The Texas Motorplex NHRA guide, and a place to stay

Heading to the NHRA Texas Fall Nationals or the Stampede of Speed at Texas Motorplex? This guide covers the 2026 and 2027 dates, tickets, camping, food, what to bring, and how to plan a race weekend, whether you're a lifelong drag racing fan or going to your first race.

We host a tiny home just outside Waxahachie, about 15 minutes from the track. It sleeps six to seven, so your crew can split one place and come home to a quiet porch instead of a campground or a hotel hallway. Racing? Bring the rig. There's plenty of room to park trucks, car trailers, and RVs.

What is Texas Motorplex?

Texas Motorplex is the quarter-mile drag strip in Ennis, Texas, about 15 minutes from Waxahachie. Former Funny Car driver Billy Meyer built it in 1986, and his family still owns it today.

If you searched for drag racing near Dallas, NHRA in Dallas, or the Ennis drag strip, this is the place. It was the first NHRA "super track" and the first all-concrete, stadium-style drag racing facility, with seating for about 50,000. A lot of drag racing history happened here:

• April 9, 1988: Eddie Hill ran the first four-second quarter mile, a 4.990.
• October 18, 1993: John Force scored NHRA's first officially recognized four-second Funny Car pass.
• Every October: the Texas NHRA FallNationals, one of the biggest stops on the NHRA tour.

NHRA Texas Fall Nationals dates: 2026 and 2027

• 2026: The 41st NHRA Texas Fall Nationals runs October 14 to 18, 2026, as part of the 10-day Stampede of Speed (October 9 to 18). It's the fourth of six races in NHRA's Countdown to the Championship playoffs, during NHRA's 75th season.
• 2027: NHRA's 2027 schedule lists the 42nd annual Texas NHRA FallNationals for October 13 to 17, 2027.

Qualifying runs Wednesday through Saturday, and final eliminations are on Sunday.

The Stampede of Speed: 10 days, not just a race

The track has turned the Fall Nationals into a 10-day festival. Here's how 2026 lays out:

The Stampede has also included a free prestage fan fest with food trucks, live music, car displays, and an autograph session with 50+ NHRA drivers. Check stampedeofspeed.com for this year's time and place.

First race? NHRA 101

Drag racing is simple: two cars, a straight line, and whoever crosses the finish line first wins. Here's what you'll see:

• The Christmas Tree: the tower of lights between the lanes. When both cars are staged, the ambers flash and the green starts the race.
• Reaction time counts. A driver can win with the slower car by leaving the line first. That's called a holeshot win.
• How the weekend works: qualifying sets the field, and the top 16 in each pro class race head to head on Sunday, bracket-style, until one winner is left.

Texas Motorplex tickets, camping, and passes

• General admission for the 2026 Stampede of Speed was announced starting at $40.
• Kids 12 and under get in free to the NHRA Fall Nationals. Kids 6 and under are free at the Stars of Texas Music Festival.
• Full 10-day event pass: entry to all ticketed racing events and the Stars of Texas Music Festival.
• Super Seats: reserved starting-line seats with backs, pit access, a private bar and lounge, and one meal per day Friday through Sunday. Sold as 2-day or 4-day passes.
• Champion's Club: reserved grandstand seats, pit passes, preferred parking, and an air-conditioned clubhouse with a bar and catered meals Friday through Sunday.
• Camping: the Back 40 Campground is $40 for all ten days, first come, first served, with 24/7 access and on-site bathrooms. There are no daily rates.

Buy tickets and check current prices at stampedeofspeed.com. Concert tickets for the music festival are also sold at starsoftexas.com.

Texas Motorplex parking, directions, and map

Parking is free. The track is at 7500 W. Hwy 287 in Ennis, between Waxahachie and Ennis on US-287. From the tiny home it's about 10 miles, roughly 15 minutes.

Open Texas Motorplex in Google Maps.

Texas Motorplex food

• Family meal deal: new for 2026, $40 gets four entrées, four sides, and four drinks. With kids free, that's an affordable race day for a family of four.
• Concessions and food trucks around the grounds.
• BBQ and a beer expo during opening weekend.
• Happy hour drink specials from 5 to 8 p.m. at Friday Night Live.

Check the track's rules on coolers and outside food before you pack. Policies change from event to event.

Where to eat before and after the races

Places marked Family pick are our own go-tos.

Before the track

After the races

Details checked September 2026. Hours change, so call ahead. More places in our 48 hours in Waxahachie guide.

Texas Motorplex with kids

• Kids 12 and under are free at the NHRA Fall Nationals, and 6 and under are free at the concerts.
• The $40 family meal deal feeds four.
• Free family events like the Friday cattle drive through downtown Waxahachie.
• Protect their ears. Earmuff-style hearing protection is a must for kids. Nitro cars are extremely loud.
• The tiny home gives a family real beds, a full kitchen, and a washer and dryer, about 15 minutes from the track.

What to bring to Texas Motorplex

• Ear protection for everyone. Earplugs for adults, earmuffs for kids.
• Sunscreen, a hat, and sunglasses. October in Texas can still be hot in the stands.
• A light jacket for night qualifying, concerts, and lantern releases.
• Comfortable shoes for walking the pits and the grounds.
• Your phone and a portable charger for tickets, photos, and autographs.
• Something to sign if you're chasing autographs at the fan fest or in the pits.
• Card and some cash.

Tips and mistakes to avoid

• Forgetting ear protection is the number one mistake. Bring your own from home.
• Skipping the pits. Watching a team tear down and rebuild a nitro engine between rounds is half the show. Check whether your ticket includes pit access.
• Only coming Sunday. Qualifying days are less crowded, and Friday Night Live runs under the lights.
• Missing the lanterns. On opening weekend, they go up after the Saturday and Sunday concerts.
• Waiting on camping. The campground is first come, first served, so RV folks should show up early.
• Driving home after a late concert. A bed 15 minutes away beats a long drive back to Dallas or Fort Worth at midnight.

Racers and crews: bring the rig

We'd love to host a racer. Hotel parking lots and hauler-length trailers don't mix, and the track campground is first come, first served. At our place, there's plenty of room to park trucks, car trailers, and RVs, right on the property, about 15 minutes from the Motorplex.

• Room for your truck and trailer, plus the tow vehicle and a crew car or two.
• RVs welcome to park if part of your group sleeps in the rig.
• Sleeps six to seven inside: a queen bed downstairs, two queen air mattresses in the loft, and a sofa.
• A washer and dryer for fire suits, crew shirts, and everything that smells like race fuel.
• A full kitchen so the crew eats well on a multi-day event without living on concession food.
• Quiet nights between qualifying sessions. You'll actually sleep.

Racing the Fall Nationals, a divisional, TX2K, or bracket weekend? Book on VRBO and message us what you're hauling so we can plan the parking.

Where to stay near Texas Motorplex

Looking for hotels near Texas Motorplex, or an Airbnb near the Ennis drag strip? Your realistic options are camping at the track, a hotel in Waxahachie or Ennis, or a vacation rental like ours. Here's an honest comparison:

The honest take: if you've got an RV and want to live at the track, $40 camping is hard to beat. If you want real beds, air conditioning, a kitchen, quiet after the concerts, and a safe place to park the trailer, that's where we come in. We're on VRBO and Airbnb.

Who it works for

• Racers and crews: plenty of room to park trucks, trailers, and RVs, plus a washer and dryer for race gear.
• Race fans and friends: a queen bed downstairs, two queen air mattresses in the loft, and a sofa. Six to seven people, one bill.
• Families: kids are free at the track, and breakfast at the house keeps race day affordable.
• Couples coming for the concerts: the queen bedroom and bath are on the main floor. See our romantic getaway guide.
• Dog owners: pets are welcome at the tiny home with approval. See our pet-friendly guide.

How far is everything from the tiny home?

Estimated drive times without traffic, September 2026. Race days and rush hour add more.

Two ways to do the Stampede

Plan A: concert weekend (October 9 to 11, 2026)

Plan B: race weekend (October 15 to 18, 2026)

More to do nearby

• Historic downtown Waxahachie: the 1890s courthouse square, boutiques, and restaurants. See our weekend getaway guide.
• Galaxy Drive-In, Ennis: a multi-screen drive-in movie theater off I-45, with sound through your car's FM radio.
• Downtown Ennis: a historic district with brick streets, shops, and the Railroad and Cultural Heritage Museum.
• Lake Bardwell: a 3,500-acre lake near Ennis for fishing and boating.
• Scarborough's Hollow: the fall festival on the Scarborough grounds runs through November 1. See our Scarborough guide.

Texas Motorplex events calendar: October 2026 to October 2027

The Fall Nationals is the headliner, but the Motorplex runs something most weekends from late winter through fall. Here's every event we could confirm for the next year, plus the regulars that usually come back.

Confirmed dates

Regulars expected back in 2027

These ran in 2026. Their 2027 dates weren't announced when we checked, so the 2026 dates are shown to give you an idea of timing:

Confirmed dates from texasmotorplex.com, TX2K, Drag Illustrated, and NHRA's 2027 schedule, checked September 2026. Check texasmotorplex.com for the latest before you book.

Racing, crewing, or bringing a junior racer? Multi-day events are where a home base pays off: real beds, a kitchen, a washer and dryer for a crew of six to seven, and plenty of room to park your truck, trailer, or RV, about 15 minutes from the track. Check our dates on VRBO.

Questions we get