Fans might have saved the Greenville-Pickens Speedway, and it took just the community to start a movement to save something so historic.

Pickens County passed a resolution that has sparked hope in the hearts of NASCAR fans and the local community.

During the Pickens County Council meeting held on Monday, the track was one of the topics that dominated the meeting.  Trenton Worsham, a reporter for Frontstretch, on Tuesday took to his X account to give an update about the ruling of the council.

"News: @GPSspeedway1 has been deemed as eligible to be designated as historic. A fellow colleague from @Spartanburg1400 and friend got a statement from @TashaKRacing35 about the ruling last night. GPS isn't out of the woods but is an encouraging sign. #NASCAR"

However, this does not mean that Greenville-Pickens Speedway is completely in the clear. During the meeting, Chairman Alex Saitta stated, “It’s not going to stop [the developers] from destroying it or selling it or doing anything, but if that works, I will support that.”

At the same time, there's a lot of support to bring back racing at the track. Just a few weeks ago, Dale Jr. promised the CARS Tour would consider the track if it's in racing condition, and South Carolina's attorney general, Alan Wilson, agreed, indicating a great degree of public support to save the track.

For the locals and the NASCAR fans, the Greenville-Pickens Speedway has many fond memories attached to it. But it is not just these memories that are driving the locals to preserve the Speedway. 

 Greenville-Pickens Speedway’s historical importance

The historic speedway opened up in 1964, making it one of the oldest NASCAR-sanctioned tracks. The track has become a staple oval for decades.

The Greenville-Pickens Speedway has hosted a plethora of legendary drivers such as David Pearson, Richard Petty, and Dale Earnhardt, just to name a few.

But what cemented the speedway as historical in NASCAR was the live telecast of 1971. For the first time, a full-length race was broadcast on national television. 

The Greenville-Pickens Speedway has given the county of Pickens its identity. And it is this identity that the locals look forward to preserving over the years. 

Read more at the RFK Racing Digest!

Written by

Chionia Libania Colaco

Edited by

Siddharth Shirwadkar