Nashville Fairgrounds Inches Towards Renovation, but the Future is Still Murky

What’s Happening

Adam Stern reported a Tennessean article that says that the Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway had a deal approved to renovate the facility. The deal worth $100 million still has a ways to go to actually be done, but this is a step forward for the Nashville Fairgrounds.

"Legislation to approve a deal to overhaul the Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway was filed with the Metro Council Office Friday, but the bill has a lot of roads to cover and hurdles to clear in a few short months." – @Tennessean https://t.co/en25jkZOPC

— Adam Stern (@A_S12) May 31, 2023

One of the biggest opponents to this renovation is the President of Nashville SC John Ingram, whose stadium is next door to the race track. Adam Stern reported what he said in a piece in the Nashville Post. Specifically, Ingram discussed the potential financial struggles, and he expressed concern about sharing events saying this could cause the Metro to, “Favor one venue over another.”

Regarding Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway, the MLS team @NashvilleSC says it's "concerned about the financial implications of having two similarly sized stadiums adjacent to one another and competing for the non-soccer and non-racing events both could host."https://t.co/xPVVbcmCVw

— Adam Stern (@A_S12) June 1, 2023

• Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway has been eyed by NASCAR fans and executives for some time now. Multiple attempts to renovate the track have met road block after road block of political opposition. Bristol Motor Speedway is still working towards getting a deal done for the facility. The nearby soccer stadium has been a major point of contention throughout the entire process.
• Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway used to run the NASCAR Cup Series races every year from 1958 until 1984. Since then, the track has hosted the Xfinity Series, Truck Series, and ARCA aside from its weekly racing series. Nashville SC had their inaugural season in 2020, and they opened their new Fairgrounds stadium, Geodis Park, in 2022.
• Fans on social media want to see the track return, but they are nervous about whether or not it can or will actually happen. Regardless, some fans feel like it should be no problem to build two venues next to each other because of how other sports venues have been built. Some fans do have some concerns regarding the infrastructure.

The Backstory

Cody Williams broke down the stories of why the track faces so much opposition.

When Will Nashville Fairgrounds Be NASCAR Ready?

Some Nashville residents have even expressed their disinterest in the track reopening.

Nashville Fairgrounds Opposition Launches Final Attack

Last week, the Fairgrounds was shown to face more political opposition.

Return of Nashville Fairgrounds Faces More Political Obstruction

In the Stands

I count five stadiums in that photo.

Detroit, Seattle, Dallas, and Pittsburgh all have stadiums right next to each other.

It would be fun to see the Fairgrounds return.

This does make sense Big O, except for the fact that many would argue that the Superspeedway is there.

Parking at a football stadium then busing to a race track does not sound ideal.

Kansas Speedway is a good example of a track that operates next to a stadium.

TheDeathStar feels the stadium count is a non-issue,

If not now, then maybe it will become one.

Bristol Motor Speedway seems determined to get the Nashville Fairgrounds back onto the schedule. Even in the midst of political opposition, people do want to see this track back. It seems that if it does come back, it will be sooner rather than later.