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Riding your motorcycle on a racetrack is a privilege. Unfortunately, some riders are losing that privilege as circuits around the country close their doors to motorcyclists or close their doors for good.
In the Pitts
The owners of the Pittsburgh International Race Complex (Pitt Race), Jim and Kathy Stout, announced the sale of the western Pennsylvania racetrack in October. The venue hosted its final event in November, and the Stouts will “step away from ownership of the facility” at the end of the calendar year.
The couple purchased the motorsports complex back in 2011, after the initial owner declared bankruptcy. They wasted little time investing in the property, adding a 1.2-mile South Course in 2015. Pitt Race became a fixture on the MotoAmerica calendar beginning in 2017, but the racing — and the track days — will end in 2026. Pitt Race has already begun auctioning off assets ranging from maintenance equipment to bathroom fixtures from its buildings.
The fate of Pitt Race may be certain, but the future of its 427-acre parcel is anything but. Local officials have yet to identify the land developer that purchased the Pitt Race plot. What’s more, the same developer reportedly acquired lots adjacent to the race course. Such activity quickly gave rise to speculation, and the prevailing rumor involves the building of an A.I. data center on the land.
Regardless of what’s constructed on the Beaver County property, odds are motorcycles won’t be riding there. The same could be said of other U.S. tracks that aren’t shuttering.
Priced out
The Pitt Race closure wasn’t the only news to break in October. Late in the month, the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) unveiled The Circuit, a private membership club offering driving, dining, and hospitality experiences. While the membership doesn’t overtly exclude motorcyclists, it will limit track access to private members from 2027 onward. COTA’s 2026 track day schedule is evidence of that future.
The Ride Smart Motorcycle School regularly hosts track day events at COTA. The organization has eight COTA track days scheduled in 2026, but it won’t be allowed to book the Texas racecourse thereafter. “Dates in 2027 won’t be available to local organizations,” a Ride Smart representative told me. COTA isn’t the only facility restricting access, either.
In April, Boston-based equity firm CrossHarbor Capital Partners acquired Willow Springs International Raceway (WSIR) in Rosamond, California, from the longtime owners in the Huth family. As the new proprietor, CrossHarbor promised a “complete renovation of all racing tracks, pit, and paddock facilities.” Those upgrades come at a cost, though. The dead giveaway is WSIR’s Streets of Willow (SOW) circuit.
In September, CrossHarbor retrofitted the 1.6-mile course for improved “safety.” Apparently, that doesn’t include the safety of motorcyclists. That’s because the new guardrail installed along the outside of turn eight (a.k.a. “The Bowl”) isn’t a hazard for car drivers. It is a hazard to motorcycle riders, however. To avoid that new feature, track day organizers weren’t allowed to run SOW in its clockwise configuration. In 2026, organizers may not be able to host track days at the circuit at all.
Come the new year, WSIR will raise SOW’s daily rental price by nearly 300%. According to a representative from SoCal track day organizer 2 Wheels Track Days (2WTD), booking SOW previously cost “$6,000 per day.” That day rate is set to jump to $17,000 in 2026, effectively pricing out the majority of local organizations. SOW might just be the tip of the WSIR iceberg, too, as my 2WTD contact noted, “They’re doing the same thing to the big track (Big Willow).”
To corroborate the accounts imparted by Ride Smart and 2WTD, I reached out to both COTA and Willow Springs (respectively). I have yet to receive a response from either track at the time of writing.
Riding your motorcycle on the track is a privilege. We’ve already established as much, but it’s becoming increasingly exclusive as several circuits around the country shift away from hosting motorcycle track days. Let's hope other raceways don't follow in their tracks.
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