Close friends Gregg Burgess, Scott Tucker and Bill Haley built the Eldridge, Alabama track in 2008 and it opened in spring 2009. Unfortunately, Bill died a few years after the track opened, but the families all remain close friends. The Burgess and Tucker families operate the venue and put in the work to make it racer-friendly.

They do renovations every year to the facility which features an 1/8-mile, all-concrete drag strip. Track manager Hunter Burgess said the I-22 racers are excited to now be a part of the IHRA and able to participate in the IHRA Summit Team Finals and the IHRA Summit SuperSeries World Finals.

“We’re excited to be a part of that and to be part of an organization which has been around a long time,” Burgess said. “When we built the race track, we had the mindset of a great facility for our local people to bracket race. It’s a track that’s focused on being family-oriented and bracket racing.”

The Alabama track hosts a Pro Mod event in July, but the primary focus is bracket racing. With the IHRA Summit SuperSeries World Finals held just two hours west on Interstate 22 at Holly Springs, Mississippi, it’s also convenient for their racers.

They’ve also prided themselves on great working relationships with other tracks and they’ve teamed with another new IHRA-member track Holiday Raceway for the Southeastern Bracket Series. It’s the third year of the series which has done well the first two seasons.

When the staff at I-22 says family-oriented, there are literally generations involved. Burgess’ grandfather, Jerry, who had decades of experience running a grader, moved much of the dirt on the 150-acre property when it was built. He and his wife Carol still work at the track. On the track, Hunter began racing Junior Dragsters at seven years old and his own daughter started racing at seven as well.

For those visiting the track, there are huge restrooms and showers, electric hookups for camping, concessions on both sides of the track and even a pavilion on top of the hill to watch races and picnic.

Despite no major cities close by, I-22 has been able to attract good car counts. It’s still a convenient location just one mile off the interstate, and it’s also the way the racers are treated. 

“Our philosophy is to take care of the racers. They’re the No. 1 priority,” Burgess said. 

To learn more about the newest IHRA-member track, click here to visit the I-22 Motorsports Park website.