IHRA Rumored to Pursue Revivals for Shuttered Commerce and Memphis Tracks

Hold onto your helmets, drag racing fans—the IHRA might just be pulling off the comeback of the decade. Rumor has it the sanctioning body is quietly working to revive national-event racing at two ghost tracks: Atlanta Dragway in Commerce, Georgia, and Memphis International Raceway in Tennessee. Both were written off as goners, casualties of suburban sprawl and shifting priorities. Now? They could be back on the schedule as early as next year, flipping the script on what everyone assumed was a done deal.

Word from the pits is that IHRA boss Darryl Cuttell has rallied a crew of fixer-uppers—construction gurus, operations vets—to assess the mountain of work needed to breathe life into these abandoned speed hubs. And let’s be real, it won’t be a cakewalk. Atlanta Dragway got the axe in 2021 after NHRA cashed out, and with the area exploding into strip malls and housing, folks figured drag racing had left the building for good. Memphis? Same story. When IRGSE shut it down in 2022, the place looked destined for anything but burnouts and Christmas trees.

But here’s the kicker: this isn’t just about slapping fresh pavement on old ground. Insiders are buzzing that bigger moves might be in play—new tracks, deeper partnerships, maybe even a shakeup in how the IHRA runs its show. Tight lips all around, though. Nobody’s spilling the beans yet.

Even without the fine print, the mere thought of Commerce and Memphis roaring back to life has the racing world losing its mind. If this plays out, 2026 could mark a seismic shift, proving the IHRA’s not just along for the ride anymore. They’re gunning for the spotlight, and frankly? It’s about time.

The skeptics will scoff, sure. "Pipe dream," they’ll say. But if there’s one thing drag racing teaches us, it’s that momentum shifts fast. One minute you’re stuck in the pits; the next, you’re charging down the strip. Don’t count these tracks out just yet.Source