When Tommy and Judy Franklin purchased Virginia Motorsports Park (VMP), it gave the facility a new lease on life. The Franklin family spent eight years turning VMP into an enthusiast’s paradise. It has now been officially announced that Darryl Cuttell and the IHRA have purchased VMP and are ready to take the facility to a new level.
The Franklin family didn’t treat VMP like a business, they treated it like a second home, and racers were their treasured guests. VMP sits on 500 acres, and it’s more than just a drag strip. During the Franklins’ tenure as owners, they expanded the Dirtplex area, where motocross, BMX, mud bogs, and many other events were hosted. The dragstrip received a fresh concrete surface in 2018 and has been heralded by racers as one of the smoothest in the country.
The bottom line is the Franklin family cared about VMP and those who visited the track.
“Thank you to our employees, friends, family, media, sponsors, and everyone who helped pull off the events we held during our time here. Lastly, we want to close with a huge thank you to every spectator, vendor, and racer who supported us along the journey, and we hope to see that support only grow further,” said Tommy Franklin.
When the IHRA announced its 2026 Outlaw Nitro Series schedule, VMP was included as a stop. One thing is for sure: Cuttell and the IHRA aren’t afraid to invest in facilities, so there could be even bigger things coming to VMP in the near future.
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