Tri-State Raceway Goes Up for Sale – Will The Owners Resume Control, or Will the Track Close in 2027?
We’re not even a month into 2026, and thus far, we reported on one drag strip closing in Louisiana, and one re-opening in North Carolina. There were also a few tracks re-opening and/or starting construction in December of 2025.
Today, Sick The Magazine has been informed that Tri-State Raceway in Earlville, Iowa is officially for sale. The facility, which has hosted a stop on Sick Summer presented by Motion Raceworks since 2023, now faces uncertainty after the 2026 season after hosting races for more than a quarter-century.
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Originally opening in 1998, the track was the vision of Reid and Jane Kuhlman, who purchased the land in 1995, located just south of Earlville, Iowa. Ground breaking on the property was scheduled for the spring of 1996, but delayed to the fall of that year.
The all-concrete surface was completed in 1997, and the first Saturday in June of 1998 saw the ribbon-cutting to officially start the track’s racing action. The track also hosted a tractor pull the same weekend.
Since that time, the track has held several big events, and is currently sanctioned by the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) as part of their Division 5 family.
The current leases, a trio of brothers, had worked at the facility for nine years, and held the lease for the three years. Their final year under contract will be the 2026 season.
The track is listed for $2.8 million dollars, and not only includes the track, but also an onsite campground, over 50 acres of additional tillable land, and equipment as part of the sale.
The track normally operates from April to October each year.
Written by Derek Putnam. Photos courtesy of Sick The Magazine and Jake Blumer.
If you have thoughts / feedback / ideas, please e-mail us at derek@sickthemagazine.com