In what Kansas city was the first NHRA national event held in 1955?

The first NHRA national event in 1955 was held in Great Bend, Kansas.

The event was called the National Championship Drags, or simply “the Nationals,” and took place at the Great Bend Municipal Airport. The airport used an 8,000-foot runway, a reminder that early drag racing often relied on former military airfields and other long, flat paved surfaces rather than purpose-built modern facilities.

The 1955 meet was scheduled for September 29 through October 2 and featured racers competing across dozens of classes. Heavy rain created a dramatic complication: a severe storm washed out the final rounds in Great Bend, so the championship conclusion was moved to a site near Phoenix. Calvin Rice defeated Fritz Voight and became the first national champion.

Great Bend was not the event’s permanent home. The Nationals moved to Kansas City, Missouri, in 1956, then to Oklahoma City and Detroit before settling at Indianapolis Raceway Park in 1961. A common mix-up is answering Kansas City because it hosted the second edition, but the inaugural national event was held in Great Bend.