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If you’ve noticed more shopping centers where burnout boxes used to be, you’re not hallucinating. Across the U.S., drag strips, dirt ovals, and road courses are quietly vanishing—not because fans stopped showing up, but because developers showed up with fatter wallets. American motorsports is being squeezed out by a monster far more ruthless than any top-fueler: real estate.

The Profit Behind the Pavement

Let’s cut the nostalgia for a second and talk hard numbers. Many tracks sit on massive plots of flat, conveniently zoned land near suburban growth corridors. To a developer, that’s not a venue—it’s a blank check. In cities where housing is in “crisis,” any large plot of land not being used to cram in condos or strip malls is a missed opportunity.

Take Atlanta Dragway. NHRA sold the 318-acre facility in 2021 after more than 60 years of operation. The buyer? A development firm reportedly planning an industrial complex. “It’s just business,” said NHRA brass, likely while swimming through a pool of cash like Scrooge McDuck.

Noise Complaints: The Convenient Excuse

Every time a racetrack closes, you’ll hear the same refrain: “residential complaints.” And sure, there’s some truth there. Nobody likes sleeping next to a nitro-methane symphony. But let’s be honest—those complaints don’t usually surface until after the developer builds a neighborhood right next to the track.

In some cases, this is strategic. Develop the land, build the homes, let the homeowners complain, and pressure the local government to revoke permits or restrict operations. Then the track gets strangled by noise ordinances, and guess who’s waiting with a “fair market value” offer?

Local Governments: Partners in Crime

You’d think local officials might protect venues that bring tourism, revenue, and culture to a community. Think again. Politicians love ribbon cuttings. It’s a lot more glamorous to announce a new distribution center or suburban tech campus than to stand next to a tire wall and talk about heritage.

Motorsports rarely gets tax breaks or incentives. Developers do. So when it comes time to “revitalize” an area, the track is the first thing on the chopping block.

Who Wins? Not You

The big winners? Developers, obviously. National chains. Corporate landlords. Maybe the town gets some new property tax revenue, maybe not. The racers? They get nothing but a longer drive to the next legal track—if there even is one.

And the fans? We’re just supposed to get over it. Trade the scent of burnt rubber for faux artisan coffee and yet another Planet Fitness.

The Bigger Consequence: Nowhere Left to Race

This isn’t just about nostalgia. It’s about infrastructure. Take away legal venues, and people will find alternatives. Uncontrolled ones. Street takeovers are skyrocketing, and media outlets love to lump every car enthusiast into the same crowd. But they’re not the same—and part of the reason chaos is winning is because structure is losing.

Can It Be Stopped?

Kind of. Maybe. But it requires effort. Tracks need to own their land, rally their communities, and make themselves politically valuable. Fans need to show up, not just comment angrily when a closure is announced. And local governments? They need to stop chasing every shiny development deal like it’s the last golden ticket.

Until then, the real race isn’t on the quarter mile. It’s between bulldozers and burnout boxes—and we’re losing.

A lot of moving parts remain to be nailed down before the 2026 NASCAR schedule is released, but we know where the engines will first crank to life.

Bowman Gray Stadium — in Winston-Salem, N.C. — will again serve as host of the season-opening Clash over the weekend of Jan. 31-Feb. 1. Cook Out, a North Carolina-based chain of fast-food restaurants, will return as title sponsor.

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“We wrote a new chapter in the storied history of motorsports at Bowman Gray Stadium with the Cook Out Clash this year,” said Joey Dennewitz, NASCAR’s managing director of its regional efforts. “As NASCAR’s first weekly racetrack, we are proud to bring the 2026 Cook Out Clash back to the original home to grassroots racing.”

VOTE: Where should NASCAR host next street race after Chicago?

After a 43-year run at Daytona International Speedway (1979-2021), the Clash has been a short-track race the past four years — from 2022-24 at the Los Angeles Coliseum before moving to the quarter-mile Bowman Gray track this year.

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It has become part of NASCAR’s recent embrace of historic North Carolina venues — the All-Star Race moved to North Wilkesboro two years ago, and earlier this year, the Xfinity and Truck Series returned to Rockingham.

The 2026 Clash will be followed by an off-weekend for NASCAR (the weekend of the Super Bowl) before the regular season starts with the Feb. 15 Daytona 500.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: NASCAR Clash returning to Bowman Gray to start 2026 Cup Series season

The Goodwood Festival of Speed returns July 10-13, and Subaru Motorsports USA says that it is set to make its mark at the annual event once again. With a proven track record and fan-favorite drivers at the helm, the team is coming back to the South of England with eyes on the podium and to continue a lineage that helped shape rally history, stated company officials in a press release.

At his debut at the 2024 Festival, Scott Speed and the WRX: Project Midnight recorded the fastest internal combustion engine (ICE) time and ran neck-and-neck with electric competitors with triple the power. The duo is back for 2025, and Speed says, “Project Midnight is an amazing car. And Goodwood is a special event. I can’t wait to run it up that hill again.”

The car is brutally loud, shooting flames out of the hood as it charges toward its nearly 10,000 rpm redline—an unmistakable presence on the hill, noted the release.

Extreme Sports Icon Travis Pastrana Will Also Be Driving for Subaru Motorsports USA

Subaru Motorsports USA driver and extreme sports icon Travis Pastrana will also return to this year’s Festival of Speed. He will be behind the wheel of the class-leading WRX ARA25 on the gravel of Goodwood’s storied rally stage. With his characteristic energy and flair, Pastrana is set to thrill in the American Rally Association (ARA) Open 4WD class car.

“I’m stoked to be in the O4WD car again,” Pastrana says. “It’ll take a second to get used to it, but I always have fun driving for that crowd. We’re gonna have a great time.”

Celebrating Racing Legends & Anniversaries

As Goodwood celebrates 30 years since Colin McRae’s title-winning season, Subaru says its presence on the rally stage carries added weight. With several of McRae’s own cars running alongside the WRX ARA25, the moment is both a tribute and a reminder: the spirit that defined an era continues today—loud, fast, and still wearing the same iconic colors.

From classic motorsport icons and rare hypercars to experimental hybrids and full-electric mobility platforms, the 2025 Festival promises a diverse lineup. And with Formula 1’s 75th anniversary as a central theme, fans can expect to see legends of speed from every corner of the racing world.

If you’ve noticed more shopping centers where burnout boxes used to be, you’re not hallucinating. Across the U.S., drag strips, dirt ovals, and road courses are quietly vanishing—not because fans stopped showing up, but because developers showed up with fatter wallets. American motorsports is being squeezed out by a monster far more ruthless than any top-fueler: real estate.

The Profit Behind the Pavement

Let’s cut the nostalgia for a second and talk hard numbers. Many tracks sit on massive plots of flat, conveniently zoned land near suburban growth corridors. To a developer, that’s not a venue—it’s a blank check. In cities where housing is in “crisis,” any large plot of land not being used to cram in condos or strip malls is a missed opportunity.

Take Atlanta Dragway. NHRA sold the 318-acre facility in 2021 after more than 60 years of operation. The buyer? A development firm reportedly planning an industrial complex. “It’s just business,” said NHRA brass, likely while swimming through a pool of cash like Scrooge McDuck.

Noise Complaints: The Convenient Excuse

Every time a racetrack closes, you’ll hear the same refrain: “residential complaints.” And sure, there’s some truth there. Nobody likes sleeping next to a nitro-methane symphony. But let’s be honest—those complaints don’t usually surface until after the developer builds a neighborhood right next to the track.

In some cases, this is strategic. Develop the land, build the homes, let the homeowners complain, and pressure the local government to revoke permits or restrict operations. Then the track gets strangled by noise ordinances, and guess who’s waiting with a “fair market value” offer?

Local Governments: Partners in Crime

You’d think local officials might protect venues that bring tourism, revenue, and culture to a community. Think again. Politicians love ribbon cuttings. It’s a lot more glamorous to announce a new distribution center or suburban tech campus than to stand next to a tire wall and talk about heritage.

Motorsports rarely gets tax breaks or incentives. Developers do. So when it comes time to “revitalize” an area, the track is the first thing on the chopping block.

Who Wins? Not You

The big winners? Developers, obviously. National chains. Corporate landlords. Maybe the town gets some new property tax revenue, maybe not. The racers? They get nothing but a longer drive to the next legal track—if there even is one.

And the fans? We’re just supposed to get over it. Trade the scent of burnt rubber for faux artisan coffee and yet another Planet Fitness.

The Bigger Consequence: Nowhere Left to Race

This isn’t just about nostalgia. It’s about infrastructure. Take away legal venues, and people will find alternatives. Uncontrolled ones. Street takeovers are skyrocketing, and media outlets love to lump every car enthusiast into the same crowd. But they’re not the same—and part of the reason chaos is winning is because structure is losing.

Can It Be Stopped?

Kind of. Maybe. But it requires effort. Tracks need to own their land, rally their communities, and make themselves politically valuable. Fans need to show up, not just comment angrily when a closure is announced. And local governments? They need to stop chasing every shiny development deal like it’s the last golden ticket.

Until then, the real race isn’t on the quarter mile. It’s between bulldozers and burnout boxes—and we’re losing.