NASCAR to move Cup banquet to Nashville

Home of the Tennessee Titans in Nashville

Nashville is expected to become the new home of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series awards banquet, according to sources of Adam Stern/SBD.

NASCAR has held the banquet for the last 10 years in Las Vegas; New York City played host to the event for 27 years before that. NASCAR’s deal with the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, which included an annual $400,000 subsidy, expired and was not renewed for 2018 but NASCAR still returned there for the event last year as it plotted long-term plans.

AR1.com sources tell us one of the benefits of having the banquet in Nashville vs. Las Vegas is travel costs for all attendees as most teams are based in adjacent North Carolina and everyone can drive to Nashville – the saving exceeding the $400K incentive Las Vegas was offering

Industry sources say Nashville is now the city closing in on hosting the event starting this year, though NASCAR and Nashville have yet to make a formal announcement because the deal isn’t finished. It was not clear whether Nashville would offer any financial incentives for the event.

The move comes amid talks between track operator Speedway Motorsports Inc., the city and a local promoter to bring NASCAR races back to Nashville’s Fairgrounds Speedway, which is adjacent to the site of the new MLS stadium being built. Given its status as the home of country music, the addition of races and an awards gala would quickly vault the city back into one of NASCAR’s most important markets.