Twelve racing properties across eight states are headed to the auction block, and the biggest question isn’t what they’ll sell for. It’s whether racers will still have a place to line up when the dust settles.
After an ambitious run of racetrack acquisitions, Darana Motorsports Holdings, led by International Hot Rod Association (IHRA) owner Darryl Cuttell, has engaged Tranzon Atlas to sell a dozen motorsports facilities. The sealed-bid deadline is November 17, 2026, at 5 p.m. Central, although individual properties can be sold before then.
For anyone who’s spent a weekend at the strip—whether on two wheels or four—this is more than a real estate headline. We’ve seen that passion firsthand in coverage of the BAKER Drags at Sturgis. These tracks are where racers get their starts, crews learn their craft, and families make memories that last for generations.
Which IHRA-linked racetracks are up for sale?
The 12 properties advertised for auction are:
- Atlanta Dragway — Commerce, Georgia
- Dragway 42 — West Salem, Ohio
- Darana (GALOT) Motorsports Park — Benson, North Carolina
- Piedmont Dragway — Julian, North Carolina
- Empire Dragway — Leicester, New York
- Heartland Motorsports Park — Topeka, Kansas
- Kil-Kare Raceway — Xenia, Ohio
- Memphis International Raceway — Millington, Tennessee
- Milan Dragway — Milan, Michigan
- National Trail Raceway — Hebron, Ohio
- Rockingham Speedway — Rockingham, North Carolina
- Virginia Motorsports Park — Dinwiddie, Virginia
It’s a staggering list of names, from hometown drag-racing institutions to facilities that have hosted national-level competition. Not every venue has the same operational status today, and being listed for sale does not mean all 12 have been ordered closed.
What happened to the IHRA expansion?
Cuttell’s acquisition push accelerated in 2025 and into 2026, with a string of track announcements that appeared to promise a bigger footprint for the organization. But the racing calendar took hits. IHRA canceled planned events at several tracks, and its high-profile nitro programs were subsequently called off.
Now the owner is moving in the opposite direction. In the announcement reported by motorsports outlets, Cuttell said he had decided to exit the racing business by selling the properties, with a goal of completing the sales before year’s end. The announcement has not clarified what happens next to the IHRA sanctioning body itself.
Will these tracks continue hosting racing?
That depends on who buys them. Tranzon Atlas is marketing properties that offer substantial acreage, locations and infrastructure—and those features can appeal to developers as much as to motorsports operators. Heartland, Memphis and Atlanta, for example, have land characteristics that could attract buyers interested in other uses.
The published auction terms call for a 10% buyer’s premium, a 10% deposit and a 30-day closing, with properties offered as-is. Buyers may negotiate before the bid deadline, so there is no guarantee every property will reach the final auction round.
There’s a hard truth in that. A strip isn’t easily replaced once it’s gone. Even if the property changes hands to someone who loves racing, keeping the gates open takes investment, staff and a steady local racing community.
Why motorcycle racers should be paying attention
Drag racing is part of the motorcycle world, too. Street-bike classes, purpose-built drag bikes, test-and-tune nights and local grudge matches all need actual pavement and a safe place to run. When a track disappears, those riders don’t automatically get another facility down the road.
And there’s a bigger issue for the industry: grassroots racing depends on access. It’s a question we recently put to racers on ShopTalk: Does Racing Still Matter?. People have to be able to show up, make passes, learn and come back. Take away enough local venues and the pipeline from spectator to participant gets smaller.
For now, the fate of each facility remains a separate question. Some could find buyers who keep racing alive. Others could be redeveloped. What matters is that those outcomes haven’t been decided publicly, and the November sale process will be a key turning point.
We’ll be watching what happens to these tracks—and especially what their next owners have planned for the racers who call them home.
Sources and further reading: Hagerty; Motorsports.Media; Drag Illustrated.