The IHRA has rarely seen any quiet under Darryl Cuttell. Since the Ohio electrical contractor purchased the storied drag racing sanctioning body in December 2024, Cuttell has hired and fired an astonishing roll call of well-respected motorsports executives. And the latest one might have prompted one of the most dramatic responses.

On Sunday, May 17, 2026, midway through an active race weekend at Cocoa Beach, Leah Martin, the first woman ever to lead a major U.S. motorsports sanctioning body, was fired via text message. But the moment her husband, IHRA safety director Justin Martin, found out, he reportedly had the pace boat head back into the pits and disembarked. Now, the pits are roughly 15 minutes from the race course, which created a significant delay to the start of the Super V and Extreme races.

And sitting on the start line, waiting, was none other than Cuttell himself, racing alongside Steve Curtis (the same duo who set a 242 mph course record at Lake of the Ozarks Shootout last August, in IHRA’s 52-foot MTI, Offshore Racing Services USA).

The reaction from her husband is understandable, considering that Leah Martin’s firing seems a bit unexplained. She created history back in December of 2025, becoming the first woman president of the IHRA – a milestone the organization itself promoted heavily. After all, in a male-dominated field, that is pretty unparalleled.

IHRA even showed early signs of improvement under her command. The initial events in the series’ calendar produced strong numbers, exceeding expectations. The Cocoa Beach offshore event drew 89 registered entries, prize payouts were increased, and IHRA expanded into offshore marketing in a meaningful way.

The organization had also committed $2.75 million in prize money across three powerboat disciplines and launched what seemed to be one of its most ambitious drag racing events – none other than the IHRA Triple Crown at Maple Grove Raceway, with a $1 million sweep bonus on the line. The event, scheduled for May 22–24, was postponed this week, though, due to the weather.

Even Vinnie Diorio, who owns the Super Cat team Rollin’ Transport and serves as class rep, summed up the sentiment in a text: “This is very unfortunate, but Super Cat appreciates what she’s done so far to help this sport and advance in just a short period of time this year.”

But behind all this momentum, there were also issues building up. Reports claimed that certain events had unexplained delays, compressed windows, and there was also strict handling of the media’s (including the photographers’) credentials. These are some of the reasons reported for her abrupt firing. And understandably, it did not sit well with her.

Leah Martin’s emotional comment tells a lot about the reality

The worst part was perhaps the way her firing was announced. There were no ceremonies, no previous hints, just a text from Tommy Thomassie, the new IHRA President, that read:

“The International Hot Rod Association and Leah Martin have parted ways effective immediately. The organization appreciates her efforts and contributions over the past several months and looks forward to continuing to build on its momentum across all disciplines.”

There was no immediate comment from Leah Martin on the situation. A day later, however, she broke her silence and further indirectly exposed the dark reality IHRA might be heading into.

“Yesterday, I was informed that my time with the IHRA has come to an end,” she said. “The conversation and circumstances surrounding it were unexpected, especially after meeting personally with Darryl just a couple of hours earlier with no indication that a change was coming. I was later informed that a meeting had taken place the night before at a hotel room regarding the decision.”

Martin’s firing isn’t a standalone event as well; it is a part of a growing list of executive changes during IHRA’s rebuilding effort.

There was Scott Woodruff, the former Chief Operating Officer of Drag Racing, who was fired via text message. Then Brett Underwood also went his own way in that same timeline, joining names like Kenny Nowling, Rich Schaefer, Christian Byrd, Alan Reinhart, and Josh Peake.

Surely, Cuttell has made some good, bold moves, like acquiring Maple Grove Raceway, Memphis Motorsports Park, Virginia Motorsports Park, Rockingham Speedway, Heartland Motorsports Park, and multiple other facilities, while also expanding IHRA into offshore powerboat racing and launching a $13.6 million total drag racing prize structure for 2026. And not to forget that he is not an absentee owner, as a racer himself. So, the ambition is real.

But ambition without stable leadership has a ceiling, honestly. Since December 2024, Cuttell has now cycled through four presidents, three marketing chiefs, a COO, a PR director, and a VP of advertising. That doesn’t build credibility.