Demolition is underway on the old Gainesville Raceway control tower which has stood as the center of operations for the historic Florida drag racing facility since the early 1980s. The interior removal process has been completed and the exterior demolition, which began today, is expected to take less than 10 days to complete. Demolition is underway on the old Gainesville Raceway control tower which has stood as the center of operations for the historic Florida drag racing facility since the early 1980s. The interior removal process has been completed and the exterior demolition, which began today, is expected to take less than 10 days to complete. A new state-of-the art control tower that will house track offices, race control operations and a spacious new media center will be constructed in the same location as the old tower, directly behind the quarter-mile drag strip.