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Report: Fairgrounds Speedway promoter seeks to return NASCAR racing to Nashville

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The promoter of Fairgrounds Speedway in Nashville, Tennessee, is seeking a long-term agreement with the Metropolitan Board of Fair Commissioners to operate the .596-mile track in hopes of luring NASCAR regional and touring series events, according to The Tennessean.

The track once hosted NASCAR’s top series. The Cup series raced there from 1958-84. The Xfinity Series raced there in 1984, 1988-89 and 1995-2000. The Camping World Truck Series raced there from 1996-2000.

Among the track’s winners were Richard Petty, Darrell Waltrip, Dale Earnhardt and Geoff Bodine, who won the final Cup race there in July 1984.

Track promoter Tony Formosa stated in a column in April in The Tennessean that with a “five-year (agreement) or longer, we could restore this track to its glory days and again be an important economic driver to Nashville.’' That would include seeking NASCAR-sanctioned races.

Monday’s story states that Formosa has had a contract to operate the facility since 2010 but it has been mostly year-to-year contracts.

The last NASCAR-sanctioned race at that track was a K&N Pro Series East race in 2008.

NASCAR issued a statement to the newspaper about the track.

“NASCAR has a long history in the Nashville area and our fans there are as passionate as any place we race,” the organization said in its statement. “NASCAR races are in demand, and we’re pleased with our current lineup of racetracks. Many of the discussions related to racing in Nashville have centered around the popular regional and touring series events.”

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