If I wanted to plant a japanese red maple in dallas clay how would I go about improving the drainage of that area. Can I add sand? Any ideas?
....... Anybody?

No, adding sand around just hte planting area isn't going to do much.

You'd have to make sure not to plant in a low place where water pools. If you can plant in higher areas, then you can trench a path away from the plating area (downhill) and fill that with gravel, then cover lightly with some compost for grass to grow back over. It'll be sort of an emergency runoff to prevent the tree form getting drowned while it's young.

Once it's spread enough into the yard with the root system it should be fine.

As for concerns with caly soil, like most other issues we get around here- getting the soil in a healty balance by using the Natural Way with organic fertilizers and soil amentsments like broadcasting volcanite, lava sand and compost will get the whole yard in better tune and everything in it will benefit.

_________________
Shepherd of the Trees
It is not our part to master all the tides of the world, but to do what is in us for the succor of those years wherein we are set, uprooting the evil in the fields we know so that those who live after may have clean earth to till.

thanks for your help.