A Bunch of Drag Strips Are Getting Auctioned Off

Who wants to go fast?

Photo by: tranzon.com

By: Jonathon Klein

Oct 16, at 8:15am ET

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Like many, drag racing was my first entry into the world of racing. I won't disclose what sort of drag racing it was, even though I'm sure the statute of limitations is well since past, but in those early days of Jonathon and his vehicles, it was fun, accessible, and got me absolutely hooked on going fast.

And for a long while, drag racing was the motorsport of the United States, with drag strips being built in every county in every state. It was the place to be on a Friday night if you had the need for speed, and crossed vehicle boundaries, with cars, trucks, and motorcycles all enjoying the power and noise and speed of the events. But that heyday is long over.

In recent years, drag racing has been consolidated. Tracks have closed: paved over or destroyed to clear the way for housing developments and more. Many more have just been abandoned. And some, like the 12 here, were once owned by one group, the IHRA, which spectacularly imploded and then left to rot. But those 12 could now be yours.

Or at least one, as they're coming up for auction, which means you could own your own private drag strip and not have to wait for those pesky statutes of limitations to be over to talk about your drag racing exploits.

According to our friends at The Drive—Hi, Caleb—the tracks are coming up for sale in the sort of way you'd expect a bunch of drag tracks would in 2026: With an insane twist to Elon Musk.

"Without getting too far into the weeds, these racetracks are up for grabs following the IHRA’s implosion," begins The Drive's reporting, adding, "In July 2026, the sanctioning body abruptly canceled the remaining events on its Nitro Drag Racing Series calendar while also dishing out mass layoffs. The aftermath has been nasty, and all the while, Cuttell has been dealing with a lawsuit in which he claims Musk’s SpaceXAI failed to pay his company Darana Hybrid more than $600 million. Apparently, Darana Hybrid helps construct data centers, and SpaceXAI has accused [IHRA owner Darryl] Cuttell of overcharging in order to fund track renovations."

What do you think?

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Comments

That cancelation, layoff spree, and lawsuit now mean a whopping 12 tracks owned by Cuttell are up for sale, all through Tranzon Real Estate, which you can peruse here. They aren't, however, going to be cheap, and bidding on these is likely to include real estate developers and housing developers, as well as everyone's favorite, AI data center owners. Shit, we should just throw in Flock as a possible bidder, too, cause that seems to round out the evil doers of 2026.

But you could stop them from being destroyed. You could stop them from bulldozing these places, while also getting your need for speed on. Just get you and your Gixxer buddies together, throw away the squid items, and go fast legally on your own track!