Tickets on sale for the Stampede of Speed

Stampede of Speed, a 10-day event with drag racing, a music festival, fan experiences and the NHRA Texas Fall Nationals, returns for the third year to the Texas Motorplex, located in Ennis, on Oct. 6-15, and tickets are on sale now.

“We’re real excited to bring this back for the third year,” co-owner Christie Meyer Johnson said. “We’re very fortunate that we have the opportunity to do this for 10 days and to try to drive a huge impact on the community, with bringing people in for hotels and restaurants, and (to do) what we can to showcase Ellis County and the Waxahachie and Ennis area. The whole goal of this (event) is to introduce drag racing to a new fan and a different generation.”

Stampede of Speed kicks off with the High Noon Cattle Drive on Oct. 6 in downtown Waxahachie. The cattle drive includes members from Waxahachie ISD teams and the local community, Johnson said.

Later that evening is the Scott Palmer Nitro Side Show, which includes “some of the wildest race cars on the planet as they try and set speed records and breathe fire,” according to the website. The show was previously held on Monday night, but Johnson said they moved it to Friday to allow more families to attend.

“He brings really wild cars that you don’t get to normally see on the NHRA circuit,” Johnson said. “He’s kind of a daredevil and willing to try anything. You can expect wild and crazy from Scott. He always has something new up his sleeve.”

Also, on Friday evening is the second annual Race to Feed the Finish Line food drive, which benefits food banks in Waxahachie and Ennis. Fans can bring a canned or non-perishable food item, make their donation in support of Ennis or Waxahachie, and receive a discount on their ticket.

The city that brings the most food items wins the race and will have signage on the track for the following year.

This year, The Stars over Texas Music Festival has been extended from one day to two days.

The festival begins Saturday, Oct. 7, with exhibition match races, fireworks show and country music.

“Our lineup for that night is such an exciting lineup for me because it’s taking me back to my childhood,” Johnson said. “It’s a ’90s throwback country lineup, so if you’re a kid of the ’90s, it’s going to be a magical night of music.”

Saturday’s headliner is Clay Walker, known for his hit singles “What’s It to You,” “Live Until I Die” and “If I could Make a Living,” with Sawyer Brown, Diamond Rio, Blackhawk and Ricochet also performing.

The music festival continues Sunday, Oct. 8, with Professional Bull Riding, Jambo’s BBQ contest, a beer expo, Night Lights lantern release, match races and country music.

Sunday’s artist lineup will be announced May 15 on the Motorplex’s social media and website, with Johnson saying she can’t wait for fans to hear who will be performing.

Monday, Oct. 9, brings new events to the Stampede of Speed: a celebrity media race and fan track warmup.

The celebrity media race will feature local celebrities and media personalities racing against each other. The hope is to celebrate local celebrities and those who have impacted the DFW community and to introduce them to racing, Johnson said.

The first 500 fans to register for the fan track warmup will have the opportunity to race on the track and warm it up for the professional racers. Johnson said all proceeds of the warmup will go to the Race to Feed the Finish Line food drive, benefiting Ennis and Waxahachie food banks.

Fans can watch the Stampede of Speed Shootout, featuring top Sportsman and top Dragster drivers, on Tuesday and the professional testing, where pro teams make test laps around the track, on Wednesday. Also on Wednesday is the second annual Champion’s Dinner, featuring the 2022 Texas Fall Nationals champions Justin Ashley, Ron Capps, Erica Enders and Hector Arana Jr. The dinner includes a VIP-experience with cocktail happy hour, photos and autographs, Q&A session, plated dinner selected by the champions and a performance by a band.

Stampede of Speed concludes with JEGs AllStars, where top racers from across the country compete, (Thursday), a free Fan Fest in downtown Waxahachie (Thursday evening), and the NHRA Texas Fall Nationals qualifying and finals races (Friday to Sunday).

Johnson said tickets are on sale now for the event except for the celebrity media race, the fan track warmup, and the formal champion’s dinner. Fans can expect tickets and registration to go live for these events in the coming months.

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit https://stampedeofspeed.com. To stay up to date, follow @TexasMotorplex on Facebook.

Originally published May 1, 2023 - https://www.waxahachiesun.com/sports/tickets-on-sale-for-the-stampede-of-speed/article_81903b16-e842-11ed-9991-279205ebbbd4.html