EL PASO, Texas -- After two serious crashes involving racers this week, a brand-new drag strip has opened in Clint, called the El Paso Sand Drags and Speedway.

Drivers can compete legally on more than 1,300 feet of concrete.

"These kids actually have a place to come. As of tonight, street racing should be over, there's no excuse for it," organizer Ben De La Vega said.

Dragstrip organizers said their timing couldn't be better. Thursday night, one person was killed and two others injured in a crash that police said was the result of two vehicles racing near Interstate 10 and McRae. A Ft. Bliss soldier, Trevor Leigh Fisher, was arrested and charged with a second-degree felony of racing on a highway in the death of 23-year-old Mario Oscar Batres.

And Wednesday, another crash happened in the same area, involving a driver who police said tried to run an officer over in a Euro-style racer. And with crashes making headlines, speedway enthusiasts hope to take the sport off the streets.

"I don't want to jeopardize my life or anybody else's life. That's why I always tell them, 'If you want to race me, there's a track,'" Horizon City resident William Wilkerson said.

The $2.5 million venue will be open every Friday, Saturday and Sunday to drivers with a legal license. The cost is $20.

For more information, you can head to www.southwestdrags.com.