This debate has been ongoing for years, and Kenny Wallace’s stance on it has been: either bring back NASCAR to the Fairgrounds Speedway or “smash the damn racetrack.” The latter one comes after much frustration, mind you. But, he still had to give it yet another try, and so he did… only to face wrath of the local anti-redevelopment group.
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As the belief goes, if Dale Earnhardt Jr. is racing, people will come. So, after Dale Jr.’s successful run at the fairgrounds Wallace couldn’t help but see NASCAR’s return to the historic track. “Did you see that show last night? My gosh. I watched that race last night and Dale Jr. did a wonderful job… he was passing for like 15th and the crowd was on their feet,” Wallace said in Coffee with Kenny. “Sold out, 12,000 people…. If that doesn’t tell you that people are ready for a race at Nashville, nothing will. That mayor better get his head out of his *ss… Dale Jr. and the CARS Tour, all it took to say, ‘Hey Nashville deserves the NASCAR Cup Series to be back.’ That is the Dale Jr. effect.”
But, Nashville CARE doesn’t seem to take those comments kindly.
“Interesting to see Kenny Wallace (aka “The Lesser Wallace”) chiming in on Nashville from the comfort of his La-Z-Boy chair in Missouri,” read a recent social media post from Nashville CARE.
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Interesting to see Kenny Wallace (aka “The Lesser Wallace”) chiming in on Nashville from the comfort of his La-Z-Boy chair in Missouri.
Let’s see how taking shots at our Mayor for keeping his campaign ethos of “no more taxpayer dollars for stadiums” works out for them. https://t.co/pByBJ0qkbN
— Nashville CARE (@care_nashville) April 14, 2026
There has been a possible talk of bringing NASCAR down to the track through some massive renovations, which could reach up to $116 million. But at the end of the day, it would be an amazing experience for the racing fans, would help the city pull in more profit via tourism, and generate profit for NASCAR, too. However, the CARE organization is not in agreement with that.
The push to renovate the Fairgrounds Speedway dates back to 2021, when former Nashville mayor John Cooper signed a letter of intent with Speedway Motorsports to explore restoring the half-mile venue for potential NASCAR use. The project has remained in limbo since then, with negotiations stretching across multiple administrations and stakeholder groups.
Despite this, the city’s leaders seem positive towards a possible renovation of the historical track that has seen legends like Dale Earnhardt race on it. Freddie O’Connell, Mayor of Nashville-Davidson County, recently said, “The mayor’s office continues to discuss with multiple stakeholders how to improve the remaining facilities at the Fairgrounds.”
At the same time, O’Connell has taken a cautious position on committing public resources to the renovation, pointing to taxpayer protections and neighborhood concerns about noise and traffic as factors shaping the city’s approach to the proposal.
The Nashville CARE group has been making some interesting observations. One of their recent social media posts claimed that the race at Bristol struggled to gather 30,000 people, labeling it “embarrassing.” For this reason, they claimed there was no reason to have another race in Nashville.
Opposition to racing at the Fairgrounds is not limited to social media criticism. In late 2025, a coalition of residents submitted a proposal to Nashville’s Charter Revision Commission seeking to remove auto racing as a required use of the Fairgrounds property altogether and replace it with alternatives such as affordable housing, green space, and environmental protections around Browns Creek.
While their insult towards Kenny Wallace seemed rather harsh, labeling him “The Lesser Wallace” (a probable comparison to his brother, Rusty Wallace), he seemed to be making the most of it. He hit them with a straight reply: “Yes, I am the lesser Wallace, and I am crazy. But still enough for you to care about, so I win. It’s obvious you don’t love Nashville like I do.”
Wallace’s response also reflected a longer evolution in his stance on the Fairgrounds debate. While he has consistently supported preserving the track’s racing identity and previously championed NASCAR’s return alongside figures like Dale Earnhardt Jr., his frustration with stalled negotiations earlier this year even led him to back efforts arguing that the sport should stop forcing the issue if city leadership and residents ultimately oppose the renovation.
At the end of the day, it’s a group that loves racing against another that does not. The Fairgrounds Speedway is an important landmark for motorsports, having hosted races since 1904 and NASCAR Cup Series events until 1984. While Nashville’s modern Cup races since 2021 have instead been held at the 1.33-mile Nashville Superspeedway in nearby Lebanon rather than the historic half-mile track inside the city, having a NASCAR race there would be a massive success. But currently, the efforts look to be making little impact, despite Dale Jr. chipping in to help.
Dale Jr. wants to fix the issue with Fairgrounds for a possible NASCAR debut
Dale Earnhardt Jr. is a man of the people. He is one of the most beloved and respected figures in NASCAR, and he has been making the most of his power to get the attention the Fairgrounds Speedway needs. Being the co-owner of the CARS Tour, he managed to host a race there and pull in a massive crowd. While this did get the track some attention, it is seemingly still not enough to get NASCAR to race down here.
At the same time, however, Dale Jr. also understands the issues the local community faces, the noise pollution being one of those. But he also claimed that the issue can be overcome with some developments around the track.
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NASCAR, Motorsport, USA Cup Practice Feb 13, 2026 Daytona Beach, Florida, USA NASCAR Cup Series team owner Dale Earnhardt Jr during practice for the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. Daytona Beach, Daytona International Speedway, Florida, USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xMarkxJ.xRebilasx 20260213_mjr_su5_049
“To be able to help the local community and [reduce] the burden on the local community. The noise is a burden, but we can fix that. We can make that better and continue to race here,” he said after the race.
Now, while he does claim this, it is hard to comment if there is a possible solution to the noise problem. The Fairgrounds has been hosting races for over a century at this point, and the impact the track would have if NASCAR were to race here is quite understandable.
At the end of the day, however, groups like the Nashville CARE have their valid reasons, but there are better ways to snatch the attention of the people, and disrespecting the legends of the sport does not seem to be getting them the support they expect.
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Edited by
Godwin Issac Mathew