Nascar's Return to Nashville Speedway

MLS stadium project potential roadblock for NASCAR's return to Nashville

Part of the site plans for the soccer stadium development places a mixed-use apartment building and parking garage about 20 feet from the current front entrance to the racetrack.


Formosa said a building in such close proximity would make the flow of fans into and out of the stadium impossible. He also doubted whether a building located so close would allow for future upgrades at the racetrack.

“You have to have that open for emergency vehicles, and for people to enter,” Formosa said. “That’s the main gate.”

https://www.tennessean.com/story/mo...oadblock-nascars-return-nashville/3355390002/
 
StandOnIt said:
MLS stadium project potential roadblock for NASCAR's return to Nashville

Part of the site plans for the soccer stadium development places a mixed-use apartment building and parking garage about 20 feet from the current front entrance to the racetrack.


Formosa said a building in such close proximity would make the flow of fans into and out of the stadium impossible. He also doubted whether a building located so close would allow for future upgrades at the racetrack.

“You have to have that open for emergency vehicles, and for people to enter,” Formosa said. “That’s the main gate.”

https://www.tennessean.com/story/mo...oadblock-nascars-return-nashville/3355390002/
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My gut intuition is that Bruton Smith / SMI are trying to minimize cash investment out of pocket, but have not yet revealed their walk-away breaking point. The city negotiating tough will move Bruton closer to that breaking point, without actually reaching it, I predict. I hope the deal goes forward, and think the odds are pretty good.
 
I thought that Nascar and it’s track owners did everything on their own nickel? I have never looked into it but I distinctly remember someone going on about it.

It would be nice to have an MLS stadium and a refurbished track but if push comes to shove you have to go with the stadium. Nascar attendance keeps dropping so who knows how a new track would be patronized?
 
I think the city needs to think long term and ask itself what the likely future for Nascar attendance looks like? Does it make sense to have something that in 5 years may attract 20k or less to a cup race? Nascar may slash 8 races from its current schedule and who is to say future leadership wouldn’t remove Nashville’s date?

If the real estate ends up being available and a developer wants to fund a Nascar project himself that is fine. The city should not be on the hook for 1 red cent for anything involving Nascar or auto racing.
 
IanMcVittie said:
I think the city needs to think long term and ask itself what the likely future for Nascar attendance looks like? Does it make sense to have something that in 5 years may attract 20k or less to a cup race? Nascar may slash 8 races from its current schedule and who is to say future leadership wouldn’t remove Nashville’s date?

If the real estate ends up being available and a developer wants to fund a Nascar project himself that is fine. The city should not be on the hook for 1 red cent for anything involving Nascar or auto racing.
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maybe you can head the don't have a Nascar track in Nashville committee and remind them every day. Probably get a following there. Whistling in the dark here.
 
StandOnIt said:
maybe you can head the don't have a Nascar track in Nashville committee and remind them every day. Probably get a following there. Whistling in the dark here.
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Not at all as it isn’t that I’m not in favor of a track. I just don’t think taxpayer money of any kind should be used toward it. I assume you feel the same way as I know in the past you have been dead set against it. Is that still true today?
 
I think the deathbedder doth protest too much, considering that the county owns the facility, a fact well known to everyone. Blowing smoke up someone's tailpipe about "the owners on their own nickle" is pretty lame for a taxpayer-owned project.
 
The taxpayers should not put a nickel into something being used for Nascar.
 
IanMcVittie said:
The taxpayers should not put a nickel into something being used for Nascar.
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maybe you can head the don't have a Nascar track in Nashville committee and remind them every day. Probably get a following there. Whistling in the dark here.
 
StandOnIt said:
MLS stadium project potential roadblock for NASCAR's return to Nashville

Part of the site plans for the soccer stadium development places a mixed-use apartment building and parking garage about 20 feet from the current front entrance to the racetrack.


Formosa said a building in such close proximity would make the flow of fans into and out of the stadium impossible. He also doubted whether a building located so close would allow for future upgrades at the racetrack.

“You have to have that open for emergency vehicles, and for people to enter,” Formosa said. “That’s the main gate.”

https://www.tennessean.com/story/mo...oadblock-nascars-return-nashville/3355390002/
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That little site map makes the whole proposed property look busy as hell.
AuzGrams said:
I don't see why the city isn't making a push for both facilities.
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Too many hipsters there now. Probably why they're getting an MLS team...which there are already too many of.
 
According to the newspaper’s report, Womack said that the Formosas:

# Failed to pay rent on time.

# Owe $31,930 from concessions revenue from the 2018 season.

# Violated track rental curfew on May 27.

The Tennessean reported that the track’s rent for January to March was paid April 4.

Womack requested that the Formosas appear at the Fair Board meeting April 16 to address the matters.

Claire Formosa told the Tennessean that “there are some things that we are aware of that we have taken care of, like the office rent. The other two things … there is a lot more to it than what is being stated in the letter.”
https://nascar.nbcsports.com/2019/0...etback-with-cancellation-of-all-american-400/
 
Snappy D said:
Reading that doesnt sound very good for NASCAR of any form to be returning to what looks to be an amounting dumpster fire.
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Maybe they can make a push to Iowa or Gateway (Gateway is my preference) & Road America instead.
 
I'd like to see Eldora (maybe the midweek race), Gateway, Rockingham, Road America myself. Though Iowa is owned by NASCAR (and NASCAR is buying ISC), while the remaining are independently owned.

I'd love to see Michigan, Kansas, Texas/Las Vegas alternating 2nd race, Dover (I like Dover, but I think this makes sense) lose a race in addition for all this to happen. Alternate the All-Star race among SMI tracks & alternate The Clash between the superspeedway & road course at Daytona.

All these moves would increase attendance imo.
 
the race has been rescheduled. The headlines could have read "The All American race Rescheduled" but that wouldn't draw in the headline readers.
The All American 400 is scheduled for Nov. 3, 2019.
 
StandOnIt said:
the race has been rescheduled. The headlines could have read "The All American race Rescheduled" but that wouldn't draw in the headline readers.
The All American 400 is scheduled for Nov. 3, 2019.
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Incorrect, this weekends race was actually 2018s rain delayed AA400. The one in November 2019 is the regularly scheduled annual AA400. There were going to be two this year (April and November) due to last years rainout but now the April one has been cancelled entirely.
 
toledo47 said:
Incorrect, this weekends race was actually 2018s rain delayed AA400. The one in November 2019 is the regularly scheduled annual AA400. There were going to be two this year (April and November) due to last years rainout but now the April one has been cancelled entirely.
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from the article:

The All American 400 Super Late Model race was set to run last fall before it was postponed by rain and rescheduled for this weekend
So because of rain it was called off again and rescheduled once again for his November 3. I didn't see anything in the article that said they were going to have two races. Do you? If so, if you think it is important post it up.

https://nascar.nbcsports.com/2019/0...etback-with-cancellation-of-all-american-400/
 
That pit road looks dicey and @AndyMarquisLive is right, where are the haulers going to enter?? I can’t find where they would enter but it looks like they pull right into the garages which is a cool idea, like a warehouse loading dock. This set up looks claustrophobic to me, the stadium and apartments are right on top of the speedway. However props to idea of an awning over the grandstand, such a old school feature. More tracks need awnings, the one that covered the Darlington front stretch grandstand was so cool, added to the mystique of the Lady.
 
Snappy D said:
That pit road looks dicey and @AndyMarquisLive is right, where are the haulers going to enter?? I can’t find where they would enter but it looks like they pull right into the garages which is a cool idea, like a warehouse loading dock. This set up looks claustrophobic to me, the stadium and apartments are right on top of the speedway. However props to idea of an awning over the grandstand, such a old school feature. More tracks need awnings, the one that covered the Darlington front stretch grandstand was so cool, added to the mystique of the Lady.
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The current granstands (that i'm sure have been there forever) are still covered to this day! Really cool place to see ARCA every year
 
Charlie Spencer said:
Who in his right mind builds apartments beside a racetrack, unless they think it isn’t going to be there?
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Probably the best thing is to sell the grounds to a developer and put in houses, an industrial park or retail. Twenty years ago I would have recommended a bowl like Bristol but things have changed.

Instead of doing something with this track give a current track owner the option of putting in a road course or short track on his existing facility.
 
IanMcVittie said:
Probably the best thing is to sell the grounds to a developer and put in houses, an industrial park or retail. Twenty years ago I would have recommended a bowl like Bristol but things have changed.

Instead of doing something with this track give a current track owner the option of putting in a road course or short track on his existing facility.
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Explain in what regard a racing fan and fan of short tracks believes "the best thing" is for the country's oldest operating racing facility, a short track, to be sold and razed to build an industrial park, something that is not currently under consideration. A ballot measure was passed a decade ago to protect the track from just that. Why would the city of Nashville government abandon any deal with an interested party like SMI to upgrade this track and instead give another track owner in another location help to upgrade their facility? How would that work?
 
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gnomesayin said:
Explain in what regard a racing fan and fan of short tracks believes "the best thing" is for the country's oldest operating racing facility, a short track, to be sold and razed to build an industrial park, something that is not currently under consideration. A ballot measure was passed a decade ago to protect the track from just that. Why would the city of Nashville government abandon any deal with an interested party like SMI to upgrade this track and instead give another track owner in another location help to upgrade their facility? How would that work?
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The taxpayers of Nashville or Davidson County or whatever the jurisdiction is can do whatever they want with the place period.

Given the state of auto racing and where it is heading selling the property and collecting tax revenue on it seems like a smarter idea.

Nashville is not the same city it was 5 years ago let alone 10.
 
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