At most NASCAR race weekends, fans expect to hear drivers talk up their chances on Sunday, their team’s progress, or the future of the sport. But when Chase Elliott was recently asked about the possibility of returning to one of stock car racing’s most storied venues, the Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway, his answer was more of a reflection of the current scenario than hype. The Fairgrounds, a short track with more than a century of racing history, has long been at the center of fan hopes for a full NASCAR Cup Series comeback.

While other venues like Chicago’s temporary street course illustrate NASCAR’s push into new markets, the Fairgrounds represents the opposite: the roots, tradition, and oval-racing identity that first put the sport on the national map. Elliott, a lifelong proponent of short-track racing, didn’t hide his admiration for the facility. Yet when pressed on its future, his candor highlighted just how steep the climb back to NASCAR’s top tier may be.

“It’s Been Nothing but a Conversation”: Elliott’s Mixed Emotions

When asked by Steven Taranto recently about his thoughts on the Nashville Fairgrounds, Elliott first revealed his admiration for the race track. “I would love to have a race at the fairgrounds… It’s probably the coolest short track in America, and maybe even the world,” he said, noting that NASCAR’s “discipline is the best” on short ovals, not necessarily experimental street venues. By aligning himself so clearly with the “short track first” school of thought, Elliott echoed decades of drivers who have credited grassroots tracks for shaping their careers.

But his tone turned pointed when asked how encouraged he was about progress of it returning to the NASCAR calendar. “It’s been nothing but a conversation in the past number of years… I’d be lying if I told you I wasn’t giving up a little bit of hope,” he admitted. For one of NASCAR’s most prominent and popular drivers, the 2020 Cup champion, this was less about discouragement and more about accountability. If this project were going to get traction, he suggested, the sport and the city should have started to see tangible steps already.

Chase Elliott is the rare driver who bridges the two sides of modern NASCAR; he carries the loyalty of those who believe the sport must preserve its short-track roots while also competing in showcases like the Chicago Street Race, designed to reach new audiences. That balance gives his voice extra resonance, especially on the topic of the Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway, a track woven deep into the fabric of stock car history.

The Fairgrounds has hosted races since 1904 and was once a staple for NASCAR Cup competition, most recently in 1984. Since then, the sport has shifted heavily toward larger markets and superspeedways. Yet, with Nashville’s rapid growth as a city and the huge success of NASCAR’s return to the region with the Ally 400 at Nashville Superspeedway starting in 2021, the idea of reviving the Fairgrounds quickly re-emerged. Speedway Motorsports, which already operates tracks like Charlotte and Bristol, struck a deal in 2019 to pursue a redevelopment that would modernize the Fairgrounds for Cup-level standards. However, despite years of renderings, promises, and negotiations, no movement has actually materialized.

Elliott’s comments strike at the heart of a growing divide: NASCAR leadership has embraced high-profile experiments like Chicago and Los Angeles, while the Fairgrounds, despite its immense fan support and strong ties to NASCAR’s traditions, remains stuck in political limbo. Elliott acknowledged as much when he said, “I don’t know how many battles they’re having to fight… and I’m certainly not in tune with the politics enough to know.”

It felt more like an outsider’s voice than an insider’s. Elliott positioned himself not as someone who can sway the decision but as “just a racer, just a fan” who loves what the Fairgrounds represents. His plea carried an almost grassroots simplicity: “Just give it one fair shot… one Saturday night Cup race in the middle of the summer.” That “one shot” sentiment resonates with the Fairgrounds’ supporters, but it also clashes with negotiations bogged down by noise ordinances, community pushback, and financial hurdles.

To secure Cup returns, the facility would need over $100 million in upgrades, including safety infrastructure, modern amenities, and noise mitigation costs that have kept the project in limbo. For years, the plan’s biggest champions, like Speedway Motorsports and Nashville’s mayoral office, have assured fans that progress is coming, only for talks to stall repeatedly. Elliott’s reality check captured the fan frustration perfectly: admiration without assurance, excitement without execution. Along with dealing with the supposed frustration of NASCAR’s delayed return to the Fairgrounds, Elliot also had to deal with a setback at his most recent race at Richmond Raceway.

Chase Elliott’s Resilience After the Richmond Setback

While Chase Elliott’s hopes for a legacy track return encounter harsh realities, his 2025 season has been a testament to resilience amid unpredictability, the very essence of NASCAR. A dramatic late-race wreck at Richmond Raceway, where Kyle Busch unintentionally clipped Elliott, abruptly ended his run and derailed his bid for the regular-season championship.

Chase Elliott, candid yet measured, described it as a “mistake” with no ill intent. He sympathized with Busch’s apology, understanding the chaos of tight-track racing where split-second gaps can vanish in a blink. “I hated it. It killed our night and regular-season championship hopes all at the same time,” Elliott said. Yet, he refused to fuel animosity or dwell long on the setback, embodying the competitive spirit that defines top drivers in the sport.

The wreck in Richmond was a stark reminder that NASCAR is a high-stakes environment where the smallest incident can ripple through a championship chase. But it also showcased Elliott’s ability to move forward, reflecting on the incident with a dose of humor, sharing memes, and looking ahead to the next race at Daytona with optimism.

This capacity to embrace setbacks while pushing onward mirrors Elliott’s approach to broader challenges, like the stalled Nashville Fairgrounds project. Just as race outcomes can turn on an unexpected tap of the bumper, the path to preserving NASCAR’s heritage tracks requires perseverance amid complicated hurdles. Elliott’s mix of realism and determination on and off the track underscores a key narrative: in racing and the sport’s future, momentum is never guaranteed, but neither is giving up.