Dale Earnhardt Jr. took it upon himself to save the Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway when there was no hope left. With the CARS Tour scheduling races at the Speedway, for a while, it felt like the racetrack might end up making a comeback to NASCAR someday. The plans for its demolition were facing a severe setback. That is, until a recent poll from the residents came up that threatens to sabotage the entire rescue operation in favor of its demolition.
Residents oppose the return of NASCAR to Nashville
With the way things have been going in this case, you would expect that the residents would be overjoyed and would want to put in every effort to bring NASCAR back to this historic track. Yet somehow, during the Vanderbilt University poll, the results were shockingly different from expectations.
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A post from Adam Stern on social media relayed the reality of the situation regarding the Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway: “According to the Vanderbilt poll, 36% supported eliminating the [Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway] track compared to 26% who favored a plan to improve the facility and bring NASCAR races back to Nashville.”
Back in 2011, it was also unanimously agreed upon that the public was not ready to let go of their beloved track. Yet, nearly a decade later, just when things were starting to fall into place, their opinions had changed significantly.
But that’s not all; a similar poll conducted by Power Poll also showed a concerning consensus. In the Power Poll, nearly 55% of the voters wanted to eliminate the Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway. In comparison to them, the ones who supported NASCAR’s return were only 29%.
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The administration is also in talks with Speedway Motorsports about a potential investment to fix the track, although there is no confirmation regarding the same. This is a crushing blow to the pro-racing supporters who were actually wishing for Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway to start hosting national races again.
Only recently, the track saw Dale Earnhardt Jr. make an appearance for a tire testing session regarding his CARS Tour. The track is set to host one of its races this year. For now, the group that was seeking to demolish the track is engaged in a legal battle.
Their case is set for a hearing in the Chancery Court next week. In case they end up winning the lawsuit, they will have time until the November ballot to get the signatures from the registered voters about the demolition plans. For the plan to be set into effect, they would need 50,000 signatures from the voters.
The polls regarding the Speedway’s return indicate that this might be a difficult task for them. After all, the residents are already against the return of NASCAR to this legendary racetrack. For now, it seems like the future of the track is going to depend on the court hearing and Speedway Motorsports’ decision about future investment.
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However, Nashville isn’t the only racetrack under threat of demolition. There is another equally important and historic speedway that is under threat.
Residents rally to save Greenville-Pickens Speedway
Earlier, the residents were urging NASCAR celebrities to bring up the matter of Greenville Pickens’ demolition. Now that Dale Earnhardt Jr. and other members of the NASCAR community have pledged to help them, the people are starting to take action for the track’s rescue.
Now, The REAL Historic Greenville Pickens Speedway organization is inviting people to display their affection and show their efforts towards saving the historic track. They are conducting a rally on Saturday, April 4, from 1 p.m. onwards with the slogan ‘Save the Speedway.’ Along with racing enthusiasts, some members of the administration are also involved in the movement.
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Alan Wilson, a candidate for governor of South Carolina, is going to be among the prominent personalities who will be attending the event alongside some NASCAR drivers.
“This is a moment for the people of Pickens County to come together,” organizers said. “The Speedway is part of who we are, and this rally is about making sure it is not lost without a fight.”
The event is going to be free to attend. To ensure that people are able to relay their support without any difficulty, they will also feature family-friendly activities, food trucks, and opportunities for those who end up joining the rally.
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