Owning a classic car capable of turning a low-teen ¼-mile ET is enticing, but how can you exploit its full potential? The average driveway isn’t long enough, and law enforcement officials take a dim view of owners stretching a muscle car’s legs in a “Traffic Light Grand Prix.” However, a solution might be at hand. How does owning your own dragstrip sound? The dream could become a reality because Cherokee Race Park in beautiful Rogersville, Tennessee, has recently hit the market. It isn’t a world-class facility, but it does offer its new owner an income and can be yours for $599,900. You will find it listed here on Find a Home in Tennessee, and I must say a big thank you to Barn Finder Mitchell G. for this fantastic find.
Cherokee Race Park opened its gates in 1964, operating as a traditional ¼-mile strip. It was later shortened to ⅛-mile, although the photos suggest reverting to its original configuration is possible for a new owner willing to splash some cash. It would require deep commitment because part of what would be considered the run-off area now includes a stand of sturdy trees. Leaving it unchanged would be acceptable and would probably appeal more to those who want to participate casually with their prized road car. However, the possibility is there for someone with entrepreneurial skills. An online search reveals positive feedback from competitors, with many praising the track’s all-important grip levels. Some spectators question comfort facilities, but the buyer could address these as time and finances allow. Speaking of finance, this is an investment offering the new owner a known financial return. The current operators hold a lease until 2032, and while the lease fee won’t place the buyer on Easy Street, it will add some funds to the coffers if they plan future upgrades.
This facility sits on 31 acres of land, surrounded by forests, and its continuous operating history suggests any neighbors accept regular racing activities. That means the possibility of the track being crowded out by residential development is unlikely, with the trees acting as an excellent natural sound barrier between the track and other properties. The facilities aren’t cutting-edge but adequate for the track in its current role. The buyer could make improvements, and no doubt, sprucing up some of the buildings and Armco rails with a fresh coat of paint and performing some basic landscaping would make an enormous difference. Additional toilet facilities for spectators would be welcome, but the work could occur as time and finances allow. Canvasing local businesses for sponsorship dollars would help, and the potential of the property is only limited by the new owner’s imagination.
Owning a racing facility won’t appeal to everyone, but Cherokee Race Park would allow the right person to support motorsport at a grassroots level. This property might also offer an intriguing second string to its bow that could improve its earning potential. The upper left corner of this photo seems to reveal a disused speedway track, and I think it may be on the same property. Its condition is unclear, but if it could be recommissioned, it would represent a 2-for-1 opportunity for the new owner. With regular racing activities and an income confirmed for the foreseeable future, it must be worth a close look for someone with a burning passion. Are you that person?
Or it could be turned in housing, hopefully not.
Such a deal, 31 acres and a drag strip for less money than a one bedroom condominium apartment in Toronto.
Sacramento Raceway is also for sale. Unfortunately you would have to negotiate with the County to keep it a drag strip, their intension is not to issue the new owner a use permit for a racing facility. It also includes two motocross tracks, one that can also be used as an 1/8 mile oval diet track.
A diet track would appeal to a lot of Californians.
Perfect for R/C drag cars, does it come with the Christmas tree?
I wouldn’t invest in anything like this. With the green energy push and costs associated with upgrades / maintenance / insurance and constant changing environmental laws and the younger generation demonizing fossil fuels I wouldn’t throw money at it.Yeah it’s sad because I love the sport of drag racing (of vehicles) but it’s reality imho.
Someone with money to burn, could buy it for personal use. No need to upgrade anything or to buy insurance. The land value would increase over time and make a nice investment too.
Actually I was thinking of buying a lottery ticket truthfully because I’d love to own it.That would be a dream come true for me at least. My wife would know where I was at everyday.As for land investment it depends where its located. If it’s like Great Lakes in the middle of nowhere you’re gonna wait a long time for urban sprawl to gobble it up and make a profit.
I’m reading that the investment does NOT include the 31 Acres of Real Estate. Sounds like a ground lease on the property until 2032🤷🏻♂️
Nice place for a Flight school or shooting range.
You can drag electric cars. Get in on the ground floor. Heck, you could probably bribe…er…lobby a congress critter to get you a grant.
Boring.Are you going fill the place with speakers mimicking v-8 engine growls and smoke machines too? But… I see your point from an investors point of view and us old timers are a dying breed and people will be racing ev’s only soon one day I’m sure. It’s a good idea. I actually tossed around an idea about all electric landscaping services. Use grren Ford lightnings and electric equiptment. I’d call it mother earth…saving the planet one lawn at a time.The gen z’s and millenials would eat it up. Charge double because of expenses associated with batteries and charging and they wouldn’t care because they’re “saving the planet”.lol.
I helped a team build an electric hot rod for Factory Five Racing years ago. I believe the custom built power pack/motor was rated equivalent to around 600 H.P. (and was valued at about $200K, I was told). I never saw it move- after I finished the wiring, I moved on to another project. It may have been the first one, but several others have been built in the interim.
Drag racing electric cars would take me back to my childhood when we raced slot cars. Just zip and no noise.
Where can we drag those electric cars to? Is there a cliff nearby?
Yes please. 30 buddies 1 acre each and a strip for 20k per person. wahoooooooooo 🏁
I’m in.
…For fun not an investment though. If I was only single and was guaranteed lodging on the property till I was pushing daisies yes and a cold refrigerator.lol.
This was featured on another site, uhp, uhp, don’t say the name, starts with an H, ( dinosaur riders) and not much interest either. To be clear, this is just for “good ol’ boys”( or girls) and you won’t see John Force or Ron Capps here, even though, they will humbly admit, it’s how they got their start. What’s happening here, is happening all over the country. Drag racing tracks, once in the sticks, are being encroached by housing developments, and at $15K and acre, and declining attendance, it’s a no-brainer to subdivide. Liability concerns prevent this from becoming anything more than just a race track in the woods, and just another casualty of our changing times.
I do think drag racing has a future, not these multi-million dollar, ear splitting, toxic fume producing, environment damaging fuel cars( that make them cool) will be history. Smaller venues, like Muslepalooza, where garbage truck drivers, and web designers can run their vintage muscle cars, will still hold some attraction, but will be few and far between.
And that’s the way it is,,,
1964 yeah 1/4 mile, too short today for lots of cars that roll off the trailer now. Insurance and safety making it very hard to operate this or any facility. Outlaw track maybe but sad part is sport is dying.
1/8th is very common today. The cars that run in the 1/8th also win in the first half of the quarter.
Drag strips are closing down all over, (some day, and I won’t be around then) there won’t be any left. There definitely won’t be any new ones built. So sad.
Can’t see that ever being a 1/4 mile track again (if it ever was). If the photo with the red outline is showing the property included you couldn’t expand the runoff area. My concerns with buying a track are liability insurance and the EPA (plus, you know, lack of money). 60 years of fuel and oil being spilled on the ground could equal a hefty cleanup fee if you ever want to unload it for anything but a track.
Perhaps, just buy it. Build a house at the end of the track and have your family’s coolest driveway.
Perfect ! A dragstrip E Rays as no one wants them on their venue or their parking lots.
I would enjoy the 31 acres and the quietness of the woods and fields, and you could open the track, et al, as a farmer’s market or a flea market for people to gather. But, if the 31 acres doesn’t go with the deal, forget it !!!
Hey Rogersville Tenn there would be virtually no issue with people annoyed by noise. Then you could start your own town and be like Laplace and make the strip Main Street. I used to drag race on Laplace’s main street back in the 60s. You could do a MAJOR electrical upgrade and have E V racing.
A stretch to be sure,,, but what about lining the track with 50 and 60’s style store, drive in and service station fronts? Small business could lease the areas behind the fake fronts to gain recognition and peddle their wares. Make the track a cruise strip for everyone to show off their rods and rats. The dirt oval would be a great place to have car shows, swap meets and or atv/bike races. Like a Disneyland for old greasers and dreamers. Like me… Wish I had the cash and sponsorships to make this happen. Any backers???
I’m in with ya.
Only issue is you need backers with money and not cars.
I have one of the two but not both and selling the cars I don’t want to sell won’t get the money we need so…
The Feds plan on banning all Hot Rods in 2045. So you have another 22 years to play.
This is in my county about a 10 minute drive from my home, been there and down that strip a few times myself a few years ago. Didn’t know it was for sale…
I guess most of you did not read , the seller doesn’t own the land it’s leased so you are not making any money off the land. When the leas is over your out…
Actually, it reads like you’re buying 31 acres of land with a race facility. The race facility is being used by someone that has leased it until 2032.
Yes, there is a push for green energy and cars. NO, racing is not going away soon, if at all.
A savvy investor can get it and keep at is while making improvements, then decide what to do after motorsports go away (not).
If I could get it I would.
It makes a H-U-G-E difference as to whether the real estate is included or not. Needs clarification.
If you click on the real estate agents link provided in the story you will find that it is the real estate that is for sale. The current owner has a lease with a third party to use the track. The lease runs to 2032 and only brings in $12,000 per year. Without knowing what the lease says it is hard to say if the real estate owner could do anything on non race days to make any money from the land. Otherwise it is going to take a long time at 12K a year to recoup your 600K investment.