NASCAR Set for Nashville 2021 on Hot Topics this Week

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NASCAR set for Nashville Superspeedway, a 1.3-mile intermediate track, in 2021. A Nashville short track may have been a better choice.
LEBANON, TN – JULY 23: Brad Keselowski, driver of the #22 Discount Tire Dodge, and Steve Wallace, driver of the #66 5-Hour Energy Toyota, lead the field to the green flag for the running of the NASCAR Nationwide Series Federated Auto Parts 300 at Nashville Superspeedway on July 23, 2011, in Lebanon, Tennessee. Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images for NASCAR

NASCAR set for Nashville Superspeedway, a 1.3-mile intermediate track, in 2021. A Nashville short track may have been a better choice.

NASCAR’s return to Nashville Superspeedway is exciting news for a city that welcomed with open arms as the site of the 2019 NASCAR Cup Series banquet last fall. The change of pace from Las Vegas to Nashville proved to be a home run for the sport.

Personally, the news comes with mixed emotions as the venue is Nashville Superspeedway, a 1.3 mile D shaped intermediate ova track.

Nashville Superspeedway opened in 2001 and held NASCAR Truck and Xfinity events for ten years before falling off the national series’ schedule. While I am excited to see NASCAR make a return to Nashville, at the same time, it’s disappointing to add yet another intermediate track to the schedule.

Racing on Intermediate Tracks

This year’s 1.5-mile rules package with more downforce and 550 HP. is hurting the on-track product in the Cup Series. Any race fan can cite several examples of strung out and hard to pass Cup races on intermediate tracks. Unfortunately, adding Nashville Superspeedway to the mix means more of that type of racing for fans already intermediate weary.

A Better Option for NASCAR

While the cost may be more, a renewal of Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway, a 0.5-mile short track is an attractive choice for both NASCAR and Nashville. NASCAR needs more short-track racing on a schedule with too many 1.5-mile tracks. The short-track racing at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway would ultimately make it a popular stop on the schedule, creating a more exciting buzz surrounding the event.

More of the same lackluster intermediate racing could become a drawback for NASCAR’s future in Nashville. Certainly, I’m hoping for the best as NASCAR is looking at this decision for the long term. In the end, time is the final judge.