SMI Goes Public With Plan For Nashville Fairgrounds Track

SMI's Bruton and Marcus Smith

SMI today went public on a potential $60M renovation project at the Nashville Fairgrounds to "bring NASCAR back to the historic racetrack."

The group has been "courting Mayor David Briley's administration for months to clear a way" for a race at the fairground site. Bristol Motor Speedway Exec VP & GM Jerry Caldwell today presented "ideas for a 30,000 seat-capacity structure, an expanded concourse, premium seating, pedestrian tunnels and sound barriers at an overhauled racetrack."

SMI claims that it "has found a solution to the financing question so only one hurdle remains — what to do about building in such close proximity to the track" Adam Stern/SBD

Speedway Motorsports Inc (runs Bristol) needs the city to come to the negotiating table to bring NASCAR to Nashville. This is their rendering of how they’d improve the track. $60 million total. They think they can do it w/o impacting taxpayers. @FOXNashville pic.twitter.com/wPJNz2miuO

— Alex Apple (@AlexApple_) May 14, 2019