In March 2019, Raceway Park of the Midlands (RPM) was covered in 14 feet of water from the nearby Missouri River. It was a very wet year! With spring melt and storms, minor flooding hit the track again in May and June. Needless to say, the 2019 season ended early, but that didn't discourage the track. RPM welcomed racers back in 2020 for limited events and 2021 is even busier with events, like an Ice Cream Cruise, High Rev Driving School, Roll Racing, and of course, drag racing on the I29 Dragway.
We visited the track last month (July 2021), which is two years after the floods. Here are our thoughts on the current track conditions with some photos.
The track is good and drive-able. We walked the dragstrip and the track and both seem to be decent and comparable with other tracks we've visited. The overall look of the place is similar to a rundown Midwest track. Worn, rusty, overgrown, but not excessively dirty and maintained well. Trash cans were clean, no litter, and staff popped in and out to make sure things were up to standard.
The pits and hot lap cool down were not in great shape.
The concession building still had broken windows, torn-apart roof, and no working bathrooms. A tree swept into the window and floods covered the top of the building, so it is a wonder there wasn't more damage.
The track itself needed some grooming around the corner stations and for general visibility. Like any track, we walked the course and did a preliminary drive to check debris and bumps/road issues before starting our driving sessions.
Final Thoughts: The track drove great - fast straight away section and a variety of corners to keep it interesting. The staff was super-friendly and positive on the pace of improvements. We would definitely make the 500 mile drive back!
Visit Raceway Park of the Midlands - https://www.racewayparkofthemidlands.com/
Read more about the March 2019 floods - (Article on TheDrive.com)