NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

Firebird Raceway listed in National Register of Historic Places

Firebird Raceway, a longstanding NHRA Member Track located in Eagle, Idaho, has been listed in the National Register for Historic Places. Firebird is the first drag racing strip in the United States to achieve the honor.
13 Feb 2019
Posted by NHRA.com staff
News
Firebird

Firebird Raceway, a longstanding NHRA Member Track located in Eagle, Idaho, has been listed in the National Register for Historic Places. 

The New family established the drag strip in 1968 and has owned and operated it for the last 51 years. While a couple of other racetracks are listed in the NRHP, Firebird is the first drag racing strip in the United States to achieve the honor.

“The Idaho State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) is excited to see the Firebird Raceway listed in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP),” said Tricia Canaday, SHPO Administrator/Deputy SHPO for the Idaho State Historical Society. “The SHPO administers the NRHP program, which is the official, national list that recognizes places considered important in our past and worthy of preservation. Firebird Raceway is the Gem State’s only purpose-built drag strip, and is an excellent example of the property type.” 

Firebird Raceway, which annual hosts an NHRA Division 6 Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event as well as an event in the NHRA Hot Rod Heritage Series, consists of approximately 60 acres, including the original strip and associated features of the raceway, which was completed in 1968. Located in a high-desert valley, the raceway is in close proximity to the Boise foothills and Boise National Forest.

“It is an honor for Firebird Raceway to be officially recognized and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This designation serves to underscore all the hard work our founder, the late Bill New and his wife Ellanor, accomplished when they first built and cultivated Firebird in 1968,” said track general manager Scott New.

The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the Nation's historic places worthy of preservation. Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Park Service's National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America's historic and archeological resources.