Feb 21, 2026 | 2:59 PM EST
The site of the first-ever televised NASCAR race might soon be erased from the sport’s history. The Greenville-Pickens Speedway faces a demolition threat, and with no hope of its revival, the residents and fans from the NASCAR community have decided to take the matter into their own hands. They are running a petition to make the county change its current decision.
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As of February 2026, the plans regarding the property are to demolish and repurpose it according to the wishes of the investors. In a $1 billion investment plan, the Speedway will be converted into an industrial park. The developers want to reform it and add warehouses, restaurants, retail, and green space.
Earlier this month, senior producer at FloRacing, Matthew Dillner, tried to expose the “legacy of lies” surrounding the track when he found out about the developer’s plan to demolish it.
“A developer is planning on tearing the track down. Or should I say ‘the liar’ is planning to tear it down? The last time we made the trip down to Greenville, to the initial rezoning hearing, he was resolute that he had ‘no intentions to touch the track footprint’. Two years later, and his truth is revealed (as we predicted),” said Dillner.
Since the announcement, fans have been tirelessly trying to get the authorities to change their decision. The developers recognize the historic importance of the track, but nonetheless, they want to move on to the next phase of their plan.
It’s part of our mission to support local short tracks and not just the one that are actively hosting racing. Greenville Pickens Speedway is one of the most historic short tracks in NASCAR history but as has become so common, it is facing its demise in favor of new development.… pic.twitter.com/8IVkdCkGPJ
— Above The Yellow Line Media (@ATYLmedia) February 19, 2026
According to the property seller, “The way I make my living is by actually selling the property that I take on to sell, so I don’t get paid until the property sells. So, I tried for a year to sell this property, and I talked to people and had it listed on national databases. I talked to people from South Dakota to California to South Carolina. I had a lot of very interesting conversations with people.”
The track was closed four years ago, leading to its abandonment. However, it is a golden piece of NASCAR and stock car racing history. The Speedway was opened in 1940, and it hosted the first televised NASCAR race.
It also has the names of all the champions at the track dating back to 1957 on its historic wall. Greenville-Pickens is the second-oldest NASCAR track and an important part of South Carolina’s history. The NASCAR community is not ready to give up on the track yet.
Fans give it their all to save Greenville from demolition
On change.org, fans are running a petition to help save the Speedway. Their demands are listed as “We, the undersigned, request that the Pickens County Council recognize the Greenville-Pickens Speedway as a historic site and protect it from demolition or changes that would alter its historic character.
“The Speedway is a unique piece of our county’s heritage and should be preserved for future generations.” The community is already coming together for the same, as the petition has already reached more than 3500 signatures. More than that, the community is actively seeking help from NASCAR.
The current scenario is already causing a huge stir, making the community furious. “Upstate SC is the spiritual mecca for stock car racing, and the local terrorists are determined to bulldoze Greenville-Pickens.”
A fan has tried to convince both Dale Jr. and Mark Martin to help bring back the Speedway from its certain doom. “Greenville was the number one market…can’t you help save Greenville-Pickens? Would be a great place for a CARS tour race,” they said on one of Dale Jr.’s posts.
Considering the fact that Mark Martin has been vocal to NASCAR and supportive of the fan narrative, the community is also reaching out to him:
“Mark, you need to help lead the charge to save Greenville-Pickens!” Martin was one of the biggest forces that drove NASCAR to change its championship format this year.
One of the other fans tagged Mike Joy of FOX Sports to bring the matter to light during the race broadcast.
“If there is any way, can you please slip in a mention of Greenville-Pickens Speedway on Sunday’s telecast? The local community is trying their best to save part of the NASCAR foundation the sport was built on; we just need a little national recognition of what is going on.”
One of the other members of the community is reaching out to the higher authorities to step in. They have tagged the SC State Senator and the Governor of South Carolina in their post, “Let’s end the week with making Greenville Pickens Speedway a historical site. Don’t be a jellyfish. Save the Crosswell district.”
For South Carolina residents and the NASCAR community, this decision is spreading a strong us vs. them narrative. Have you also signed the petition to save the Speedway from demolition?