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“ Nick had told some mutual friends and it got back to Brent, who was at the dragstrip at the time,” Middleton recalled.“ Brent called Nick later that night and they talked a few days before an offer was made.”
That was when Harmon called for Middleton, who was in Florida, to fly back to Indiana. Middleton said Harmon wanted to show her something: the speedway.
“ I get up here and I was thinking:‘ Why?‘” Middleton recalled.“ Brent said,’ I might have bought something.’ That’ s typical for him to buy something because we usually buy, sell or flip in the auto industry.”
Harmon drove past the dragstrip at Salem Motorsports Park and right next door to the speedway.
“ I knew the track was there, but I didn’ t know it was for sale,” she continued.“ He said,‘ I might have put up for ownership of this track. I don’ t know.’ I asked:‘ Are you buying to flip it?’ He said:‘ Maybe.’ Our initial thoughts were that we were going to buy it and then flip it. The more he started doing here, which didn’ t take long, the more he fell in love with the place. We still haven’ t bought or closed on it and that’ s when we bought the house in front of the Speedway.”
With the house out of the way, the track was the next to change hands. Harmon and Middleton took possession of the 79-year-old speedway on Nov. 13 and closed on Dec. 23. Middleton said work was done before they“ signed a piece of paper.”
I WANT THE RACE TRACK TO BE SUCCESSFUL, NOT ONLY FOR THE OWNERS BUT FOR THE CITY OF SALEM AND WASHINGTON COUNTY.
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PAGE NO. 14 NEWS AND TRIBUNE SPORTS MAGAZINE MAY / JUNE 2026