
Fairgrounds Speedway closes: The end came quicker than expected for Fairgrounds Speedway [formerly Nashville Speedway] as track operator Danny Denson has decided to cancel the scheduled season-ending All-American 400. The race had originally been set for last weekend but was postponed due to a rainy forecast and rescheduled for the end of the month. Denson reconsidered, but Wednesday decided to cancel the race and close the track due to ongoing problems with Metro. “There had been so much negative attention that we decided to go and end it now,” said Denson, referring to plans by Mayor Karl Dean, and the Fair Board vote, to shut down the entire Fairgrounds next June 30. “It’s impossible to promote a race in this kind of atmosphere. It’s all over. It’s a sad day for our sport and our city,” he said. The track opened in 1958 on a Metro-owned site that had hosted some form of racing since 1904. The closing of Fairgrounds Speedways leaves Nashville Superspeedway in Wilson County as the only major-league race track in Middle Tennessee. That track is considered unsuitable for local-division racing. “I don’t know where young drivers just starting out are going to race,” said Sterling Marlin, a three-time track champion whose son Steadman and daughter Sutherlin raced at the Fairgrounds this season.(Nashville City Paper)(11-8-2009)
Dover Motorsports shuts down Memphis track: Dover Motorsports, Inc. announced that it was ceasing all operations at Memphis Motorsports Park and that it would not be promoting any events in Memphis in 2010. As previously announced, the Memphis facility had been under an agreement of sale to Gulf Coast Entertainment but Gulf Coast was unable to secure financing. "This was a difficult decision for us, but one that ultimately was dictated by economics," said Denis McGlynn, President and CEO of Dover Motorsports. "We greatly appreciate the many years of dedication shown by our Memphis employees and their efforts to make Memphis such a great destination for the racing community - from racing fans and drivers to sponsors, team owners and sanctioning bodies. For all concerned, including the Memphis community, it is truly sad to see Memphis Motorsports Park taken off the racing schedule. NASCAR has approved the realignment of our NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and NASCAR Nationwide Series events from Memphis Motorsports Park to our Nashville and Gateway facilities."
The realigned events and dates are as follows:
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, Nashville Superspeedway, April 2, 2010, (together with NASCAR Nationwide Series event on April 3, 2010)
NASCAR Nationwide Series, Gateway International Raceway, October 23, 2010.(Dover Motorsports PR)(10-30-2009)
