Few tracks in NASCAR history carry the kind of weight that the Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway does. As the track’s plan for revival gains traction, Dale Earnhardt Jr. cannot hold back his emotions.

The retired racer voiced his thoughts on X, recounting his races there in the 1990s and his more recent experience testing on the track ahead of the upcoming CARS Tour race on April 11.

He wrote, “I had a lot of fun. I hadn't run a lap there since the middle of 1999. I raced there a dozen times in the mid-1990s when it was a hotbed for Late Model Stocks. You'd have 30 cars for a weekly 100-lap feature. It was amazing. Somehow, the Late Model Stock footprint receded to western Tennessee over the years.

It was emotional to make those laps yesterday. Like visiting an old friend and realizing they are still the same person you always admired. Can't wait to have our Pro and Late Model Stock cars there next month.”

Of course, these hopes also come from Mayor Freddie O’Connell’s recently changed stance on the matter, as he said he is keeping doors open for a good NASCAR deal.

If the negotiations to bring NASCAR back to Nashville are successful, it could also revive a deal between Speedway Motorsports and real estate firm Panattoni, the latter of which has built a logistics hub around Nashville Superspeedway.

If a new Cup Series race does get added, it could give Speedway Motorsports the incentive to sell off the land. However, a representative for Speedway Motorsports denied any such deal or race-swapping and simply believes that Nashville can host multiple races in a year.

Dale Jr. Is Using His Voice To Save Iconic Racetracks

The Hall of Famer also recently shared his sentiments on the future of the Greenville Pickens Speedway, which also currently hangs in the balance, as inadequate traffic studies from the developers have been rejected.

While the track currently still stands, it could face demolition if the developers provide studies that meet the requirements of the County.

However, there still is some hope to save GP Speedway, as local businessman Jackie Manley is said to be close to a $4 million deal to purchase the property.

Dale Jr. had recently said that if the Speedway survives, the CARS Tour could return and that he would be among the first to compete there.

This also caught the attention of Alan Wilson, a candidate running for governor of South Carolina, who believes that the track holds importance not just for NASCAR, but also for the history of American motorsports.

Read more at the RFK Racing Digest!

Written by

Aaradhya Singh

Edited by

Kaamna Dwivedi