Just last month, the IHRA fired shots at its rival, the NHRA, when it revealed that it stole away an NHRA mainstay facility, Maple Grove Raceway, near Reading, PA. The track was the kickoff track for the six-race NHRA Countdown to the Championship playoffs for most of the last 17 seasons. Forced to move from Maple Grove, the NHRA will now host the kickoff at U.S.131 Motorsports Park in Martin, Michigan.

During the initial announcement of the move, the IHRA issued a statement of its own, revealing that the NHRA refused to work with the IHRA in extending the longtime relationship with Maple Grove. And now, the IHRA just shocked the racing world again with another announcement that overshadows the NHRA disruption.

Shocking IHRA announcement

The IHRA announced that it plans to bring NASCAR back to Memphis Motorsports Park in Millington, TN. The track previously hosted major racing series, legendary drivers, and countless family memories over decades. Among the legendary races held at this track are the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts and Craftsman Truck Series races from the late 1990s to 2009.

The IHRA has plans to bring the community back to Memphis with the purchase. The president of the IHRA, Leah Martin, announced the news on Jan. 6 about why this track is so important.

“You can see just pieces of the history of the businesses we have supported, the racers have supported, it’s torn and tattered, but it’s still there,” Martin said.

This purchase means big things for the IHRA. After the acquisition, what really led to it all is the restoration aspect of the project. Especially on a track that was phenomenal in the industry.

“If you were four hours from this track, you came and raced here, and so just getting that back to the community,” said Martin.

Martin further commented that the association bought a track in Rockingham and that they plan on hosting some NASCAR events there. On the trip the IHRA is currently on, they are joined by Larry Morgan, legendary racer, emphasizing the importance that the term legacy holds within the IHRA during their present pursuits.

The full 2026 IHRA drag racing national event schedule has not released, but it’s expected to be a 10-race slate running from March to November. The increase in race purses puts even more pressure on the NHRA to do the same. Race purses in the NHRA, however, have proven to be a thorn in the side of many professional teams for quite a while.

Regarding the Memphis track, Martin has suggested she sees the track hosting “large and international” events in the next three years, but has not specified whether that includes NASCAR.

IHRA’s recent acquisitions

The IHRA has been on a roll with purchasing quite a few legendary tracks with special plans for each of them. With the purchase of the Rockingham Speedway, the association has the goal to become good stewards of the facility while respecting its history and working collaboratively to bring quality racing and entertainment back to The Rock.

Planned improvements include facility upgrades, expanded amenities for fans, and additional entertainment elements. NASCAR’s O’Reilly Auto Parts and Craftsman Truck series returned to Rockingham Speedway last year. They are both scheduled to race April 3-4 this year.

Then, the IHRA also acquired Heartland Motorsports Park in Topeka, Kansas. Aside from those, the IHRA acquired the Memphis facility and the Maple Grove back in mid-December.

Along with those purchases, the IHRA acquired F1 Powerboat Racing and the World Drag Racing Alliance. With this, they created an alliance with the Outlaw Truck and Tractor Pulling Associations and the Hot Shots’ Secret Pro Pulling League.

If that already seemed like a lot of change, the IHRA also launched a new stock car racing series that will conduct events at tracks in the Southeast and Midwest. The eight-race Stock Car Series schedule begins March 21 at Pulaski Motorsports Park in Virginia and ends October 17 at Memphis Motorsports Park.