The first phase of Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park renovations is in full swing.

After initially announcing the renovations in 2018, the NHRA — which owns the Brownsburg facility — planned the renovations in 2019. When the global COVID-19 pandemic struck in 2020, renovation plans were put on pause, as the NHRA’s focused on protecting drag racing and ensuring that the NHRA Drag Racing Series continued.

In 2023, renovation talks continued. The building’s construction began on Monday, with the new Wally Parks Tower as the focus of the first phase. Named after NHRA founder Wally Parks, the new tower will be a modern three-story building featuring race control, a media center, broadcasting capabilities and suites. The tower will also have outdoor seating and a rooftop that can hold more than 500 people.

The Wally Parks Tower is an upgrade over the Parks Tower, which was demolished in January. The new Wally Parks Tower is scheduled to be completed by the 2025 NHRA U.S. Nationals on Labor Day weekend.

Renovations of the suites on the west side of the facility are also a focus of Phase 1. Beginning in November, all eight suites that reside above the west grandstands will undergo a full remodel. New elevators for the suites will also be installed.

In all, the facility plans to have what NHRA VP of Track Management and Operations Kasey Coler called “four true phases” of renovation. The eight-figure renovation project is coming to life.

“This is really the NHRA doubling down and making a future investment, not only in the property, but also for the US Nationals,” Coler told IndyStar earlier this year. “It is the world’s biggest drag race. It’s our Super Bowl. … We want this facility to reflect the magnitude of that event and the importance of the drag racing industry in Indianapolis.”

The emphasis of Phase 2 will be transitioning the facility’s main entrance to the west end of the facility. The main gate and parking lots currently reside on the north end of IRP, but the new setup will make it easier for fans to get to their seats without maneuvering around the oval track. Fans will eventually be allowed to park on the west side and walk right into the midway.

When the 1.7-mi extension of Ronald Reagan Parkway from CR 300 N to US 136 (the road on the north side of IRP) was completed in 2017, more traffic flow came from Ronald Reagan Parkway on the west side of the facility. The pandemic did allow the NHRA more time to see the impact of the road’s extension. The revamping of the park should make it easier for patrons to enter and exit the grounds from Ronald Reagan Parkway.

Between drainage work and moving a Hendricks County ditch, setting up the new entrance will take a couple years. Once it’s completed, traffic will enter from both sides of the facility. Other planned upgrades for Phase 2 are new and renovated restrooms and food and beverage buildings and an updated ticketing building.

IRP doesn’t plan to cancel or remove any activities throughout the construction process. A plan has been developed to work the construction — which is run by Garmong Construction Services — around the drag strip, the oval and the general property. Construction will shut down for about two weeks when U.S. Nationals occur in late August and early September. When events slow down at the facility in October and November, that’ll be an opportunity to work on the renovations with few interruptions. The last event of the year is scheduled for Oct. 23.

As part of the renovations, new buildings containing IRP and NHRA assets will be built in the facility. Items like trucks, trailers and tech equipment will be in these buildings. These items don’t have a centralized home in the NHRA, but a new spot for them at IRP would change that. This is expected to happen in Phase 3, which is still a few years away.

“These buildings that we talk about not only will be able to house equipment and all of that, but also, probably more importantly, allow us to do a lot of centralized training — from an NHRA perspective — for a lot of folks from outside the Indianapolis area,” Coler said on Wednesday.

Another part of the renovations is solidifying what to do with the 75 acres of land on the north end of the facility that the NHRA purchased in 2017. Internal and external discussions have occurred regarding what to do with the extra land, but nothing has been determined. No matter what happens with the land, having it adds flexibility.

“That land is kind of a tool for us to be able to use,” Coler said. “We don't anticipate — and we don't plan on — ever selling that land, but we do think there will be a day in the future where that (land) helps complement the motorsports activity that we host in IRP.”

IRP's 2.5-mile road course — which hasn’t been used for competition since 2007 — will be renovated during Phase 4. That course held Sports Car Club of America races when it was in use.

There’s no date in place for when all the renovations will be finalized, as the property is under constant evolution.

“Consistent reinvestment in the property is something that we're going to do, and that means not only from a racing perspective but also from an NHRA perspective,” Coler said. “From the overall sanctioning body, continuing to look at how can we use our property and the acreage that we have in the facilities that we have to improve the sport of drag racing.”

Construction for a new and improved Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park is finally underway. The facility that hosts the world’s most prestigious drag race will look a lot different in the coming years.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Lucas Oil IRP renovations set to begin after 6 years of delays