Photos courtesy Richard Crosby
The saga of the Twin Branch Motorsports property in Delbarton, West Virginia is taking yet another turn. This dragstrip was in development for a decade by the Mingo County Redevelopment Authority (MCRA) and was nearly fully open to the public. Now, the property is for sale and presents an interesting opportunity for new ownership to create a unique racing experience.
The Twin Branch Motorsports property sits on land that was a coal mine at one point. This type of land can be difficult to redevelop and the MCRA, along with local officials, and racers saw an opportunity to create a facility that would generate tax revenue for the local economy. You can read about the background of the facility here.
After many years of work, the Twin Branch Motorsports facility opened its gates and welcomed racers for the first time. There was a lot of buzz around the track and plans for a 58-race schedule in 2023. That fell to the wayside when promoter, and track operator Pete Scalzo stepped down from his role with the track.
Now, the MCRA is accepting offers for the facility. The entire property is for sale and here are some details from the Request For Offers the MCRA has issued:
Pursuant to West Virginia Code Section 16-18-7, the MCRA has determined that the Twin Branch Motorsports Property is in need of further development, redevelopment, and operation, and that it is in the best interest of the MCRA to sell the Twin Branch Motorsports Property. Therefore, the MCRA is seeking proposals/bids from buyers/redevelopers who wish to purchase the Twin Branch Motorsports Property. The proposed sale of the Twin Branch Motorsports Property is intended to facilitate the development and redevelopment of the property for recreational, commercial, and/or public use and should focus on the operation and development of the Twin Branch drag strip. The proposal must be in accordance with the MCRA’s development initiatives to create jobs and economic opportunity and shall be subject to such terms, covenants, conditions, and restrictions as the MCRA may deem, in its sole discretion, to be in the public interest or necessary to carry out the purposes of the MCRA and West Virginia Code Section 16-18 1, et seq.
The MCRA may accept an offer and redevelopment proposal as it deems to be in the public interest and in accordance the West Virginia Code Section 16-18-1, et seq. All offers are subject to the approval of the Board of Directors of the MCRA, in their sole discretion, and any and all offers may be rejected. The MCRA may negotiate with any buyer/redeveloper for the purchase of the Twin Branch Motorsports 1 Property. The successful bidder(s), if any, will be notified by telephone and correspondence. All other bidders will be notified in writing. All offers shall be subject to the buyer/redeveloper entering into a written contract with the MCRA that shall include terms, covenants, easements, rights-of-way, and other conditions as the MCRA may deem to be in the public interest or necessary to carry out the purposes of the MCRA and West Virginia Code Section 16-18-1, et seq.
This facility has some great bones and could be a top-tier track with just a few additions. The soft opening showed there’s plenty of interest from local racers. It would be a shame to see this track never see its full potential, or even be turned into something else entirely.
If you’re interested in making an offer you’ll need to send a proposal in writing by June 24, 2024 to:
Leasha Johnson, Executive Director
Mingo County Redevelopment Authority
P.O. Box 298 Williamson, West Virginia 25661
