PENNSBORO, W.Va. (WBOY) — A man who led the charge in reviving the Pennsboro Speedway in Ritchie County has been arrested and is now facing fraud charges.

Barry Braun

According to a release from the Harrisville detachment of the West Virginia State Police, Barry Braun, the CEO of XR Events, was arrested in Lake County, Minnesota, after an investigation revealed that he was involved in “a pattern of fraudulent activity and deception in dealings” surrounding racing venues.

Troopers said that they found evidence of crimes and obtained warrants in Ritchie County for fraudulent schemes and obtaining under false pretenses charges. He is expected to be extradited back to West Virginia to face those charges.

Specific details of Braun’s charges were not disclosed in Wednesday’s release. It’s worth noting that Braun and XR Events do not own the Pennsboro Speedway. West Virginia Property Tax info reports that the Ritchie County Fairgrounds Inc. owns that land, but the Fair Board partnered with XR Events in 2022 to revive the dirt track speedway, which hadn’t been used for a race since 2002.

After substantial renovations under the direction of XR Events, the Pennsboro Speedway did bring back racing in 2024, but several races that were scheduled in 2025 were canceled. 

Troopers said that if anyone believes they’ve been a victim of a crime perpetrated by Braun, they should contact law enforcement in the jurisdiction where the alleged crime occurred. That law enforcement agency is then directed to contact the West Virginia State Police Harrisville Detachment.