Fairgrounds Speedway Racetrack expansion to 30,000 seats

[smeagolsfree]

Two more images from the mayors press release.

https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDAsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMTExMzAuNDk1NTQwOTEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5uYXNodmlsbGUuZ292L2RlcGFydG1lbnRzL21heW9yL25ld3MvbWF5b3Itam9obi1jb29wZXItYnJpc3RvbC1tb3Rvci1zcGVlZHdheS1yZWFjaC1kZWFsLXByaW5jaXBsZSJ9.xWUxVMIgWIXPwKAYul9wMdgw2FGe7AHui6a-vroMiyA/s/138752267/br/121955471366-l

 

[nashvylle]

Looks amazing. 

[UrbanWes03]

The Speedway Alley looks great and it will tie in nicely with the development surrounding the soccer stadium. I love how this has turned out. Definitely unique in a good way!

[markhollin]

Hurdles lie ahead in Bristol Motor Speedway deal to bring NASCAR back to Fairgrounds Racetrack:

https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/local/davidson/2021/12/05/nashville-mayor-inches-toward-bristol-motor-speedway-deal-what-know/8827340002/
 

Another new rendering:

[markhollin]

Bristol Motor Speedway announced on Wednesday a partnership with six local businesses as part of its Community Benefits Commitment to enhance the communities surrounding the Fairgrounds Speedway.

Through the Community Benefits Commitment program, BMS will partner with Glencliff High School, Fall-Hamilton Elementary School, Conexión Américas, Operation Stand Down Tennessee, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Middle Tennessee, and the North Nashville Community Economic Development Consortium.

Details of the partnerships include:

- BMS serving as an Academy Business Partner through PENCIL to develop a program to support Glencliff’s Maintenance and Light Repair Pathway

- BMS will support Glencliff academies in culinary arts, health and hospitality, and business/innovation for pathways that align with BMS and NFS

- BMS will support Fall-Hamilton reading, STEM and leadership initiatives tied to motorsports concepts designed to engage student learning. Students will have access to field trips at NFS facilities and staff through classroom projects and as a reward for their achievement.

- BMS will work with Conexión Américas and its Casa Azafrán facility to support the communities around the speedway. Specific engagement is committed for Conexión Américas’ longstanding microenterprise, culinary incubation, education and community development initiatives to benefit career and equal economic opportunity.

- BMS will partner with Operation Stand Down Tennessee to support military veterans and their families. BMS will host veterans’ events and honor military veterans at NFS events and programs to engage, equip and empower our local military veterans. 

- BMS will partner with Boys & Girls Clubs of Middle Tennessee, Inc., to provide educational access and activities for youth across Middle Tennessee Clubhouses. 

- BMS will partner with the North Nashville Community Economic Development Consortium, a group of five nonprofits, to assist in MBE/DBE goals for track renovation, construction and ongoing maintenance, as well as workforce recruitment and development.

- BMS will create a Nashville chapter of Speedway Children’s Charities, an organization devoted to raising money and distributing to local charities that meet the needs of children. The nonprofit arm of Speedway Motorsports has raised more than $60 million for local organizations to help children have a better, brighter and healthier future.

- BMS will commit to a $15.50 per hour minimum wage rate for all full-time, part-time and event staff.

More behind the Nashville Post paywall here:

https://www.nashvillepost.com/sports/auto_racing/community-benefits-program-next-step-in-bms-quest-to-renovate-fairgrounds/article_9d69d3bc-5e99-11ec-a3e2-0bffe6da7f47.html

[markhollin]

The Governor's new budget has $17 million in grants earmarked to help prepare the Fairgrounds Speedway for potential NASCAR racing. 

More behind the Nashville Post paywall here:

https://www.nashvillepost.com/politics/state/lee-proposes-millions-for-nascar-titans/article_100a8d74-af96-11ec-be75-0f0a7076dee3.html


And at NBJ here:

https://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/news/2022/03/30/nashville-fairgrounds-speedway-could-see-17-milli.html

[Rick Dalton]

Apologies for offensive characterization, but it just feels like the Governor / Mayor are heavily leaning into a certain cohort of tourism.

[donNdonelson2]

22 minutes ago, natethegreat said:

Apologies for offensive characterization, but it just feels like the Governor / Mayor are heavily leaning into a certain cohort of tourism.

So, do bachelorettes and rednecks go into the same category of offensive tourists, or are they separated? I’m not clear on whose visitor spending we’d prefer to avoid attracting. (I always had the foolish idea that all visitors, and their money, was equally welcome…even if the woooo-whoooos do get a little irritating.)

[smeagolsfree]

Tourism no matter what kind is welcome. Everyone's money spends the same.

[TheSound]

And having big Nascar events on the edge of the urban core of the city will make for great television and being able to show off the city.  Not many tracks like that currently.  I bet the events here will get sizable ratings.

[Melrose]

2 hours ago, TheSound said:

And having big Nascar events on the edge of the urban core of the city will make for great television and being able to show off the city.  Not many tracks like that currently.  I bet the events here will get sizable ratings.

Do we each get a check for good tv ratings?  Is Nashville hurting for exposure?

[Rick Dalton]

I realize that’s a controversial statement, but Nashville already has enough low-brow entertainment. Let Charlotte be the NASCAR city. I think Nashville should be leaning more into the historic “Athens of the South” moniker, in order to continue attracting Oracles / Amazons. 
 

What if we built a new performing arts center on the river? Or a museum of modern art? NASCAR is an outdated, dying form of entertainment. Whatever they build will be a wasteland in 30 years.

[titanhog]

30 minutes ago, natethegreat said:

I realize that’s a controversial statement, but Nashville already has enough low-brow entertainment. Let Charlotte be the NASCAR city. I think Nashville should be leaning more into the historic “Athens of the South” moniker, in order to continue attracting Oracles / Amazons. 
 

What if we built a new performing arts center on the river? Or a museum of modern art? NASCAR is an outdated, dying form of entertainment. Whatever they build will be a wasteland in 30 years.

I just believe you’re misinformed.  That track has been here longer than any of us on this site have been on Earth.  They’ve had racing there continually for decades.  It’s not as if this track is going to suddenly disappear and there be no racing at that track if SMI doesn’t do the upgrades.  It will just continue to be an old track with local and regional races instead of the ONE NASCAR top level event they’ll have there each year.

It’s as if people think the city is debating bringing racing to Nashville when IT’S ALREADY HERE AND HAS BEEN HERE FOR DECADES.

As far as “low-brow” entertainment…that’s unbelievably elitist talk. 

[Luvemtall]

23 minutes ago, titanhog said:

It will just continue to be an old track with local and regional races instead of the ONE NASCAR top level event they’ll have there each year.

Yep, driving electric vehicles!! Even NASCAR has said they will be electric within the next 10 years, maybe sooner. 

[markhollin]

10 minutes ago, Luvemtall said:

Yep, driving electric vehicles!! Even NASCAR has said they will be electric within the next 10 years, maybe sooner. 

It's going to be so odd watching 30 cars blazing around a track at 200 mph with nothing more than the sound of their tires on the asphalt.   ; )

[Rick Dalton]

I will stop talking now, as I do not believe this is a hill worth dying on. Just my thoughts on what the Mayor chooses to prioritize. 

[Luvemtall]

4 minutes ago, markhollin said:

It's going to be so odd watching 30 cars blazing around a track at 200 mph with nothing more than the sound of their tires on the asphalt.   ; )

Maybe they will play a recording of engine noise over the sound system 

[Melrose]

25 minutes ago, titanhog said:

It’s not as if this track is going to suddenly disappear and there be no racing at that track if SMI doesn’t do the upgrades.

SMI isn't "doing" any  "upgrades".  SMI wants Metro (and the State) to pay for a whole new track and facility.   SMI will then run a race or races (at whatever level they choose) and do other undefined things which they really don't want to talk about publicly.  SMI won't guarantee the cost of the facility and can walk away or switch races to the Wilson County track  they own whenever they want, leaving behind an empty track with no NASCAR or higher level races and a big debt.  That  all sounds like some pretty elitist, rich guy entitlement to me..... 

[Pdt2f]

6 minutes ago, Melrose said:

SMI isn't "doing" any  "upgrades".  SMI wants Metro (and the State) to pay for a whole new track and facility.   SMI will then run a race or races (at whatever level they choose) and do other undefined things which they really don't want to talk about publicly.  SMI won't guarantee the cost of the facility and can walk away or switch races to the Wilson County track  they own whenever they want, leaving behind an empty track with no NASCAR or higher level races and a big debt.  That  all sounds like some pretty elitist, rich guy entitlement to me..... 

I don’t think TH was saying that there weren’t elitist elements within nascar (there are elitist elements in any organization that involves as much money as nascar), only the OP’s statement that Nashville doesn’t need any more “redneck tourism,” which many of us took as classist and anti-rural/Southern. 

[samsonh]

1 hour ago, titanhog said:

I just believe you’re misinformed.  That track has been here longer than any of us on this site have been on Earth.  They’ve had racing there continually for decades.  It’s not as if this track is going to suddenly disappear and there be no racing at that track if SMI doesn’t do the upgrades.  It will just continue to be an old track with local and regional races instead of the ONE NASCAR top level event they’ll have there each year.

It’s as if people think the city is debating bringing racing to Nashville when IT’S ALREADY HERE AND HAS BEEN HERE FOR DECADES.

As far as “low-brow” entertainment…that’s unbelievably elitist talk. 

Things change. What has been will not always be.  There used to not be a soccer stadium and now there IS. If it makes financial sense to upgrade the track then we should do it. If it makes sense to demolish the track we should do it. Clearly the mayor's office and SMI are having trouble coming to an agreement, I am purely guessing that SMI wants to put as little money as possible into it and not guarantee debt and overages. 

 

[Luvemtall]

What Samsonh just said is true, to elaborate further there used to be a FAIR at the FAIRGROUNDS, there no longer is. There used to be vibrant neighborhoods were interstates now exist…etc. things change unfortunately even treasured things change. There used to be car dealerships along Broadway, but we all are hoping that’s about to change, for the better. Point is , if it’s not financially beneficial to keep this track operating, then it’s in the best interests of Metro to replace it with something that is. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a race fan and car junkie , just looking at it with my head not my heart. What’s best for the whole of the city , not just us race fans. 

[Licec]

3 hours ago, natethegreat said:

I think Nashville should be leaning more into the historic “Athens of the South” moniker, in order to continue attracting Oracles / Amazons. 

So if Nashville doesn't do the historic "Athens of the South" moniker, it won't continue to attract Oracle or Amazon. So why are Amazon and Oracle here?

3 hours ago, natethegreat said:

What if we built a new performing arts center on the river? Or a museum of modern art? 

There's already a performing arts center and an art museum.

Edited March 30, 2022 by Licec

[Bos2Nash]

I'm an NFL fan and even though the NFL is profitable (like Nascar), I'm not sure if a new Titans stadium is wildly beneficial to the city as a whole, but alas we are more and more likely going to spend around 10x as much money as the racetrack is wanting. I agree that SMI should absolutely be held to lease conditions that would not leave the city in a lurch, but I do believe that having a big time race at the track will be good for the city. Just look at how successful having the SRX race here last summer was. Largest crowd since the 70s!

The thing that makes the racetrack a bit trickier than the MLS or NFL stadium deals is the city owns the structure and is not leasing it to SMI, but rather hiring them as an operator/manager. A GM of a honky tonk is not going to pay for renovations to the honky tonk, but rather the leaseholder or owner will do that. Nascar is starting negotiations on a new TV deal (their current $4.4 billion deal signed in 2013 expires at the end of the 2023 race season) and they have been exploring new models in how to structure the deal, much like their title sponsorship model has been changing. The race is still great exposure for the city and with the direction Nascar has been going, the organization has almost been more active in their DEI efforts than some other sports (granted they had probably the furthest to go).

Things change, yes. But the racetrack is a viable exposure/tourist tool for the city that requires less investment than the billionaire Titans/NFL. 

I'm a country music loving, pickup truck driving, creative moderate from Boston remember haha. Things are not as always as they seem. Nascar (and the racetrack) to me is definitely one of those.

[Melrose]

17 minutes ago, Bos2Nash said:

The thing that makes the racetrack a bit trickier than the MLS or NFL stadium deals is the city owns the structure and is not leasing it to SMI, but rather hiring them as an operator/manager.

The City owns the soccer stadium and is leasing it to Nashville SC (with Nashville SC guaranteeing the full stadium cost),  and they would be likewise entering into a lease with SMI.  The problem is that only the big 1 or 2 NASCAR (or just below level)  races that SMI is maybe going to bring,  are supposedly big enough to be  able to cover the millions in revenue needed to cover the debt for the brand new facility.  Without those big races, the local and regional racing can't cover  5% of that debt and Metro can't just add a NASCAR race,  those are all controlled by SMI or NASCAR. 

 Bottom line is if the big 1 or 2 SMI races are truly such a revenue bonanza,  there is no reason SMI shouldn't be willing to guarantee the full facility debt.  

[titanhog]

4 hours ago, markhollin said:

It's going to be so odd watching 30 cars blazing around a track at 200 mph with nothing more than the sound of their tires on the asphalt.   ; )

Someone standing in their backyard…a mile away.  “Honey…do you hear bees buzzing?"