Bristol Motor Speedway officials continue talks to renovate Fairgrounds Speedway
Former Mayor John Cooper had agreed in principle with the plan for Bristol to operate the track and complete the renovation project.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - Bristol Motor Speedway officials are talking with Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell’s office about the plans to renovate the Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway.
Former Mayor John Cooper had agreed in principle to give a long-term lease to Bristol Motor Speedway to operate the Fairgrounds Speedway and complete renovations to add more seats, a new track surface and other upgrades. The Speedway Motorsports, Inc. plan to renovate the speedway includes returning the NASCAR Cup series to the track for the first time since 1984.
Metro Council tabled the bill during the last weeks of the previous session and have not considered it since the new Council was seated in October.
“This is a racetrack that deserves to be saved,” Bristol Motor Speedway President Jerry Caldwell said Tuesday while attending the Fairgrounds Speedway Hall of Fame induction ceremony. “That’s the second oldest racetrack in the country, and there’s a way for us to do this in a responsible way, make this better for the neighborhood.”
Bristol Motor Speedway is owned by Speedway Motorsports, Inc., the same ownership group that owns Nashville Superspeedway in Wilson County.
There are several people who don’t want the speedway, including some Metro Council members.
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