Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway

Hey guys and ladies!
I'm sure most all of you have heard of this great and historical racetrack. Most of you may not know the Mayor or Nashville with help from the city council are closing the Fairgrounds and the track for good. I am putting the word out because this is just plain wrong. The city wants the property for something else so the only way to possibly stop this from happening is to get everyone involved. Tell every racing forum you belong to or every sports writer you can find about this travesty of justice.
The track and the Fairgrounds have been around for 108 years, with over 60 of those dedicated to stock car racing. It hosted 2 Nascar Winston Cup events for many years until the lease holder at the time, Warner Hogden defaulted on some loans and went bankrupt. Included in the bankruptcy was the track lease. The Mayor and the Fair Board, who controlled the track and the Fairgrounds, did nothing. A local businessman and racer, Gary Baker stepped up and flew to Calif on his own dime to try and persuade the judge to release the track lease, but to no avail. He is truly the only one that tried. None of the Cup stars from Nashville stepped up at all. With the track lease up in the air, Nascar had no choice but withdraw the two races we'd had since 1961. This was in 1984. The next year Nascar exploded in popularity and we were left out in the cold. Millions in lost revenues from those races. Not just from the races, but folks visiting and vacationing here at the same time. Opryland Hotel was big and Opryland Theme Park was still alive and well. They screwed the pooch on that one.
Now, the track is facing its final race if we can't come through.
October 2nd is the All American 400, a long loved tradition in short track racing. Please plan to attend and show your support for this great race track. Tickets are just $15 for Sat races.
There is an online petition to sign if you haven't already. Just search Save Nashville Fairgrounds petition and you will find it easily.
This track has been home for many Cup stars and a second home for many others, Drivers who call it home include past and present include: Coo Coo Marlin, David Sisco, Darrell Waltrip, Sterling Marlin, Mike Alexander, Bobby Hamilton Sr, Casey Atwood, Jeff Green, David Green, Mark Green, Jeremy Mayfield, Steve Grissom, Marty Robbins, Jimmy (Smut) Means and others I know I'm forgetting. Few tracks have the history in Nascar short track racing that Nashville does. Not even Hickory Speedway had the following we did.
Folks, please get involved with this. We don't want to lose stock car racing in Nashville forever and that is exactly what will happen if we don't work out tails off to prevent it!

Thanks,
Winston Tucker

updated by @winston-tucker-jr: 12/05/16 04:02:07PM

Thanks for the post, Winston. I've been hearing about this and it is truly sad news to se history like this go down the tubes.


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Founder/Creator - RacersReunion®

This is totally upsetting, disgusting, and wrong. People in government these days seem to epitomize ignorance. Or maybe it's stupidity. I hear education is a cure for ignorance but there is no cure for stupidity.It would seem Nashville, of all places, would honor history and tradition. Who is the Mayor there? A descendent of carpetbaggers would be my guess.Sorry, Winston, I can't afford the trip to Nashville, but if I could, I would be vocal as to this injustice. Good luck to you and keep us posted on developments.


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What a change! It's been awhile since I've checked in and I'm quite surprised. It may take me awhile to figure it our but first look it's really great.

The Nashville Mayor's name is Karl Dean. I like to call him "King Karl". He gets everything he wants, and only a few council people have enough guts to fight him. He hates racing and the fairgrounds. The problem is Nashville hasn't put any real money into the fairgrounds in years. They have a giant flea mkt. there once a month, where 10's of thousands attend. They charge for parking and for selling space. Yet, they say they are losing money on the fairgrounds. The flea mkt. people are putting out the Save the Nashville fairgrounds petition too. The Speedway crowds have gotten smaller in recent years, mostly because of Saturday night racing on TV, and the economy. This season the track promoter, Tony Formosa Jr has done a great job. Unfortunately, the track flooded in May and they got a late start to the season. Last Saturday night's crowd was good. Up against area college football games & Nationwide on TV. Since the Speedway land floods...the mayor probably can't sell it. Now he wants to make it into a park with soccer fields, and a dog walking area. That's right. King Karl wants to flush 109 years of racing history for the yuppie soccer moms of Nashville & for their dogs to take a crap. Wow...now that's going to big in a lot of revenue to the city! Please sign the Save the Nashville Fairgrounds petition... it is our last hope. Thanks, Bill Shapard

Bill, there is room for a park and soccer fields on the grounds without disrupting the race track. I am beginning to think we need to look at the Fairgrounds as a whole and not just the track. For most of the time it just there idle not doing anyone any good. There is quite a bit of unused space than can be put to good use if they mayor would just listen to reason. There is room for the track and other nice things for the community and we can all co-exist together peacefully there. It will take some money and time to accomplish those things, and the support of city hall as well. They just want to run roughshod over everyone in their path when they have no clear direction themselves on what they will do with the property. We need to come ti a happy medium to make as many people happy as possible and still keep the track open. The track only runs once a week and the flea market one weekend a month. The other 18 days out of the month need to used too. Actually, if done right, it can be used in some way every day, but without support from Hizzoner, it will go nowhere but down the tubes.

Winston, I too think the fairgrounds could & should be used for more than a few days a month. That takes money & enthusiasm by the Mayor to make it into something. But "King Karl" has already stated he wants the race track to go away... NO MATTER WHAT. He feels the fairgrounds is a eye sore & ear sore. There is no middle ground. Some of Nashville's best known in the racing community (DW, Sterling Marlin and Gary Baker) have already talked to him about the great history here. He doesn't care. He is already trying to get Hickory Hollow Mall to take the flea mkt. His yuppie friends have bought expensive new condos nearby, and they don't want to hear race cars....ever. It's a done deal...unless we get enough city council members fired up ( through the petition)...and show them what a big mistake they are making.

This is what happened to Raleigh Speedway in the late 50s. Bill Shapard said:

Winston, I too think the fairgrounds could & should be used for more than a few days a month. That takes money & enthusiasm by the Mayor to make it into something. But "King Karl" has already stated he wants the race track to go away... NO MATTER WHAT. He feels the fairgrounds is a eye sore & ear sore. There is no middle ground. Some of Nashville's best known in the racing community (DW, Sterling Marlin and Gary Baker) have already talked to him about the great history here. He doesn't care. He is already trying to get Hickory Hollow Mall to take the flea mkt. His yuppie friends have bought expensive new condos nearby, and they don't want to hear race cars....ever. It's a done deal...unless we get enough city council members fired up ( through the petition)...and show them what a big mistake they are making.

Where is Fryin Brian or Brutus Smith on this one ?????The demographic of this is obvious. The Nashville area in general has a strong economy and good infrastructure. Rest assured they would bull doze the track asap and bye bye.Wilkesboro and Rockingham just sat there with little or no infrastructure or economy to speak of and they have survived. Either way France and his cronies or Bruton Smith will never step up with the funding to save this track. It is a damn shame.

I think Brains' daddy was glad to get rid of us once, He couldn't care less about Nashville.Bruton should help us, he learned from Nashville how a track should be run. Besides, we are not in competition with him for any racers, so it can't hurt him to speak on our behalf. This track has made Nashville as famous in racing circles as the Opry has in music circles. It's not a Daytona, but as far as Late Models running on a short track, it's as good as it gets. Countless now famous drivers cut their teeth at the Fairgrounds and still others called it home. Only Hickory rivals Nashville in star drivers produced over the years.It got the shaft too. We have a grassroots deal started to try and stop them. Don't know what will become of it, but if we fail, it won't be due to lack of effort.

What a same to lose another piece of racing history. At least I have a copy of Hell Drivers staring Marty Robbins

It's funny you guys mentioned Bruton Smith. Two of his track Presidents Ed Clark (Atlanta) Eddie Gossage (Texas) both worked at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway early in their careers. I wonder if anybody has talked to Bruton. As far as racing goes, I prefer the fairgrounds 5/8's mile of beating & banging, to Nashville SuperSpeedway's 1.3 mile, one groove track, with over priced tickets. Please sign the petition, and if you can come to the All-American 400 in October that would be great too.

Money talks and Bruton walks.A big part of what Nascar is missing are these knid of tracks. It is almost impossible to have a bad show !The Boys at the Beach are so blind about the core product that people are turning away.The shot callers at Richmond are very smart and saw it coming by building a new facility which is awsome but I must say that the Old Richmond Fairgrounds was a killer track that showcased hard nosed racing.

Richard Guido said:

Money talks and Bruton walks.

A big part of what Nascar is missing are these knid of tracks. It is almost impossible to have a bad show !

The Boys at the Beach are so blind about the core product that people are turning away.

The shot callers at Richmond are very smart and saw it coming by building a new facility which is awsome but I must say that the Old Richmond Fairgrounds was a killer track that showcased hard nosed racing.

Got to share Nashville's Victory lane with Dale Earnhardt when he beat DW driving the #15 Bud Moore Wrangler Ford. It was a good place to race and the kids loved the little amusement park. Ditto your Richmond comments. Grew up there, later sponsored the Wrangler 400 there and eventually became Media Relations Director for 10 years. Richmond promoter, Paul Sawyer was one of a kind. A great race promoter and a true friend.


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"Any Day is Good for Stock Car Racing"