It is no secret that historic tracks have undergone big redevelopment ambitions. North Wilkesboro Speedway, for example. One of NASCAR’s old tracks, North Wilkesboro, was closed for decades but has been brought back to life for careful restoration and upgrades. Just like that, one senator wants the same with another, but is met with some roadblocks.

And as this particular speedway remains stuck in limbo, city leaders continue to drag their feet on bringing NASCAR back, the senator isn’t backing down, and in very clear words, he is far from done.

“I don’t want a homeowner, or developers, or a business to come in and down the road say, ‘The racetrack’s too loud. It’s too noisy. There’s too many smells, too much traffic.’ I’m trying to give that racetrack the opportunity to say, ‘We were here first. Anybody that bought in this area or had an issue shouldn’t have bought here.'”

That line pretty much sums up where Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway finds itself right now.

The long-simmering debate over the future of the Fairgrounds racetrack has suddenly shifted into high gear, and over the past week, multiple developments have turned it into one of the city’s loudest political flashpoints.

State Senator Mark Pody has been acclaimed for protecting the racetrack from nuisance lawsuits. The goal is to prevent people who move near the longest established tracks from later trying to shut them down over noise, traffic, or smells.

Pody argues the racetrack has existed long enough to deserve protection, not punishment. He also supports upgrading the track as a way to boost economic development and potentially bring NASCAR back to Nashville.

The push to put racing on the ballot is back. Groups hoping to ban racing at the Fairgrounds are back with revised language for a water referendum after their first drive was tossed out on technical grounds.

If the charter revision commission signs of this time, the proposal could still face a legal challenge, and if it survives that, supporters will need roughly 53,000 signatures to get it before voters.

Adding fuel to the fire, environmental groups jumped into the mix, backing the effort in hopes of cleaning up nearby Brown’s Creek.

At the same time, the mayor’s office is trying to get ahead of the chaos.

Mayor Freddie O’Connell’s team is preparing to brief the Metro Council on the race tracks, legal, and financial realities. However, there is one big wrinkle.

The city charter requires the track to be maintained, whether people like it or not. That will not be cheap. A consultant estimated the Fairgrounds could need up to $41 million in repairs.

The city’s realistic options are limited to paying for improvements, finding a public-private partner, or reconstructing how the track is managed. Doing nothing is not really on the table.

On their own, none of these developments would dominate the conversation. Taken together, they show just how central the racetrack has become a nationals broader debate about growth, preservation, and identity.

And judging by the volume of the debate, the fight over what belongs at the Fairgrounds is far from finished. However, one NASCAR veteran is pulling back the curtains on his thoughts behind this whole debate.

Kenny Wallace shows no love for Nashville Fairgrounds

As the long-running uncertainty has turned into a frustrating game of “will they or won’t they,” it is wearing thin on longtime figures in the sport, including Kenny Wallace.

The pattern has reached a breaking point. Fed up with the stalemate, Wallace has now thrown his support behind a group of natural residents pushing a petition that would remove racing from the Fairgrounds altogether.

Wallace sees the situation as a failure of trust between city officials and Speedway Motorsports, particularly its CEO, Marcus Smith.

“It’s very clear that the mayor and everybody at Nashville does not love my friend Marcus Smith. Marcus Smith owns SMI… owns Bristol, Charlotte, you name it,” he said.

He let us soften the tone, but doubles down on his point, suggesting the real issue isn’t personal but philosophical.

“I don’t think that they don’t like Marcus. I just don’t think they want racing right there. So, if you don’t love me, I don’t love you,” he added.

But that frustration boiled over into blunt advice.

“Smash the damn racetrack to smithereens if that’s what… Let’s move on,” Wallace admitted. Let’s go. You know, we got a nice concrete oval out there. There’s land out there. We got grandstands, great parking out there, so let’s move on. I hope it keeps going, but I’m just aggravated by it all for the reasons I just said.”

Meanwhile, grassroots groups like Restored Our Fairgrounds continue to push back against expansion plans.

They cite conflicts with soccer matches and other community events, and are advocating for a local referendum in early 2026 that would have racing at the fairgrounds entirely. For now, the speed is caught between history and hesitation, and the future is far from settled.