Emerald Coast Dragway in North Florida Sells to Insurance Auto Group, Likely to Cease Racing Operations
Just a few days after news broke about Atco Dragway in New Jersey being sold and closing their gates to the racing community, another track has been sold and likely faces a similar fate.
Emerald Coast Dragway in Holt, Florida has been reportedly sold to Insurance Auto Auctions Corporation for 4.7 million dollars last week.
The track, which originally opened in 1998 as Holt Dragway, is an eighth-mile facility that hosted numerous heads-up events as well as bracket racing and test and tune events.
It closed to the public in 2011, and then was purchased, renovated and re-opened by Ozzy Moya, the current owner of Orlando Speed World Dragway, in 2016.
The track was eventually leased to drag radial racer Ryan Millikan for a few years, but Millikan opted out of the lease at the end of 2021 to focus on his primary business and racing.
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The track was then listed for sale or lease in nearly ready-to-run format in late 2021, and there was a rumored deal in place for a new owner to come in and open the track back up once again in 2022.
But in June 2022, the facility was broken into, with all timing equipment, computers, radios, and even track blowers were stolen from the facility. The track was confirmed to be up for sale again in early 2023.
It is unclear on Insurance Auto Auctions Corp plans for the facility, but rumors are it will become a holding lot for vehicles.
Written by Derek Putnam. Photos courtesy of Emerald Coast Dragway and Lou Crouch.
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