It is expected that a modern makeover of Nashville Superspeedway would cost at least $8-10MGETTY IMAGES
Dover Motorsports COO Mike Tatoian said that the NASCAR Cup Series' return to racing at Nashville Superspeedway next year is "not a one-shot deal, but 'the anticipation is to operate the facility for a long time,'" according to Andy Humbles of the Nashville TENNESSEAN. Tatoian said the "very tentative" date for the race is June 20, 2021. Humbles notes Nashville Superspeedway was built in '01 by Dover Motorsports and was "largely closed" as a race track in '11. Dover's decision means the company "will likely be the first to bring NASCAR racing back to the Nashville area." Speedway Motorsports, which runs the track in Bristol, has "expressed interest in bringing NASCAR to The Fairgrounds Nashville," but there is "no deal in place" (Nashville TENNESSEAN, 6/3). The AP's Dan Gelston writes there is "plenty of work ahead" to host the race at Nashville Superspeedway. Tatoian said that giving the track a modern makeover "would cost at least" $8-10M and that he would "like to fit capacity at the 25,000-50,000 mark." Tatoian also "expected to hire a full-time staff that will operate independently of Dover" (AP, 6/3).
FAIRGROUNDS DREAMS: THE ATHLETIC's Jordan Bianchi wrote many within the NASCAR industry "hoped Cup would again compete at the Fairgrounds," but it is estimated the Fairgrounds require at least $20M in "upkeep for it to be a viable venue to host a NASCAR national series race." To date, those capital improvements "are still needed" (THEATHLETIC.com, 6/2).
