George enjoyed the attention but the truth of the matter was George had no interest in the Internet and seldom watched television. In fact, the weekly racers and fans who frequent the Wildcat Drag Strip were far more aware of his legend status than George ever was…or ever would be. George Ray simply worked to make sure he could open the gate in his driveway each Sunday between March and November. George knew what to expect each week. His racers and spectators knew what to expect each week. The new global fans prayed they could expect the same when they made the long trek from some town that had nothing even remotely like George Ray’s Hot Rod Wildcat Drag Strip.

Now, we are left with the legacy. When the Internet was flooded with the news of George’s passing, the most common question concerned what would become of the track. While no official announcement has been made, it is probable that the Wildcat Drag Strip will continue, unchanged, with George’s wife, Bonnie, still at the gate. George made it clear that Bonnie was always the real person who ran the show, anyway. George Ray created his own memorial, however, in that strip of concrete. It will always be George Ray’s Hot Rod Wildcat Drag Strip and it will always be a monument to one man’s resolve to do things his way, to offer a foundation for a community, to present a way to keep families together and to prove, once and for all, that things which aren’t broken need no repair.

Luckily for the world, an effort was mounted to gain entry for the track in the National Registry of Historic Places and, in 2006, the Wildcat became the only drag strip to earn a place on the list.

Thankfully, Paragould resident Darrell Dickson wrote and published a ninety-eight page book on the man entitled “George Ray’s Wildcat Drag Strip”. Sean Melton’s Urban Hillbilly video company has chronicled some of the most exciting and outrageous moments from the track in several of their offerings. Simply plugging the words “George Ray’s” into Google’s search engine will result in thousands of hours of text, photos and videos to be enjoyed by everyone everywhere.

Check out DRO’s own journal of a 2004 trip to George Ray’s!

The largest collection of publicly-available photos from the Wildcat Drag Strip can be found at Charles Jolliff’s website.

In parting, we offer our own selection of images, (many by Charles Jolliff), depicting moments at George Ray’s Hot Rod Wildcat Drag Strip.