Colorado’s Pikes Peak International Raceway to close after 2026 season
May 21, 2026, 10:09 AM
One of my favorite childhood memories was going down a little south of Colorado Springs to watch Dale Earnhardt Jr. race in a NASCAR Busch Series race at Pikes Peak International Raceway (PPIR) when I was a teenager. Sadly, that racetrack will be no longer soon.
PPIR will permanently close at the end of the 2026 season, ending nearly three decades of motorsports at the facility south of Colorado Springs in Fountain.
Raceway officials announced the closure Tuesday on social media, saying the property is slated for mixed-use redevelopment. Details on those plans are expected later this year. All events, festivals, track days and experiences already on the 2026 calendar will go on as scheduled.
“PPIR has been more than just a racetrack — it has been a home for racers, riders, teams, families, fans, and automotive enthusiasts from across Colorado and beyond,” the track said in a statement. Officials added they are exploring opportunities to relocate select events to other venues.
The one-mile oval in El Paso County opened May 31, 1997, and quickly drew national attention, hosting IndyCar and NASCAR Busch and Craftsman Truck series races through 2005. After NASCAR subsidiary International Speedway Corporation bought and shuttered the facility, a new ownership group reopened it in 2008 as a grassroots motorsports hub, hosting more than 200 events a year including drifting, drag racing, autocross and car shows.
