In motorsports, the spotlight usually lands on the drivers, the cars, and the roar of race-day crowds. But behind every packed grandstand and perfectly executed event, there’s an entire workforce making sure the experience feels seamless.

From track operations and broadcast teams to merchandising, event planners, and tech support, a lot of talented people work year-round to make the sport happen. And lately, there’s been growing attention on how racing companies treat those people behind the scenes, especially as workplace culture becomes just as important as performance on track.

Talking of that, Speedway Motorsports just picked up a pretty cool recognition again. For the second year in a row, the company made Sports Business Journal’s list of Best Places to Work in Sports, earning a Silver Medal for 2025. It’s a solid nod to how the company treats its people and runs its business.

This wasn’t just a small poll either. More than 9,000 employees across 98 sports-industry companies completed an anonymous survey run by Quantum Workplace, a research group out of Omaha. The questions covered everything from how much employees trust leadership to workplace communication, to benefits, perks, and overall culture.

Marcus Smith, Speedway Motorsports’ President and CEO, said the recognition means a lot because it reflects what the company tries to prioritize every day.

“In an industry centered on entertainment, it’s our people who make the difference. We want Speedway Motorsports to be a place where guests feel welcomed and inspired, and where our teammates have the opportunity to excel.”

In his words, their focus is on creating great experiences for race fans, giving back to the communities around their tracks, and making sure employees feel supported. He added that the award really belongs to the people inside the company who help build that culture.

Speedway Motorsports operates out of Charlotte, North Carolina, and was one of 67 finalists across the sports industry to be honored this year. They earned their silver medal in the Owner/Operator category for organizations with 50 or more employees.

Today, the company has more than 700 employees across 11 major racetracks and multiple motorsports-related businesses, including U.S. Legend Cars International, SMI Properties, the Performance Racing Network, and zMAX Micro-Lubricants. With all of that under one roof, it’s not hard to see why having a strong workplace culture matters. But fans on Reddit are not convinced of this. And they all have common complaints.

Fans are not convinced

“You can almost see the No Coolers/Alcohol sign from here. Garbage garbage garbage.”

That one line says it all for a lot of people. Nashville Superspeedway banned coolers and outside alcohol from the grandstands, and for longtime fans who grew up packing a cooler for race day, it feels like someone took the party out of the parking lot. The sign is more than a rule; it’s become a symbol of everything that feels different now.

“The no coolers policy is the main reason I have never been to a race there. Even though I live just over 2 hours away.”

Living close should make it an easy trip, but when you can’t bring your own drinks or snacks, the whole day suddenly costs a lot more and feels a lot less comfortable. For families or folks on a budget, that rule alone is enough to keep them home watching on TV instead.

“Legit the only reason I won’t drive up there for a race.” Same story, stronger words. One simple policy turned a potential road trip into a hard pass. When fans say the cooler ban is the only thing stopping them, it shows how much those little traditions matter to the overall experience.

“When it first opened, it was the way God intended (coolers, beer, etc.). It’s been banned ever since SMI acquired it. It feels like a money grab to me. It’s even more frustrating because other SMI tracks, like Bristol, still allow it.”

This one hurts the most for a lot of people. Nashville used to let fans bring coolers just like the old days, and plenty remember tailgating and walking in with their own stuff. Then SMI took over, and the rules changed overnight. The fact that Bristol and some other SMI tracks still allow coolers only makes Nashville feel picked on.

To these fans, it doesn’t feel like a safety thing; it feels like someone decided concession sales were more important than happy race fans. The silver medal and glowing employee surveys look great on paper, but for the people buying tickets and filling seats at Nashville, the experience on the customer side just doesn’t match the celebration inside the company.

One side is cheering a workplace win, while the other side is still mad about not being able to bring a $20 cooler instead of spending triple that inside. Until those two pictures line up better, the complaints aren’t going anywhere.