The effort to bring NASCAR back to the Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway took another significant step forward Tuesday night when the Nashville Fair Board approved Bristol Motor Speedway’s proposal to renovate and lease the historic venue.
The commissioners, who met at the Expo Center at the fairgrounds, voted 3-2 in favor of the proposal after a lengthy discussion.
The process now moves to the Metropolitan Sports Authority and Nashville Metro Council for approval.“We are thankful to the Nashville Fair Board for supporting the vision to restore the historic Fairgrounds Speedway,” said Jerry Caldwell, president and general manager of Bristol Motor Speedway.
The proposed renovation would enter Bristol Motor Speedway into a long-term contract to lease, manage and maintain Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway.
— Tennessean —
AND: Tonight, the Nashville Fair Board approved Bristol Motor Speedway’s proposal to renovate and lease the historic Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway. The process now moves on to the Metropolitan Sports Authority and Nashville Metro Council for approval.
“We are thankful to the Nashville Fair Board for supporting the vision to restore the historic Fairgrounds Speedway,” said Jerry Caldwell, president and general manager of Bristol Motor Speedway. “They invested a lot of time vetting this opportunity, and we agree it provides a financially responsible future for the speedway while shifting the risk off taxpayers to a private operator, and completes the restoration of the Fairgrounds with improvements like a state-of-the-art sound-reduction wall that benefits the surrounding neighborhoods. We look forward to working with the Metro Council in the weeks ahead and believe that they also will agree that this is a smart plan for the future of the Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway.”
— Bristol Motor Speedway —