Someone is collecting signatures that might kill a racetrack by telling people it will save it. That is not a typo. Paid canvassers in Nashville were caught on hidden camera telling residents that signing their petition would protect the Fairgrounds Speedway from being torn down by corporate developers. The petition actually does the exact opposite. It strips racing’s legal protections from the city charter and tries to open the land to housing construction. Dale Earnhardt Jr. sat down with Marcus Smith, Jeff Burton, and Matt Weaver to talk about it.

“My question is, if it’s true, which there’s video evidence of these folks seeking these signatures, stating false information or just incorrect information, how can that not be taken to de-legitimize the 50,000, 60,000 signatures they need?” said Dale Jr. on Wednesday’s episode of The Dale Jr. Download.

“They are using actual government letterhead to give this to the residents. That’s the moment it becomes a legal matter.”

Residents who figured out they were misled are now trying to pull their names off the petition. But the Metro Clerk’s office earlier told them they cannot before suggesting that anyone who would like to remove their name can contact Restore Our Fairgrounds. That said, former council members have already filed formal complaints demanding a full investigation.

The petition campaign has been backed by John Ingram, per reports, owner of Nashville SC.

“Over the past few weeks, we’ve been repeatedly asked to join neighbors and numerous community organizations that have expressed support for the fairgrounds, flea market, fair and other events, while strongly opposing racing — especially an expansion of it,” John Ingram said in a statement to the Nashville Business Journal.

“We are aligned with their vision of what the fairgrounds could be, and will support their efforts.” 

Many found the comments concerning because when Ingram lobbied Nashville to publicly fund his soccer stadium, he told the neighborhood he would be a good neighbor to the Speedway. He even sponsored the 2019 All-American 400 to back that up.

“It’s as if once you came in with a plan to renovate the Speedway, it became a competitor,” Dale Jr. said.

Earlier, that plan was a $164 million proposal from Speedway Motorsports Inc. to completely overhaul the Fairgrounds facility and bring top-tier racing back to downtown Nashville. Under Mayor Freddie O’Connell, the plan has focused on a revised lease agreement, and he has said publicly he is not banning NASCAR from the property.

He has also not signed anything, because he will not touch the deal while this legal fight is still playing out. That stalemate is exactly what the opposition wants.

Worth noting: the Fairgrounds has been around for 122 years, older than Indianapolis Motor Speedway. In 2011, more than 60% of Nashville residents voted to keep racing legally protected on that property. That referendum is the only reason the track is still standing. Stripping it requires a charter amendment, which requires a public vote, which requires those 55,000 signatures by September 18.

Dale Jr. has been in this fight for nearly a decade. He brought his CARS Tour to the Fairgrounds in April 2026, drew 12,500 fans to a sellout, and drove the No. 8 himself for the first time at that track in 26 years. He has sat with city officials, pushed noise reduction proposals, and backed plans for sound barriers around the perimeter.

The signatures are still being collected. The investigation is still pending. And a 122-year-old track is waiting on both.