BENSON — The International Hot Rod Association (IHRA) announced Friday it has finalized the purchase of GALOT Motorsports Park in southern Johnston County.
GALOT is a state-of-the-art facility near the intersection of Interstate 95 and Interstate 40 outside of Benson. IHRA Owner Darryl Cuttel purchased the former Dunn-Benson Dragstrip from the Wells family who bought the track in 2013 and transformed it into a first-class racing facility over the last decade.
The North Carolina track has a temperature-controlled racing surface, known for being the flattest in the world. It allows racers to achieve maximum performance.
It features stadium seating for 9,000 spectators and two climate-controlled tower suites. There are LED scoreboards and a host of amenities. They include an on-site restaurant, a climate-controlled starting line, asphalt parking, a speed shop and RV electrical hook-ups.
GALOT hosts a variety of racing events as well as truck shows, tractor pulls and concerts. It is set to host the PDRA East Coast Nationals presented by FuelTech on April 2-5. Another major event on the schedule is the IHRA Night of Fire on June 27-28.
Former IHRA Division Director Josh Peake serves as the dragway’s general manager.
“We’re excited to announce we have acquired this first-class racing facility,” IHRA CEO Christian Byrd said. “It is both racer and spectator-friendly track, and has proven to be a great host of special events. We look forward to adding more great events to the schedule.”
