Being the highest body of stock car racing in America, NASCAR hasn’t really had competitors in its years of running. However, the situation seems to be changing for the future as a rival series has started to take matters into its hands. 

There are quite a few attractions for fans in motorsports, and seeing old, abandoned racing tracks being restored is one of them. While NASCAR has been giving up some of its old ovals and road courses, its possible future rival seems to be striking the right opportunity with a streak of acquisitions.

IHRA is on an expanding streak

The International Hot Rod Association (IHRA) authorities seem to be working overtime during the Cup Series off-season. Quite recently, they announced their acquisition of the Memphis Motorsports Park in Tennessee. Then, they took control of Rockingham Speedway. Now, they’re in for another one.

In similar fashion, the racing series also purchased the Heartland Motorsports Park: an all-in-one arena for racing, which features multiple racing layouts, including a drag strip.

“Heartland Motorsports Park is one of those places that simply matters to racing,” IHRA owner Darryl Cuttell said. “It has history, soul, and a footprint that allows us to think bigger than just a racetrack. Our goal is to restore this facility with respect for its legacy while building something that serves racers, fans, and the community for generations.”

Although the acquisition is new, IHRA is no stranger to the Heartland Motorsports Park. In fact, it was the last series that hosted an official race here in 2023 before the track was left abandoned.

The track also hosted the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, Truck Series, and the ARCA Menards Series. However, NASCAR closed its doors years ago, and IHRA remained the only competitive series left on the track, mainly using the drag strip.

IHRA, however, will no longer just be focusing on the drag strips in 2026.

The Heartland news comes after they acquired Memphis a few days ago. Memphis was a spectacle for racing fans back in the day; however, it was left abandoned. IHRA now plans to renovate and reopen it. Then came the acquisition of Rockingham. In this case, NASCAR did host it for Xfinity and Truck races, but yet, IHRA managed to snatch it from the France family.

And now, with Heartland in their pocket too, the series is prepping to give some serious competition to NASCAR.

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NASCAR could face tough competition from IHRA in the future

NASCAR is the face of stock car racing in America, as previously mentioned. Although there are other series that host stock racing, too, they don’t come quite as close to the National Association.

But a recent announcement from the IHRA could prompt the France family to think, as they are prepared to expand their motorsports operations to stock racing as well. Back in November of 2025, the IHRA announced that it would be stepping into the stock car racing territory with a new series. It will feature a whopping $2,000,000 purse and is expected to bring back raw racing to stock cars.

“We’re bringing stock car racing back to its roots,” Darryl Cuttell said. “This is racing that rewards driver skill, smart setups, and teamwork—not massive budgets. It’s exactly the kind of competition fans love, and competitors deserve.”

The series isn’t expected to be a direct rival to NASCAR. IHRA will be racing at the grassroots levels. And they could gain quite some traction if they manage to nail that bit.

The series could certainly attract more competitors in the coming years. One of the major issues that teams and drivers face when getting into NASCAR is the huge costs, and IHRA claims to overcome those issues. Their acquisition of multiple tracks also speaks volumes about IHRA’s seriousness regarding this series.

Although they might not appear to be a threat to the National Association, it is quite possible that they get huge participation from younger drivers.