NASCAR has been reportedly in talks to return to the Nashville Fairgrounds but its deal was met with strong local opposition, who filed a charter amendment petition that would ban racing at the venue. Recently, a Laborers Union has also launched a campaign to block that charter change.
NASCAR’s return to 0.596 mile speedway in South Nashville has been under discussion for years. According to reports, Speedway Motorsports and its Bristol Motor Speedway unit have proposed a major renovation that would modernize the 121-year-old oval with new barriers, improved grandstands, better pit areas, and noise controls.
A coalition, called Restore Our Fairgrounds, pushed a charter amendment early that month that would remove auto racing from the list of required uses for the fairgrounds. The petition, if signed by 10 percent of Davidson County vote, would replace racing language with a priority for affordable housing and green space.
But LiUNA Local 386 union has launched another campaign with a goal to protect jobs and secure guarantees for any track upgrade tied to NASCAR’s possible return. The campaign, called ‘Make Nashville Fair,’ asked that renovations use local union workers, pay living wages, and include training and apprenticeships.
The Laborers Union also said that the petition raises a direct threat to local construction jobs. It wants any future contract to include no taxpayer burden, local hiring, and a permanent workforce training center on site. Union leaders also call for clear safety and wage standards written into any lease or management deal as they launched Make Nashville Fair this week and plan door-to-door outreach and worker testimonials.
Decades-long Public Tug Of War Over Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway Continues
Nashville has seen decades of debate over racing at the Fairgrounds Speedway. The track has hosted cars since 1904 but has not held a NASCAR Cup race since 1984. Early fights heated up in the 2010s when then-Mayor Karl Dean tried to redevelop the fairgrounds for non-racing uses. Voters responded with a Metro Charter amendment in 2011 that protected auto racing at the site, making any change to demolish the track harder for city officials to approve.
In recent years, opponents have pushed again to remove racing protections from the charter. The petitioners, which include neighborhood groups and community activists, want to let the city build housing and repair environmental harm near Brown’s Creek. They argue this way the land could better serve community needs.
Current Mayor Freddie O’Connell has also expressed doubts about the anti-racing referendum, noting Nashville has other space for housing projects. The Metro Charter Revision Commission has to review the petition before signatures reach the ballot stage.
Fair Board Chair Jasper Hendricks commented on the City of Nashville’s agreement with Speedway Motorsports Inc. in October last year and said:
“The deal that we approved over two years ago that’s currently sitting on the mayor’s desk doesn’t change. It’s 10 races a year, with the option of maybe a NASCAR race every two years.”
But the Fair Board chair also faced an ethics complaint about his handling of past racetrack negotiations and undisclosed contacts with track interests. That complaint added urgency for people on both sides to press their case at public meetings.
The fight centers on competing promises. Pro racing backers promise private investment, tourism dollars, and union jobs from a renovated NASCAR grade track. Petitioners, meanwhile, promise new housing and quieter neighborhoods if racing ends.
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