Bandimere Speedway – April 16-17     Bandimere Speedway is one of the country’s most famous racetracks, which was opened in 1958. This quarter-mile dragstrip is located in the city of Morrison, Colorado, and has been providing top of the line quality drag races to thousands of race lovers every day. Also known as the Thunder Mountain in the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA), it is situated at the height of about 5,800 feet above sea level.   The speedway hosts more than 130 NHRA-sanctioned racing events annually, which are witnessed by hundreds of thousands of spectators annually. Bandimere Speedway is designed with world-class standards and includes the following facilities:  

• An all concrete quarter-mile dragstrip, one of the two NHRA national event tracks featuring such a racing surface.
• An all optic fiber race timing system
• A unique track cooling system designed to cool the dragstrip by running 12,000 gallons of chilled water through more than 15,000 feet of underground pipelines
• A total seating capacity for 28,500 spectators
• A VIP Tower with four floors and 13 corporate suites
• 50 acres of asphalt in the staging lanes and the pit area
• An on-site fuel store
• Huge parking spaces
• Food, beverage, and sports shops

  Bandimere Speedway’s elevation gives it a unique quirk. At an altitude of over 5000 feet, the air is much thinner, which means that there would be less air pressure over the rear wings during a high-speed run due to a significant decrease in the downforce (downward lift to boost a vehicle). This translates to less downward boost, which ultimately slows the vehicle down. Thus, a car that clocks over 300 mph under normal conditions would perform below the 300 marks in the Bandimere Speedway. The NHRA adjusts this performance loss in their bracket categories by tweaking the indices.  

History of the Track

John Bandimere Sr, who was a racing enthusiast like us, had purchased the land in 1958 on the west side of Denver, Colorado. Bandimere Sr. and his family had started the construction to produce a small yet highly efficient dragstrip.   Their primary motive was to boost their auto parts business by holding several races. However, Bandimere Sr. wanted a haven for all the youngsters out there who wanted to learn more about cars. Therefore, he gave them a platform to express their passion safely off the streets.   Now, with its extreme popularity and widespread fame for hosting thrilling and action-packed races, Bandimere Speedway has hosted 1,700 registered racers and approximately 30,000 different competitors have throttled their car on the track.   In 1968, Bandimere Speedway was sanctioned by NHRA, and in 1980, Bandimere Sr.’s name was inducted in the Colorado Motorsports Hall of Fame.   During the course of 63 years, Bandimere Speedway has seen tremendous upgradation. All the facilities, the pits, the racetrack, the buildings, and the spectator seating have been replaced to make the venue in line with the highest standards.   In 1988, the Bandimere family decided to renovate the entire facility and invested $4 million on it. It took a year to complete the renovation work. The new and improved facility was now ready to host even more diversified events, increased seating capacity, more equipped pit areas, efficient parking spaces, enhanced sign visibility, and easy access to all areas of the speedway.   In May 2008, the Musco Lighting System was also installed to upgrade the racetrack's lighting, making it one of the country's best-lit racetracks.   In 2020, the speedway experienced the highest number of visitors in a single event, with just under 490,000 fans coming to witness the live action.   Some of the major events that took place in the Bandimere Speedway are:  

• In 1973, the High School Drags and the High-Altitude Bracket Nationals were initiated at the Bandimere Speedway.
• Bandimere Speedway became the first racetrack ever to host Super Comp at an NHRA national event back in 1985.
• In 1989, the newly renovated racetrack was inaugurated with the Mile-High Nationals.
• In 1991, Lori Johns became the first 4-second driver on the Bandimere Speedway during the Mopar Mile-High Nationals.
• John Force clocked 301.7 mph to become the first 300 mph racecar driver on the Bandimere Speedway back in 1998.
• In 2008, the all-famous television show PINKS was filmed at the Bandimere Speedway for the first time.
• The Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals became the first NHRA sanctioned event to receive a live telecast on Fox Network Television.
• In 2017, the Drag Illustrated World Series of Pro Mod was debuted with Mike Bowman winning $100,000.

 

Experience the Heat

With a track record worthy of a world-class dragstrip, Bandimere Speedway has been hosting some of the country's hottest races. Since it came into being, the racetrack has been winning the hearts of all the racing fans across the globe.   The action is set to return to the Bandimere Speedway, with the Street Outlaws No Prep Kings series in March. No Prep Kings has established itself as one of the highest quality action providers and is geared up to thrill you with exciting performances by expert drivers.   The event will take place on April 16 and 17, 2021. Hurry up and grab your tickets to treat yourself with mind-blowing action and lasting memories.