Public track closures are becoming more common. However, the recent announcement that PittRace has been sold and will be shutting down hits a bit differently. Partly because it shows that well-maintained tracks are not immune to redevelopment, and partly because these tracks aren’t being replaced with any frequency. Painting a grim picture for the future of grassroots motorsports.
It is simply losing ground to deep-pocket developers and the rise of private clubs. The combination of these two trends will soon be felt. There will be more competition for the remaining tracks, spread across the same number of groups. Driving up cost, limiting access, and ultimately thinning the field. It’s time to raise a red flag.
What Happened to PittRace?
PittRace wasn’t supposed to be on the chopping block. It had full weekends and a solid reputation with NASA, SCCA, and GridLife as regular fixtures. I live in the south and have never been, but everyone (and I do mean everyone) I have spoken to loves the track. Making me feel like it would be akin to something like Barber Motorsports shutting down around here. The sentiment of the closure is understandably emotional. And yet, as of November 30th, 2025, it will be gone.
Officially, nobody’s saying what comes next for the land. Unofficially, the rumor mill points toward some commercial redevelopment. More warehouses or something akin to a data center, specutavily for AI. It’s the same fate we’ve seen at multiple tracks the last few years. Where deep-pocketed interests can make offers that can make any owner think twice. Ultimately, the price tag is irrelevant. The dirt under it was worth more than the cars on top of it.
Tracks We Have Lost Recently. An Emerging Trend?
PittRace isn’t the first, and it won’t be the last. The grassroots community has witnessed a steady decline in closures over the last decade. Tracks that supported grassroots organizations were sold, shuttered, and paved over for something more profitable. The result isn’t an empty calendar, it’s a tighter one. Fewer venues mean more organizations fighting over the same dates. Supply and demand are hitting you, the attendee. Whether you’re racing, participating in time trials, or attending HPDE events, you will likely experience higher costs and fewer opportunities.
Here is a non-exhaustive list of recent road course closures:
- Memphis International Raceway (MIR, TN) – Closed in 2022. This one was my home track, and I have to give a special shout-out to IRG Sports and Entertainment for running this facility into the ground. Now developer-owned, but the redevelopment seems to have stalled. I memorialized the track in an old post. (The Obituary of Memphis International Raceway)
- Palm Beach International Raceway (PBIR, FL) – Closed in 2022. We can also thank IRG for this one. Similar fate to MIR, gutted of everything of value for redevelopment.
- Heartland Motorsports Park (KS) – Closed in 2023. An outlier of sorts, as it is likely due to a long-standing tax dispute with the county. Planned for redevelopment.
- Texas World Speedway (TX) – Lost in 2017 to a residential housing development.
- Auto Club Speedway Infield (CA) – In 2023, the oval was converted to a short track, removing the road course infield.
Who’s Next
This is purely speculative, but worth considering to underscore the seriousness of this issue. In short, if recent history teaches anything, it’s that no track is safe. A few stand out as vulnerable or already in transition.
- Willow Spings (CA) – Recently acquired by private equity firm CrossHarbor in partnership with Singer. The plan is to reimagine the site as a luxury automotive destination and private members’ club. Official statements promise continued public access, and to their credit, they have honored that so far. For me, this is a wait-and-see as they build out the private club side.
- Lime Rock Park (CT) – Still alive and well, but like many older tracks, it relies on a small ownership group and seasonal usage. Rumors of redevelopment have circulated in the past, and its location is in high-value real estate territory. Could the owners fall victim to a monopoly money offer?
The Replacements (The Rise of ‘Motorsport’ Clubs)
This is where things begin to take a dark turn. For every PittRace, MIR, or PBIR that disappears, ideally, there would be a replacement. But that is not the case. Over the last decade, we’ve lost more accessible public tracks than we’ve gained by a lot.
The few “new builds” that have made headlines, places like Thermal Club in California, Area 27 in British Columbia, The Concours Club in Miami, or Flatrock in Tennessee, aren’t really replacements. They’re private playgrounds, built around exclusivity, buy-ins, and six-figure memberships. From the outside, these facilities appear to be a boon. But for grassroots drivers, they’re effectively invisible. You can’t rent a weekend for NASA or SCCA. You can’t host HPDE. At best, you may receive a one-off manufacturer day if you’re on the right email list.
And here’s my take: these 100-percent-private “motorsport clubs” are a problem for the community. Motorsport has always been expensive, but it has remained accessible to anyone with enough grit to get involved. Paywalling entire facilities behind exclusivity goes against the spirit of racing.
Sure, you can run your business however you want, but let’s be honest, these places exist to sell exclusivity more than racing. Members get a clean, safe place to run their cars, but the gates stay shut to the grassroots drivers who fuel the sport’s growth. It’s not real competition, it’s not real community, and it doesn’t help motorsports thrive.
But hey, it will keep their six-figure supercar safe from being passed by a kid in a Miata.
There is One Outlier Though
Ozarks International Raceway in Missouri opened in 2022. Ozarks is a 3.9-mile, 19-turn road course carved through the hills, and it was built with the grassroots in mind. NASA, SCCA, and GridLife all compete there. It’s the rare modern U.S. track that embraces open access, balancing club racing, pro weekends, and track days, rather than locking the gates behind exclusivity. It demonstrates that the model can still be effective if owners are willing. But Ozarks stands nearly alone. For every one Ozarks, there are half a dozen Thermal Clubs, and that imbalance is the real threat to the future.
Private Clubs with Public Access (Hybrids)
However, it is worth noting that several private clubs still host public racing events. They strike a balance, catering to members while leaving room for NASA, SCCA, GridLife, and other grassroots groups. In doing so, they recognize that the grassroots community is the backbone of the industry, and that keeping those doors open ultimately strengthens motorsports as a whole.
Tracks like Autobahn Country Club, Atlanta Motorsports Park, and, at least in its current form, Willow Springs, exemplify how the hybrid model can be effective. These facilities attract an exclusive clientele but still welcome the public on race weekends. They prove that the private model doesn’t have to mean shutting the gates.
Concerns and Next Steps
The real issue isn’t just losing racetracks, it’s losing accessibility. The trend is clear: every racetrack is for sale, and most replacements aren’t meant for you and me. Every closure tightens the schedule, raises costs, and pushes out the very drivers who keep the sport alive. If the trend continues, we risk turning motorsports into an increasingly exclusive hobby, rather than the wide-reaching community it has been for decades.
So what’s next? Supporting your local track is a start. Drivers, teams, and organizations need to support the tracks that remain public, fill the available events, and push back against the creeping normalization of exclusivity. That means showing up, spending money at the facilities that welcome us, and celebrating outliers like the Ozarks, which prove that another path is possible.
And when it comes to the private clubs, it’s worth keeping the conversation open. Some, like Autobahn, AMP, and Willow Springs, demonstrate that a hybrid model is effective; members enjoy exclusivity, while the grassroots community still retains access. Others may need a little more encouragement. If enough of us keep asking the question, it becomes harder to ignore. And if others are willing to follow suit, it could help keep access open for everyone.
