Florence Motor Speedway is shutting down after the 2026 racing season. This historic track in Timmonsville, South Carolina, will not host any races in 2027. The news dropped on Tuesday from owner Steve Zacharias, who admitted the business is no longer viable. It is a hard hit for a community that has cheered at this asphalt track since 1982.
Zacharias tried everything to keep the lights on since he took over in 2020. He said each season has been increasingly difficult to manage. The track sits just 15 miles from Darlington, a spot that usually draws huge crowds. Now, the only races left are the ones scheduled for the rest of 2026. Fans will get three final events before the gates close for good.
Why The Numbers Don’t Add Up
The math simply stopped working for this short track. According to Short Track Scene, Zacharias has been fighting a losing battle against rising costs. The CARS Super Late Model Tour was the main draw that kept the place alive. They raced there every single year since the track came back with a bang in 2020. Even Dale Earnhardt Jr. showed up to help support the fans and the series. In 2024, he piloted the legendary Budweiser 8 throwback vehicle to the South Carolina 400. That kind of star power usually means money in the bank. But the financial strain was too much to bear.
The most recent race happened just over a month ago during Labor Day weekend. Shane Van Gisbergen and Connor Zilisch were the star guest racers for that event. It was a great show, but it could not fix the underlying money problems. The track had already taken over the Icebreaker race in 2021 after Myrtle Beach Speedway was demolished. They tried to fill that void, but the costs kept climbing while the profits stayed flat. This is what happens when you run a business on hope instead of hard cash.
Three Final Chances To Say Goodbye
The owner wants to end this chapter on a high note for the fans. Per Short Track Scene, the focus is now solely on finishing the 2026 season strong. There are three remaining events left on the schedule. The first is the 2X Monster Trucks race. Next comes the South Carolina 250. The final event will be the 34th Annual South Carolina 400 in November. These races will go ahead as planned before the track shuts its doors forever.
Zacharias stated that they hope for nothing but success for every nearby race track and touring series in the area during 2027 and beyond. It is a polite way to say the game is over for Florence. The track has hosted races since 1982, and it will close its history after that November 2026 event. No one knows exactly what will replace it, but the racing days are done. This is a loss for the local families who loved the roar of the engines on those Friday nights.