A Tale of Two Tennessee Tracks - Jackson Dragway and River Road Raceway Set to Close After 2025 Season, But Jackson Dragway Instead Announces a 2026 Season in the Works!
Less than three weeks ago, it was announced on social media that a pair of Tennessee-based race tracks, Jackson Dragway and River Road Raceway, would be closing the gates after their 2025 seasons.
But November 23rd would bring some good news for at one of the two tracks, as Jackson Dragway posted that they would not only be changing their stance to host a 2026 season, but was also doing so with sanctioning from the NHRA (National Hot Rod Association).
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The more storied of the two tracks, Jackson Dragway, LLC got their start in 1967 in Jackson, Tennessee. After opening with sanctioning from the NHRA, the track switched to IHRA (International Hot Rod Association) sanctioning in 1980, before going without sanctioning at an unknown date.
Jackson Dragway, LLC had seen several improvements in the last year, including a larger paved pit area, and some resurfacing and new materials on the track surface itself.
River Road Raceway in Dyersburg celebrated two decades of racing since its opening in 1995, and had hosted everything from bracket racing to no-prep and heads-up action.
Both the Jackson Dragway and River Road Raceway tracks had come under the control of Don Baskin, a decorated heads-up and index racer, in recent years. But after some reflection in 2025, Baskin announced on November 10th that the tracks would close, citing the need to spend more time at home with family in a post below:
“I’ve had a lot of great times during this journey, but I have reached a point in my life where I am realizing how much I am missing out on in my personal life. The most important thing to me is spending time with my wife, my kids, and my precious grand babies. We will be having our 15th grandbaby in just a few weeks. My family and my love for them is my top priority and I don’t want to miss another second. The good times go by too fast and I am realizing how much I have missed out on in the last few years. Thank you all for supporting us and thank you to my crew for always having my back and the love we all share. You will always be family to me. I have prayed about this for a very long time and I know with all my heart this is God’s plan for me and my family. Thanks again to everyone.”
Less than two weeks after that initial announcement, Jackson Dragway, LLC gave Tennessee racers some hope, as a social media post revealed that the track would not only be hosting a 2026 season, but would be doing so with sanctioning from the NHRA for the first time in over four decades.
There has been lots of support for the track re-opening, as well as some criticism on how to correct some things. Will the 2026 season be a successful one for Baskin and staff?
Written by Derek Putnam. Photos courtesy of Jackson Dragway, LLC and River Road Raceway.
If you have thoughts / feedback / ideas, please e-mail us at derek@sickthemagazine.com