Speedway Motorsports, the powerhouse behind Bristol and Charlotte Motor Speedway, spearheads efforts to strike a deal in 2019 to overhaul the Nashville Fairgrounds. The $100 million-plus plan calls for major safety, amenity, and noise control upgrades to meet modern Cup Series standards. Six years later, the comeback remains stalled. Despite flashy renderings, repeated announcements, and ongoing talks, a political and financial consensus for the massive project has yet to be materialized. But now, the dormant deal has turned into an active volcano. With the green flag for the revival of the racetrack, there are some roadblocks on the way that have sparked debate.

The Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway is one of America’s most storied short tracks, with a racing history dating back to 1904. Once a staple on the NASCAR Cup Series, its last race was held in 1984. The oval still draws a fiercely loyal fan base eager to see today’s stars take it on as NASCAR turns towards glitz. With new venues and high-profile street races in cities like Chicago, some fear that the shift away from heritage tracks like the fairgrounds signals a deeper change in the sport’s identity.

After decades of false restarts, the long chase to bring NASCAR roaring back to Nashville is hitting the accelerator again. Jasper Hendricks, chair of the Metro Board of Fair Commissioners, confirmed on Wednesday that a deal between Metro and Speedway Motorsports Inc. to overhaul the Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway and bring top-tier NASCAR racing back to South Nashville is almost ready to be unveiled. Hendricks teased that there would be more to share in the next few days.

Metro spokesperson Julie Smith, speaking for Mayor Freddie O’Connell, said the administration has been aware that the decision on the Fairgrounds racetrack was inevitable. She said, “We have known this administration will need to make a decision on the fairgrounds racetrack. We are focused on exploring all available options and the benefits they provide to Nashvillians and will continue to discuss with multiple stakeholders ways to improve the facilities at the Fairgrounds.”

However, there ought to be some naysayers. Hendricks acknowledged the inevitable pushback. He admitted, “Not everybody’s going to be happy, because we got people who want to turn it into a green space, which we have a lot of green space already around the property. I don’t understand how that would solve anything, and that doesn’t make money for the city. Those people probably won’t be happy. [Nashville SC owner John] Ingram probably won’t be happy.”

Sure enough, opponents are already moving. On Wednesday, a coalition of speedway critics, including environmental groups, neighborhood associations, and urban design advocates, launched a campaign calling for a countrywide referendum on the property. Their alternative vision is to clean up Brown’s Creek, turn part of the land into a scenic Greenscape, add a new park, and build affordable housing. The Metro Charter currently requires racing to remain a use at the Fairgrounds, a clause that has blocked previous attempts to shut down the track. While the charter can be amended, it is hard now thanks to reforms led by then-Metro council member, now mayor’s Chief Development Officer, Bob Mendes, which significantly raised the threshold for citizen-led referendums.

That reform tipped off a group of racetrack opponents last year when they tried to put a charter change on the ballot to remove racing protections; their efforts stalled due to a legal challenge. While the Metro council could place such a question before photos next year, no official referendum is currently in motion. In an email to the racetrack opponent this week, the Mayor’s office reiterated that the Metro charter obligates the city to maintain a speedway at the Fairgrounds and that they are seeking solutions that put pressure on the city’s general fund.

The email read, “We’ll continue to do so. To date, despite years of discussion across multiple administrations, no one has initiated a referendum effort, and we can’t base Metro’s spending decisions on hypotheticals as the liability to fulfill our obligations increases.”

Speedway Motorsports declined to comment. A longtime track supporter, Norm Partin, a friend of Bristol president Jerry Caldwell, didn’t hide his excitement. He said, “It makes the fairgrounds prosper and adds to the economy of Nashville,” calling it a “no-brainer.” And so, the race is back on with engines revving, campaigns firing up, and both sides ready to fight for the checkered flag over the Fairgrounds’ future.

But now, even Hendrick Motorsport driver Chase Elliott, who criticized the 2026 schedule, sounds off on it.

Chase Elliott pushes for Saturday night Cup race on Nashville Fairgrounds

The revival of the Nashville Fairgrounds has become a broader conversation about NASCAR shifting ties to its heritage tracks. In recent years, high-profile events in big markets like Chicago and Los Angeles have drawn new crowds and media buzz, but for many purists, there is a nagging fear that the sport’s unique identity is being watered down in the quest for novelty. For drivers like Chase Elliott, who see themselves as both competitors and holders of racing history, the central question is whether financial and logical roadblocks can be cleared, or if, with each passing year, the dream simply fades away.

Chase Elliott urges for the track’s revival, saying, “Just give it one fair shot… one Saturday night Cup race in the middle of the summer.” That plea for a single marquee event resonates deeply with the Fairgrounds’ loyal supporters. Yet Elliott’s words also reflect the hard reality: the track would need roughly a hundred million dollars and upgrades to host a Cup Series race, on top of long-standing disputes over noise, community pushback, and shaky funding plans.

For fans who have endured one announcement after another without a single shovel hitting the ground, Elliott’s comments are a bittersweet mix of enduring passion and growing frustration.