PRESIDIO — At last Wednesday’s meeting, the Presidio Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) gave an initial green light to the Presidio Dragstrip for a new light bar and overdue computer upgrades. The funding will also have to be approved by City Council, but the CVB board felt it was a good investment in growing local tourism. 

Robert Romero and Alex Jimenez of Presidio Drag Racing came to the meeting to make their pitch. They felt the strip was overdue for a new light bar — which signals to the drivers when to start their engines — and a computer that runs the whole system, which has depended on the same software since the first drag races took place in 2013. 

Romero and Jimenez felt they could attract more out-of-town racing teams with a more sophisticated, bug-free setup. The organizers have been diligently working to expand the racetrack itself, but felt the electronic system was a priority. “We gotta fix what we have going first,” Romero said. 

The group had originally applied for funding through the Presidio Municipal Development District, but the proposition was never brought to a vote — and an ensuing conflict with former Executive Director Jeran Stephens over the status of the track’s liability insurance left the organization’s 2022 schedule in question. 

Presidio Drag Racing ultimately addressed Stephens’ concerns and purchased insurance for the event weeks — rather than days — in advance. With the new system up and running, they’re hoping to add even more dates to the calendar this year. “We make a profit, but everything comes out of our pockets up front,” Romero explained. 

Romero and the other drag race organizers are hoping to eventually make the organization a nonprofit, running community events and charity races — and perhaps even funding in-house internships for future mechanics and tradespeople. “We do good things for this community,” Jimenez said.

This year, they decided to reapply for funding through the Convention and Visitors Bureau, which deliberates on how to spend Presidio’s hotel occupancy tax (HOT). HOT runs on the motto “heads in beds” — encouraging the growth of the tourism industry by putting money into initiatives that will bring visitors to stay in town and boost the local economy. 

The drag race organizers felt that by drawing from the HOT pool in advance, they’d be able to make the money back for the city this year — and ultimately grow the program’s mone-making potential. The drag races already bring hundreds of people to town for each event and consistently draw racing teams from Mexico and all over the Southwest. 

They also felt that Presidians had come to enjoy the event as well, and looked forward to each race as a new town tradition. “Every event we have, we get this town rocking and rolling,” said Romero. 

The CVB board ultimately decided to approve the funding to the tune of $16,000. The final authorization to spend the money will have to come from Presidio City Council because it exceeds the CVB’s budget — the budget is approved annually, but the HOT fund that fulfills the budget is assessed quarterly and frequently exceeds expectations. 

Everyone in the room felt that the Presidio Dragstrip was a sure bet — and the organizers were grateful. “It’s a big gorilla off my back and a blessing,” said Romero. 

Funding for the Presidio Dragstrip will be discussed and approved at an upcoming City Council meeting, date to be determined. Presidians interested in offering feedback are encouraged to check future agendas online at the city secretary’s website: https://presidiotx.us/?page_id=63.