The last thing the race track needs right now…
Nashville’s historic Fairgrounds Speedway is facing an uncertain future after a billionaire businessman led the charge to put the speedway’s future to a vote in an upcoming election.
There’s been rumblings of NASCAR returning to the Nashville Fairground ever since former Mayor John Cooper announced in 2021 that the city had signed a letter of intent with Bristol Motor Speedway to renovate the Fairgrounds Speedway, which hasn’t hosted a NASCAR Cup Series race since 1984.
John Ingram, who owns Major League Soccer club Nashville SC, had initially promised to support the historic racetrack when he lobbied Nashville to build Geodis Park nearby for his soccer team. But he’s since changed his tune, and started a campaign this summer to gather signatures for a petition that would put forth an amendment to the city’s charter removing the requirement to preserve racing at the fairgrounds.
The group claimed that the speedway could be replaced by affordable housing or “community green space,” though critics speculate that’s simply a pretense for the group to garner sympathy and that the property will eventually be used to further the billionaire’s own business interests. (No way that would happen, right?) But regardless, organizers were successful in their petition – despite being accused of shady tactics, including telling signers that the speedway was going to be demolished either way – and the issue will now come before voters next August to determine the fate of racing at Fairgrounds Speedway.
So the last thing the speedway wants to be dealing with is more controversy – but unfortunately that’s exactly what they’ve got after outrage over a Confederate flag appeared on a car that raced at the track over this past weekend.
During last Friday’s Pure Stock race, the car of Joseph West Jr. competed with a Confederate flag graphic on the roof. The display went unnoticed for several days, but the anti-racing group has already begun using it to advocate for demolishing the speedway:
And the Nashville chapter of the NAACP is demanding action from the speedway while questioning how the car was allowed to race in the first place:
“The presence of this symbol at the Nashville Fairgrounds raises serious questions about oversight, accountability, and whether Black residents and other community members can expect a welcoming and inclusive environment at a public facility. Auto racing’s historical association with the Confederate flag does not excuse its continued display in 2026. …
Consistent with the NAACP’s longstanding position, we call on the Fairgrounds and Fair Board to take concrete and enforceable steps to end Confederate flag displays at this public facility and hold event operators accountable for implementing and enforcing appropriate standards.”
The Metro Nashville City Council’s Minority Caucus has also raised concerns about the decal, calling for an investigation into the display and further action to ensure that it doesn’t happen again:
“The Metro Council Minority Caucus stands with the Nashville NAACP in demanding accountability following the display of a Confederate flag on a vehicle competing at the Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway last weekend.
The Confederate flag represents a painful history of slavery, segregation, and racial oppression. Its display at a city-owned facility is deeply troubling and inconsistent with the values of dignity, inclusion, and respect that should define our public spaces.
Nashville’s public facilities belong to all of its residents, and every person should be able to participate in community events without encountering symbols that evoke exclusion and intimidation. We join the NAACP in calling on the Fair Board to thoroughly investigate this incident, review existing policies and oversight procedures, and establish clear, enforceable standards to prevent similar occurrences.
Our commitment to making Nashville a welcoming city must be reflected not only in what we say, but in what we permit, what we prohibit, and how we respond when those values are challenged. We expect transparency, accountability, and meaningful action from those entrusted with managing our public facilities.”
Fairgrounds Speedway officials have since apologized for the incident, with promoter Bob Sargent explaining that inspectors simply missed the flag ahead of the race. He’s also promised to commit to inspecting every car before it enters the track, and says that the driver of the car has suggested replacing the symbol with an American flag.
In a statement, the speedway says that the track’s policies do not permit cars to display the Confederate flag, and they’ve committed to working with the NAACP to ensure that it doesn’t happen again:
“It has been brought to our attention that a Pure Stock race car competing during Friday night’s racing program displayed a Confederate flag on its roof.
Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway does not condone or permit the display of the Confederate flag at our facility. Speedway officials are aware of the situation and are working directly with the driver and race team to address the matter appropriately. Thank you, and we look forward to seeing everyone in 2027!”
Obviously it’s not something that the speedway wants to be dealing with right now, and it’s unfortunate that the car made it out onto the track in the first place. But it’s also not an incident that should play into the decision of whether or not to keep racing at the fairgrounds and allow the track to be taken over to satisfy a billionaire investor.
