Given recent events, positive stewardship of the sport has perhaps never been more in fashion in the sport of drag racing than it is today.
The long-running Baileyton Good Time Drag Strip, an International Hot Rod Association (IHRA) sanctioned 1/8-mile track in northern Alabama, may soon change hands, but its second-generation owner is determined to do the right thing and leave the good times in good hands. In doing so, racers and fans in the area can continue to enjoy acceleration contests at the facility for years to come.
Current owner and operator Russ Easterwood has listed the Baileyton, Alabama, facility for sale at an asking price of $1.4 million as he looks to devote more of his attention to a new business venture. Easterwood, the grandson of original track founder Jack Walker, operates the facility alongside his wife, Sasha, and is also known for driving the “Old Tater Hauler” wheelstander truck. The track, located 32 miles south of Huntsville and 55 miles north of Birmingham, a short drive from Interstate 65, hosts no-prep, bracket racing, motorcycles, and other special events.
The track opened in 1966 and has remained an active part of the northern Alabama racing community for nearly six decades. Easterwood emphasized that the sale will have no immediate effect on its schedule, with Baileyton continuing to operate at full capacity while a buyer is sought.
The offering includes approximately 18 acres and a fully operational, turnkey 1/8-mile drag racing facility. Easterwood said additional acreage could potentially be acquired from a separate seller.
A series of improvements made over the past decade have updated much of the property. A new concrete racing surface was poured in 2014, followed by a pull-through burnout box and wall in 2016. Concrete safety barriers were added in 2018, and the pit area was paved with asphalt the following year.
The facility received a new Accutime timing system and LED scoreboards in 2020. A 1,200-foot asphalt shutdown area was completed in 2023, and a new 30-by-30-foot, two-story timing tower was constructed in 2024. Baileyton also includes restrooms on both the pit and spectator sides of the property, a full bathroom inside the tower and a concession building with its own bathroom.
Easterwood indicated that the asking price is negotiable for a qualified buyer paying in full and said he is willing to consider reasonable offers, including partial trades for property, vehicles or other assets.
Easterwood’s objective is to find a buyer capable of continuing to operate a facility that has been a part of his family and the sport for generations. With the racing surface, shutdown area, timing equipment, and supporting infrastructure already in place, the next owner would inherit an established dragstrip prepared to continue operating without the expense and uncertainty of developing a facility from scratch.
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