Tricky’ Rickie Smith earned a spot in the Holley 6-Second Club driving a car owned by Mr. Humphrey.” “We’re so proud of our history here at Coastal Plains,” Humphrey added. “This museum will be a great way to honor and pay tribute to the racers who’ve made Coastal Plains Dragway what it is today.” For more info on Coastal Plains Dragway, visit www.CoastalPlainsRaceway.com.