IHRA Owner Darryl Cuttell Alleges Musk's SpaceXAI Owes His Company $570 Million Amid Series Collapse

The owner of the International Hot Rod Association has alleged that Elon Musk's company SpaceXAI owes his separate construction business nearly $570 million in unpaid dues for data center work, a claim surfacing even as Cuttell's drag racing series faces its own mounting financial crisis and unpaid vendors.

Darryl Cuttell, CEO of Hamilton, Ohio-based Darana Hybrid, an electro-mechanical industrial contractor, alleges that SpaceXAI owes his company roughly $570 million for construction work performed on data center projects in Tennessee and Mississippi, according to a report published Friday by the Daily Memphian. The Daily Memphian reported that Darana Hybrid filed two mechanics' liens this week totaling approximately $137 million, which Cuttell said represent only a portion of what his company claims remains unpaid from roughly $1.5 billion in total work performed for Musk's companies beginning in 2024. The $570 million figure amounts to roughly 40% of that overall contracted work.

According to Cuttell's allegations, payments for the completed construction work stopped arriving after xAI and SpaceX formally merged earlier this year, with Darana Hybrid claiming the combined company has yet to pay nearly $200 million owed to vendors. The Memphis Business Journal first reported the underlying lien filings. As of the most recent reporting, SpaceXAI had not responded to the Daily Memphian's request for comment, and neither Musk nor SpaceXAI has publicly addressed Cuttell's allegations. The claims contained in the lien filings have not been adjudicated in court, and the outlet CompetitionPlus said it has not independently verified the allegations.

The dispute emerges at a particularly precarious moment for Cuttell's own racing organization. The IHRA has faced sustained public scrutiny in recent months over its finances, with multiple racers, sponsors and vendors alleging they were not paid following the organization's June Triple Crown event at Darana Raceway near Columbus, Ohio. Earlier this month, the IHRA canceled the remainder of its 2026 Nitro Series season, saying it could not complete the schedule at the standard it expected, though the organization said its member tracks, sportsman racing programs and other operations would continue. The cancellation followed the IHRA's earlier decision to shut down its Nitro Outlaw Drag Racing Series entirely, a move that included layoffs of several employees.

Cuttell purchased Rockingham Speedway, a historic North Carolina track that hosted NASCAR Cup Series races from 1965 to 2004, in December 2025. Since that acquisition, the track's future has grown increasingly uncertain amid the broader financial turmoil surrounding Cuttell's businesses. The Athletic's Jordan Bianchi reported that the prospect of NASCAR returning to Rockingham in 2027 now appears doubtful. "Ownership instability, the same issue that has plagued Rockingham for so many years, is once again casting serious doubt on its future," Bianchi wrote. "Its current owner, Darryl Cuttell, is facing a financial crunch that has caused him to close down several other racetracks."

Rockingham had shown signs of a potential comeback in recent years, hosting successful NASCAR Truck Series and Xfinity Series-affiliated events over the past two seasons that had fueled speculation about a possible return to the Cup Series schedule. NASCAR has not publicly addressed whether the track will host any races in 2027 given the surrounding uncertainty.

Cuttell's broader business troubles trace back to an aggressive expansion strategy pursued throughout 2025 and early 2026, during which the IHRA acquired numerous historic drag strips and absorbed the World Drag Racing Alliance, along with facilities including Atlanta Dragway and Heartland Motorsports Park. That rapid growth was accompanied by the sudden, high-profile dismissals earlier this year of IHRA Chief Operating Officer Scott "Woody" Woodruff and Vice President of Advertising and Publications Brett Underwood, departures that further unsettled confidence among racers and industry observers regarding the organization's direction.

Racers who have worked with Cuttell's organization have described a complicated picture, crediting the IHRA under his ownership with meaningfully elevating opportunities within the sport while also expressing frustration over inconsistent communication as the financial situation has deteriorated. One racer identified only as Joon, speaking to CompetitionPlus, credited Cuttell's organization with helping his team advance. "IHRA, Darryl Cuttell, they helped our team go to the next level," Joon said. "We had a great time last year racing with them. They were really generous with the payout. It was unbelievable." Joon added that clearer communication, rather than any underlying bad intent, remained the central issue. "My problem is start communicating about what the plan is," he said. "If everyone knows what's going on, people can move on and you eliminate the bad-mouthing on the internet."

With the alleged $570 million dispute now adding a significant new dimension to Cuttell's financial position, and Rockingham Speedway's status within the NASCAR schedule still unresolved, the coming months are likely to prove pivotal both for the future of the IHRA as an organization and for the historic North Carolina track whose fate remains closely tied to the outcome of Cuttell's broader business entanglements, including his unresolved dispute with Musk's SpaceXAI.