12 Drag Strips Will Be Auctioned Off After IHRA’s Implosion

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Twelve U.S. drag strips and motorsports venues are listed for sale through Tranzon, according to The Drive’s report. The listings follow the International Hot Rod Association’s cancellation of the remaining 2026 Nitro Drag Racing Series events and mass layoffs; auction results, sale prices and the tracks’ future uses have not been reported.

Twelve U.S. drag strips and motorsports venues have been listed for sale through auction firm Tranzon, according to The Drive, as the International Hot Rod Association reels from canceled events and mass layoffs. The properties include Heartland Motorsports Park in Kansas and former NASCAR venue Rockingham Speedway in North Carolina; no sale prices or auction outcomes were provided in the report.

The venues are being offered through sealed-bid auctions, with listings hosted on Tranzon’s website. The Drive reported that many sites encompass dozens or hundreds of acres and include multiple attractions, so they are larger property offerings rather than simply drag strips. The report did not provide a complete set of asking prices, bid deadlines or terms for each site.

The listed properties are Darana Motorsports Park in Milan, Michigan; Darana Raceway in Hebron and Xenia, Ohio; Darana Dragway in West Salem, Ohio; Rockingham Speedway and Piedmont Dragway in North Carolina; Darana Motorsports Park in Benson, North Carolina; Memphis International Raceway in Tennessee; Atlanta Dragway in Commerce, Georgia; Heartland Motorsports Park in Topeka, Kansas; Virginia Motorsports Park in Petersburg; and Empire Dragway in Leicester, New York.

Some venues appear under names different from their former identities. For example, Darana Raceway in Hebron was formerly National Trail Raceway, according to The Drive. The Memphis listing describes a property of more than 342 acres with a 4,400-foot drag strip and a three-quarter-mile oval. The listing also presents the site as suitable for development, but that does not establish that it will be redeveloped or that racing will end there.

The Tracks’ Future Is at Stake

The sale listings put a dozen established racing properties at a potential turning point. A buyer could continue operating a venue for racing, change its use, or pursue development; the reported listings do not say which path any buyer will take. For racers, local motorsports communities and event organizers, the outcome could affect access to tracks and the continuation of events at those sites.

The scale of the properties adds another dimension: the acreage and additional facilities may make them attractive for uses beyond motorsports. The Memphis listing’s development language illustrates that possibility, but it is not proof of a planned conversion. Whether racing continues after any sale remains unknown, and the available report does not identify committed purchasers or redevelopment proposals.

IHRA’s Cancellations Preceded Listings

The listings follow a sharp disruption at IHRA. The Drive reported that in July 2026 the sanctioning body canceled the remaining events on its Nitro Drag Racing Series calendar and carried out mass layoffs. The report describes the ensuing period as a collapse, but gives no detailed account of the organization’s current staffing, finances or operating status.

The report also describes a separate legal dispute involving IHRA owner Darryl Cuttell and his company, Darana Hybrid. Cuttell claims that SpaceXAI owes Darana Hybrid more than $600 million for work connected to data-center construction. The Drive says SpaceXAI has accused Cuttell of overcharging to fund track renovations. Those are opposing claims in a lawsuit, not findings established by the auction listings, and the report does not resolve the dispute.

“Cuttell claims SpaceXAI failed to pay his company more than $600 million.”

— The Drive, describing Cuttell’s position in the SpaceXAI dispute

Bids, Buyers and Track Operations

The available report does not state when bids are due, whether the properties will sell individually or in packages, what minimum bids apply, or whether offers have already been submitted. It also does not identify prospective buyers or disclose sale prices. Tranzon’s listings establish that the venues are being marketed, not that any transaction has closed.

It remains unclear whether a buyer would keep any individual facility operating as a racetrack, whether current events or employees will be affected, or whether the sites could be put to other uses. The status and outcome of the Cuttell-Darana Hybrid and SpaceXAI lawsuit are also not detailed in the source report.

Auction Results Will Clarify the Outlook

The next concrete developments are likely to come from Tranzon’s auction listings: bid deadlines, sale terms, updates on offers and any announced transactions. Buyers’ plans for each property will determine whether racing continues, changes hands under new operators or gives way to another use. Until those details are made public, the future of all twelve venues remains open.

Further reporting may also clarify the status of IHRA events and staffing after the cancellations, as well as developments in the separate legal dispute. The source report does not give a timetable for either the auctions or the case.

Key Questions

Which racing venues are listed for sale?

The list includes 12 properties in Michigan, Ohio, North Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, Kansas, Virginia and New York, including Heartland Motorsports Park, Rockingham Speedway and Memphis International Raceway.

Are the tracks confirmed to be closing?

No. The report says the properties are listed for sale, but does not confirm that any has sold or that racing will stop. Future operations depend on buyers and their plans.

How will the properties be sold?

The Drive reports that Tranzon is hosting sealed-bid auctions. The report does not provide bid deadlines, minimum prices or complete auction terms.

Why are the listings appearing now?

They follow IHRA’s cancellation of the remaining 2026 Nitro Drag Racing Series events and mass layoffs, according to The Drive. The source does not establish that the cancellations alone caused the property listings.

What is the dispute involving Darryl Cuttell and SpaceXAI?

Cuttell claims SpaceXAI owes his company Darana Hybrid more than $600 million. The Drive reports that SpaceXAI has accused him of overcharging. These are claims in a lawsuit, and the report does not state an outcome.

Source: rss