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The ongoing dispute over the future of the Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway has intensified this week with significant legal and legislative developments initiated by groups advocating for the preservation of motorsports at the historic venue. These actions aim to counter efforts seeking to curtail or eliminate racing activities on the property, a move supporters argue would erase a significant piece of Nashville’s sporting heritage.
At the forefront of the legal battle is a lawsuit filed by former racer Neil Chaffin. The suit challenges a petition put forth by an anti-speedway coalition that seeks to place a measure on the November 3 ballot. This proposed ballot initiative intends to amend the 2011 referendum that currently safeguards racing as a protected activity within the Nashville Fairgrounds’ charter. The core of the proposed amendment is to replace the existing allowance for "auto racing" with a mandate for "affordable and workforce housing."
The anti-racing group implicated in the lawsuit includes prominent figures such as former Nashville Metro legal director Saul Solomon and political strategist Mike Kopp, both named as defendants in Chaffin’s legal action. While not directly named in the suit, Nashville FC team owner John Ingram is widely understood to support the racing ban, reportedly as a means to facilitate mixed-use development around the footprint of the nearby soccer stadium. The 30,000-seat stadium, which opened in 2022, is situated directly behind the race track.
Chaffin’s legal challenge centers on allegations that the petition to ban racing contains numerous clerical errors and misleading language, which he contends would confuse voters. The lawsuit highlights specific discrepancies, including a clause in the petition that "instructs the Nashville Fair Board to continue activities that include the Tennessee State Fair." However, the Tennessee State Fair has not been held at the Nashville Fairgrounds since 2020. Following a series of events and legislative changes, the fair relocated to Wilson County, specifically Lebanon, Tennessee. The fair currently operating at the Nashville Fairgrounds is now known as "The Nashville Fair," distinct from the Tennessee State Fair.
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The lawsuit argues that the petition’s reference to the Tennessee State Fair is factually inaccurate and legally flawed. It cites Tennessee Code Annotated § 4-57-106, passed in 2012, which effectively rendered obsolete any reference in Section 11.602(d) of the charter to the Tennessee State Fair occurring at the Fairgrounds. Furthermore, Chaffin’s legal filing points out that the proposed amendment omits a crucial date description, "as of December 31, 2010," which is present in the current charter. This omission, the suit contends, further obscures the intended meaning and legal standing of the proposed change.
The legal argument posits that by embedding the "Tennessee State Fair" within a mandatory continuation clause as a local charter duty, the proposed amendment compels an outcome that is not permissible under state law. The current charter mandates the continuation of "Tennessee State Fair, Expo Center Events, Flea Markets, and Auto Racing, shall be continued on the same site." The proposed amendment seeks to modify this to "Continue activities, other than auto racing, on the premises of the Tennessee State Fairgrounds including, but not limited to, the Tennessee State Fair."
The lawsuit emphasizes that the Nashville Fair Board, a Davidson County entity, lacks the authority to regulate or ban activities on premises located in Wilson County. The petition’s instruction to the Nashville Fair Board to continue an activity over which it has no jurisdiction—the Tennessee State Fair in Lebanon—is therefore seen as a fundamental deficiency. The lawsuit concludes that "Because of these deficiencies, the Petition in its current form is impermissibly confusing."
Chaffin further asserts that the proposed amendment is not a neutral update but rather a deliberate attempt to eliminate racing at the Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway, circumventing the voter-approved 2011 referendum. The legal filing argues that the proposed provisions represent "a total prohibition on a historically significant use of the Fairgrounds that has been in existence since before Metro was created." It also contends that the title of the proposed amendment, "Updating the Functions and Duties of the Metropolitan Board of Fair Commissioners," is misleading. Voters, the suit claims, could reasonably assume the measure pertains to administrative or procedural matters of the Fair Board, rather than expecting it to contain "a total prohibition on an activity that has been conducted at the Speedway for over 120 years."
If the proposed amendment successfully navigates this legal challenge, it would then require the collection of approximately 50,000 signatures from Davidson County voters to qualify for the ballot in November. Ultimately, the voters would decide whether to adopt or reject the amended fairgrounds charter.
In parallel to the legal efforts, legislative action is also underway to support the speedway. Tennessee House Bill 1660, sponsored by Representative Jake McCalmon (R), was introduced last month. This bill aims to shield racetracks from legal actions related to noise complaints, provided the facility predates the surrounding development. Motor racing has a long history at the Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway, dating back to 1904.
House Bill 1660 stipulates that "any cause of action for nuisance, taking, or another claim against a racing facility or racetrack by the owner of a surrounding real property if the racing facility or racetrack was built before the owner of the surrounding real property purchased the real property or built in the area of the racing facility or racetrack, regardless of the date on which the cause of action is alleged to have arisen." It also prohibits political subdivisions from enacting ordinances or regulations that would restrict or prohibit the operation of a racing facility or racetrack in an inconsistent manner.
The Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway has historically been a target of noise ordinance complaints from nearby residents. While the track has largely complied with charter requirements, including the use of mufflers over the past decade, HB 1660 would aim to prevent legal claims based solely on noise. The bill is scheduled to proceed to committee on March 4, followed by another committee review, before a floor vote at a date yet to be determined. Norm Partin, a long-time proponent of the speedway, is actively soliciting emails in support of the bill to be sent to [email protected].
Looking at the broader context, Speedway Motorsports (SMI) continues to pursue a plan for the revitalization of the speedway property. This initiative includes much-needed infrastructure improvements that would enable the return of NASCAR national touring series races. Such a revitalization would necessitate a long-term lease and partnership agreement between SMI and the City of Nashville. Currently, the Fairgrounds Speedway is promoted by Track Enterprises, led by president Bob Sargent, who has been involved in promoting racing in Nashville since 2020.
NASCAR Cup Series races were a staple at the speedway from 1958 to 1984. Since then, the track has maintained a weekly series program for local and regional racing, also hosting touring series events promoted by ASA. The CARS Tour is scheduled to make its debut at the track in April. The current charter permits up to 10 events annually, subject to curfews, noise ordinances, and various other community-focused agreements. The ongoing legal and legislative developments reflect a critical juncture for the historic Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway, with supporters actively working to secure its future.
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