Not only is the dragstrip situated on airport-owned land, but the track was also, in fact, once part of Immokalee Regional Airport, as the racing lanes were once runways for aircraft instead of hot rods. From the very beginning, the airport gave dragstrip founder Ralph Hester a 10-year lease on the property, with little expectation of it being extended, although Ralph somehow managed to turn a decade into a 27- year stint.“ I’ ve definitely outlived my stay,” says Hester.

A number of airport expansions through the years have made it difficult on the dragstrip, often putting the track’ s future in uncertain territory. Roughly five years ago, the airport launched an expansion plan that greatly encroached on the dragstrip, which included building a new taxiway for airplanes right

across the staging lanes and starting line of the dragstrip, telling Hester the track would either have to be moved 330 feet down track or torn down entirely.

Ralph and his son, Thomas, weren’ t ready to throw in the towel just yet, so they dispensed many hours of sweat equity to move the track a mere 330 feet to accommodate the airport. In one regard, a move that short doesn’ t sound all that difficult, but the wiring alone was 22 years old at the time, and it all just crumbled when it was pulled out of the earth. Every part and piece of the dragstrip was uprooted and moved, much of it with great difficulty, including new concrete poured for the starting line and a host of other updates.

Fast-forward four years and the airport’ s latest expansion plan involves the dragstrip completely ceasing to exist, and this time there’ s no more options to move it to make room. The airport’ s plan is to build brand-new hangers squarely where the racetrack is located, so they’ re telling Hester that his beloved

dragstrip has got to go.“ Honestly, I’ m surprised we’ re still here,” says Hester, during his New Year’ s race that ushered in 2026.

The only reason the track lived to see another year was because the airport ran into some unexpected difficulty regarding the permits required to build the new hangers, so they told Ralph he could keep racing while they ironed things out. The hanger project actually got delayed twice, but Hester says he doesn’ t anticipate any more extensions, and it looks as though the dragstrip is on track to be permanently closed at the end of May 2026.

If there’ s a silver lining to these current events, it’ s the real possibility that Immokalee, Florida, may be getting a brand-new dragstrip! Hester tells me that he’ s gotten some massive sponsorship pledges from his current associates, and he’ s actively looking for land to build a new track. Ralph reminded me that the name Immokalee means“ my home,” and that’ s exactly how he feels about the place.“ Immokalee has been good to me, and I don’ t

want to leave this town,” he says.

Hester still works everyday selling produce for a living, and after work he and Thomas drive over to the track and work on dragstrip stuff.“ When we don’ t have a race going on we’ re miserable!” he says. It’ s the people and friendships he’ s built over decades of being in the business that keeps him coming back.“ The finest people in the world can be met at the dragstrip,” he’ s told me on more than one occasion.

I’ ve probably visited Immokalee Regional Raceway a dozen times since my first trip 14 years ago, when I came here for the season-opening IHRA Pro-Am race. Many racers I’ ve chatted with find the whole“ Immokalee experience” to be a magnificent way to escape the bitter cold of winter. I’ ve even met a group of racers who traveled 32 hours from Nova Scotia to race at Immokalee.

It’ s hard to imagine this place without its familiar dragstrip, operated by such a hospitable soul as Ralph Hester. So, if the curtain is indeed about to close on this final act, we’ re all rooting for Ralph to find his new land, and keep the good times rolling for as long as fate will allow. DI