With the Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway facing an uncertain future and the threat of demolition looming over the track, Dale Earnhardt Jr. has floated a few ideas to keep the track intact while meeting everyone's needs.

For a long time now, there has been no clear picture of what will happen to the 122-year-old track, which has been in political deadlock for more than a decade. While there are talks of renovations by Speedway Motorsports, recent polls have shown that both residents and politicians are not keen on saving the track.

The Vanderbilt University Poll indicated that 36 per cent of residents want the track demolished, while the Power Poll suggested that 55 per cent of civic leaders and political influencers also want the track gone. 

Speaking to Steven Taranto ahead of Tootsie’s Music City Showdown, CARS Tour co-owner Earnhardt Jr. said,  “I feel like there’s a middle ground somewhere where we can all be happy. There’s already been a massive amount of development on the other side of the racetrack here, and I’d love for the racetrack to be here.”

Earnhardt Jr., whose CARS Tour race takes place today in Nashville, said, “I’d love for there to be grassroots short track racing here.” 

“I’d love for this place to stick around in any shape or form. For me, it’s not necessarily NASCAR or bust,” the two-time Busch Series Champion suggested. Taking a stronger stand, he said: “I think that we have to make sure, regardless of what goes on, that this race track survives.”

Can Dale Jr and Speedway Motorsports pull another North Wilkesboro?  

In 2023, when the North Wilkesboro Speedway made an unlikely revival, it was Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Marcus Smith from Speedway Motorsports who made it happen. Dale Jr brought the CARS Tour there, and now the track stands in all its glory.

The NASCAR legend had contributed to the redevelopment of North Wilkesboro. In 2019, Earnhardt Jr. helped with the team in readying the track for iRacing simulator scans. Today, North Wilkesboro is back on the map.

Dale Jr. also said that knowing Marcus Smith and the work that can be put in collectively, “They need to determine what the real future is with the racetrack so we can then determine what kind of modern updates we can provide to the facility and also to the surrounding neighborhood.”

"There is still a racing community that wants to come here and compete," he said. "...It would just be heartbreaking to see it completely disappear. 

Marcus Smith, whom the former racer says is a great friend of his, has been in talks with the government to find a solution for Nashville as well.

Do you think the age-old track can hope for a return? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

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Written by

Debrup Chaudhuri

Edited by

Afreen Kabir