Thunderbird Raceway Closes For Now
MUSKEGON, MI — Thunderbird Raceway, in Muskegon, Michigan, announced yesterday afternoon that the race track would be permanently closed after a slim chance was presented a few weeks ago that there would be a 2026 season. According to sources close to the situation, a 2026 season was highly unlikely.
The track is currently being operated under a land contract agreement. The land contract owner is significantly behind in payments owed to the property owner, and the property taxes were also severely behind until the property owner paid the taxes up to date. According to sources, the land contract owner, under Michigan law, has six months to bring payments up to current in full or the property would be transferred back to the current owner of the land. Although the property is for sale, and the land contract owner has the right to sell the property, any debt owed to the land owner would need to be paid before there could be any transfer of the property. Under Michigan law, the land contract owner does not receive the legal title to the property until all debts “have been satisfied.”
Speculation online across Facebook groups and pages has increased the significance of the news, although many people commenting on the situation are doing so through rumors and unconfirmed reports. Sources close to the situation understand that people have feelings and thoughts about the situation, yet the rampant rumors often formed in opinions—with attempts to present opinions as factual information—has escalated the conversation around the speedway. With any track closing or difficult situation, there is always the urge from fans, drivers, and other stakeholders to react with their feelings, but in a fluid situation, those reactions can significantly damage any potential positive outcome. Instead, those feelings usually make a difficult situation worse with an outcome most will not appreciate.
Although the social media post from the race track indicates the track is permanently closed, there is a potential for the land owner to take possession back of the speedway once the clock runs out or the debt is satisfied. Moreover, any potential property buyer would have to work their way through legal avenues to take possession of the property which includes making sure that all current debts owed are paid in full.
As the situation evolves, it is best to remain factual based with evidence than to use opinion as if it is factual. Potential buyers, the current property owner, and land contract owner have a long road ahead and will announce any further updates when the time comes. Until then, race tracks need support now more than ever, so find a race track somewhere as many are small business owners on top of their day jobs. Ohio is an easy example to show how quickly the short track racing scene can change as they have lost several tracks in the last few months.
