Why It Matters
Nashville faces a high-stakes decision over the future of its fairgrounds speedway, with state lawmakers divided and competing political organizations mobilizing for a possible 2027 ballot measure. The outcome will determine whether the city honors a 2011 voter mandate requiring racing at the site or pivots to alternative development as the neighborhood evolves around the aging track.
What Happened
A coalition opposed to racing at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway launched a signature drive in summer 2026 seeking to place a charter amendment before voters in 2027, potentially reversing the 2011 voter-approved requirement that racing continue at the facility. The effort, led by the group “Restore Our Fairgrounds,” requires 40,000 signatures for ballot placement, with certification due in mid-September.
The campaign has drawn sharp responses from both supporters and opponents. A pro-racing organization called “Decline to Sign” emerged to counter the amendment drive. State lawmakers representing Nashville have begun taking public positions, revealing fractured views within the Democratic delegation.
The speedway dispute carries national implications: Speedway Motorsports, which owns the Nashville Fairgrounds facility as well as Bristol Motor Speedway and the Nashville Superspeedway in Lebanon, has already invested heavily in the region. The company purchased the Lebanon superspeedway for $131.5 million in 2021 and hosted a Major League Baseball game at its Bristol track in 2025, drawing attendance from multiple state legislators.
The amendment campaign reflects changing neighborhood dynamics. Geodis Park, a professional soccer stadium, opened next to the racetrack in 2022, creating what opponents view as incompatible land uses. John Ingram, a Nashville billionaire and Nashville Soccer Club owner, has publicly opposed racing at the fairgrounds.
By the Numbers
70% — share of Nashville voters who approved the 2011 charter amendment requiring racing at fairgrounds
40,000 — signatures needed to place the proposed amendment on the 2027 ballot
$131.5 million — price Speedway Motorsports paid for the Nashville Superspeedway in Lebanon in 2021
2000 — last year the fairgrounds speedway hosted a NASCAR event
$100 million — current estimated cost for speedway renovation, exceeding the original $84 million funding proposal from 2021
The Political Divide
State lawmakers representing Nashville’s districts have staked out competing positions. State Rep. Bob Freeman, a Nashville Democrat, defended the 2011 voter decision, saying “Should they be racing there? I don’t know that I care… But the people of Nashville have spoken.”, as first reported by the Tennessee Lookout
Other Nashville Democrats oppose Freeman’s stance. State Rep. Caleb Hemmer, citing neighborhood evolution, stated that “the site and the neighborhood and the city have evolved to where that is not the best use of the property.” State Reps. John Ray Clemmons and Caleb Hemmer, both former fair board commissioners, favor allowing voters to revisit the charter amendment through a ballot measure.
State Rep. Aftyn Behn, also representing Nashville, publicly opposes the anti-racing group’s signature campaign, backing the sitting requirement for racing.
Behind the scenes, professional political operatives have aligned with each side. Cooley Strategies, run by Dave Cooley—a former adviser to Gov. Phil Bredesen—represents the anti-racing coalition. The pro-racing side has hired Calvert Street Group, founded by Darden Copeland, who is running for U.S. Congress as the Democratic nominee for House District 7.
Zoom Out
The Nashville speedway fight reflects a national pattern of cities reassessing aging motorsports venues as neighborhoods urbanize around them. Traditional race tracks now compete for land use with mixed-use development, sports franchises, and residential neighborhoods. Speedway Motorsports’ expansion into adjacent markets—including the nearby Lebanon superspeedway and its national portfolio of tracks—underscores the company’s commitment to the region, even as local opposition mounts.
What’s Next
The anti-racing group must gather 40,000 certified signatures by mid-September to advance the measure. If successful, Nashville voters will decide the speedway’s fate during the 2027 mayoral election. Gov. Bill Lee, who contributed $17 million toward the 2021 renovation proposal, leaves office in January 2027, removing a key political player from the discussion.