AIRWAY HEIGHTS, Wash. — The Kalispel Tribe of Indians, the new owners of the former Spokane County Raceway, have renamed the track Qlispé Raceway Park.
They also plan to upgrade the facility and bring back a limited schedule of racing at the end of April.
The Tribe officially closed on the purchase in October.
With an all-new management team, QRP will primarily be open for leasing and facility rentals early in the season, with plans to hold some smaller tribal-sponsored events later in the summer.
Qlispé is the international phonetic alphabet spelling of the Kalispel name, and the original way tribal members pronounced it.
Looking forward, the Kalispel Tribe’s plans are to open Qlispé Raceway Park for a full season of scheduled races on the drag strip and road course by 2023, welcoming the return of Top Fuel/Top Alcohol Dragsters, Nitro/Blown Alcohol Funny Cars, Jet Cars and Wheel-standers.
General Manager Rodney J. Nomee is a longtime racer and currently serves on Kalispel Tribal Council.
“I’m excited about the future for Qlispé Raceway Park and as a proud member of the racing community here in the Northwest for many years, I know we can continue to create an amazing experience at QRP,” said Nomee. “One of the first investments we’re committed to making is the purchase and installation of a new timing system on the drag strip. We’re not going to be able to upgrade everything at the strip overnight, but we are taking some positive steps to making QRP the place to be for racers in the region.”