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That’s Racing: Nashville’s NASCAR Cup hopes crushed
Nashville’s threadbare hope of ever regaining its lost NASCAR Cup races became slimmer last week.
No, not slimmer; anorexic.
Motorsports mogul Bruton Smith purchased Kentucky Speedway and immediately announced plans to expand seating to 120,000 and pursue a Sprint Cup race.
Given Smith’s track record, he has a good chance of succeeding. He already operates several of the jewels of NASCAR, including Bristol, Atlanta, Las Vegas, Texas and Charlotte, and he has a history of succeeding where others fail.
If/when Smith lands a Cup race for Kentucky, what does that do to Nashville Superspeedway’s hazy dream of a future event? It’s over.
Since Nashville squandered its two annual Cup races in 1984, NASCAR has shown no inclination to bring them back. Instead, it has branched out into new markets such as Vegas, Chicago, Dallas/Ft. Worth and Kansas City.
When former Nashville golf pro Jerry Carroll opened $152 million Kentucky Speedway nine years ago he was confident he could land a Cup race. He was wrong. He got truck races and Nationwide races but no Cup races. He sued NASCAR, but NASCAR’s not in the habit of losing lawsuits.
When that last-ditch legal effort failed, Bruton Smith was waiting with open wallet.
For years it has been apparent that Nashville and Kentucky were in a race for a race, that NASCAR might eventually award one of the tracks a Cup event but certainly not both. A sport that has spent 25 hustling to expand (escape?) its Dixie roots is not going to plunk new races down in both Tennessee and Kentucky.
Kentucky’s track had the edge from the start with its bigger seating capacity and prime location in the huge untapped markets of Louisville, Lexington, Cincinnati and Columbus.
Nashville’s loss of its two annual Cup races — due to mainly to mismanagement — was an expensive blunder. Today each of those races would be worth around $100 million to the local economy.
But they’re gone, and they aren’t coming back.
Fans got their hopes up when Dover Motorsports built Nashville Superspeedway in the Gladeville suburbs eight years ago, but hoping and wishing is as far as it went.
Bruton Smith visited the Superspeedway last year, sparking speculation that he might buy the track and revive Nashville’s Cup dream. But last week he said this about that:
“I’ve been there (Nashville Superspeedway) and looked … and it didn’t appeal to me at all. It has no sex appeal.”
And that, as they say, is the end of that.
Larry Woody is a veteran sportswriter in Nashville and has covered auto racing for almost four decades.
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So, Bruton Smith wants another cookie cutter track, not what the circuit needs. NSS is fast and unique, that is what the circuit needs. Crowds are small because we had Cup for years and once you have the top tier not many fans will settle for less. The concrete is poured for over 100,000 permanent seats and a Cup garage and they could be in place not long after NSS is told they were getting a Cup event. NSS hosting a Cup event is a no brainer, but I guess NASCAR can't see that. JMO.
Yeah i think Nashville would be a great place for NASCAR.
NASCAR does not care about the southern race fan- it's a given. They are all about expanding their market. (For an example see ice hockey.) How long will people in Nashville complain about losing NASCAR? It's been almost 30 years.. give it up already.
Before we totally pull the plug on NSS's attempt to get a Cup race, consider the fact that one of Dover's share holder's is trying to get the Dover to sell their racing operation. And who is waiting in the wings to buy the Dover racing operations.....none other than Bruton Smith. It would still be a long shot, but we should never say never when Bruton is involved.
As is said "we were country when countrywas country wasn't cool." Same goes for racing. It was a southerndeal way back when. They should never forget their base.
NASCAR is boring today. They made the cars to equal like that old race of champions. No super Stars. Cars or Drivers.
Big Papa, Larry Woody will ALWAYS complain about losing NASCAR. He likely has a shrine to Dale Sr. in his home.That said, Nashville is the second largest viewing market for the Daytona 500. Wilson county, where the viable track is, was home to Bobby Hamilton and his racing operation until his reccent death, and the Nashville area historically boasts several other a-list drivers.Ky Speedway is near Louisville and Cincinnati and about 200 miles from Columbus OH but those last two markets aren't full of NASCAR fans, and Louisville is close enough to Nashville. If KY does get a race, the main artery between Cincinnati and Louisville will be a logjam on race weekend. It's not over until KY gets a race.
Though he has the facts right, Woody has written this same story over and over and over and over...The only news is Smith's rejection which will now become a part of the story when Woody writes it over and over and over...
My hopes for a cup race in Nashville weren't crushed.For my hopes to be crushed, I'd have to have hope in the first place. I gave that up long ago.I may wish we get a cup race. But then, I wish about winning the lottery, too. But, I know the second has a very slim chance of happenning.
Maybe one day we'll get NASCAR and Opryland back and we will all be better for it. If I run for Mayor that will be the only points of my only platform. #1 Get NASCAR and #2 get Opryland back to Nashville.
Dolly would like to build a park here. Rather have her.
Bet you would, you dirty old man! Just kidding, I think we agree anyone other than Gaylord would be an improvement. She bought a few rides from Opryland at fire-sale prices BTW.
NASCAR has deteriorated into WWF wrestling. I no longer watch the cookie cutter,caution flag,restrictor plate mess.