NASHVILLE FARIGROUNDS SPEEDWAY
THE BEGINNING OF THE END or a NEW BEGINNING
By: Randy Myers
Tonight at 6:00 PM Central Standard Time could mark the beginning of the end for the 106 year old Fairgrounds Speedway in Nashville, TN. The Nashville City Council is scheduled to vote on the future of the historic facility. Nashville Mayor, Karl Dean, heads a group that favors demolishing the track immediately, and the fairgrounds completely in about a year to make room for new development. A group of motorsports lovers headed by Sterling Marlin and Darrell Waltrip hopes to sway the Council in another direction. They, along with Mike Curb, Chad Chaffin and his father and a concerned group of Nashville race fans hope to present a plan to the council to save the facility. A plan backed by private funding as opposed to the taxpayers of Nashville shelling out millions of dollars to demolish the speedway and the surrounding fairgrounds facility and replace it with a business development and park.
Before I move forward, I want to congratulate Marlin, Waltrip, Mr. Curb and their group, for stepping up to the plate in the efforts to preserve the Fairgrounds Speedway. High profile and successful racers sometimes forget their roots and I have been quick to critize them at times for failing to support grass roots racing. Glad to see them step up this time.
It appears the Mayor has the upper hand going into the homestretch with this issue. I watched his interview with Rudy Kalis and having seen that, I dont see much hope in changing the mind of an individual like Mayor Dean. He seems oblivious to the history of the track as well as the fairgrounds in general.
I am no expert in the political world and the workings of government but having gone through a similar fight at Tri-County Motor Speedway in Hudson, NC, I understand fully the way something like this works. The very life of a track (Tri-County) hung in the balance of a handful of vocal citizens bent on closing the track. Thanks to the efforts of a strong owner, Hugh Andrews, and a group of concerned racers and citizens, we fought and won the battle. Compromises were made on both sides and the track continues to operate 18 years later.
I also see another historic race track, Bowman Gray Stadium, in Winston-Salem, NC continue to prosper as the longest continually operated NASCAR sanctioned track in the country. BGS is also owned by the city.
Mayor Dean claims the Fairgrounds Speedway to be two miles away from downtown Nashville. Well, Bowman Gray is only a mile from downtown. I also see similarities in the surrounding neighborhoods. Both at either industrial or low income areas. The city of Winston-Salem has chosen to embrace Bowman Gray Stadium and the revenue it produces. That facility, BGS, also supports some of the same type businesses Mr. Marlin speaks about in the story by Mr. Kalis. BGS provides subsidy to a couple of golf courses as well as the coliseum and convention center. None of which operate in the black. One would think someone of Mayor Karls stature and knowledge of government and business would at least take a look at other areas with similar facilities.
Hopefully Mayor Dean and the full Nashville Council listen to the proposal of Marlin, Waltrip and the Save My Fairgrounds group at tonights meeting. Lets hope it becomes a new beginning for the Nashville Fairgrounds and the Fairgrounds Speedway.
