As a result of years of lobbying by the association and local community, the Northern Territory Government provided an $850,000 grant towards construction of a permanent drag strip.
Further government grants in 2013 and 2015 allowed a number of upgrades, including the extension of safety barriers bringing the dragway up to international standards, permitting side-by-side racing over a full 1/4 mile and lifting a previous 200 mph (320 km/h) speed limit.
The latter event awards significant prize money, with the top three performances guaranteed qualification for the Burnout Masters at the annual Summernats festival in Canberra.
[9] In 2021, ANDRA announced the establishment of an annual Australian Drag Racing Championship series, with ASID as one of five venues across the country to host a round in the inaugural season.
[10] As of 2022, the outright track record for a 1/4 mile run at Alice Springs is held by Kelly Bettes, at 4.905 seconds and a top speed of 297 mph (478 km/h).