NASCAR and Dover Motorsports, Inc. has announced that Nashville Superspeedway will reopen and host the NASCAR Cup Series in 2021. According to reports, the track will take over one of two races held at Dover International Speedway. NASCAR has yet to release the official 2021 schedule yet.
“We were energized to see how excited Nashville was to host the NASCAR Cup Series banquet last December,”said Denis McGlynn, president & CEO of Dover Motorsports, Inc. “When we built Nashville Superspeedway in2001 our goal was to one day secure a NASCAR Cup Series race for the venue. Nashville, central Tennessee, and the surrounding market area is filled with passionate race fans. We are thrilled that we were able to collaborate with NASCAR and our television partners to get this done and we can’t wait to put on a great show there in 2021.”
The speedway, located east of Nashville, last hosted sanctioned NASCAR races in 2011 but never saw racing in the Cup Series. Over the last few months, speculation ran high that NASCAR would be returning to the Music City.
Many felt that the track that would be utilized would be the old Fairgrounds Speedway which is not part of Dover Motorsports. That track is now in a heavily populated residential area and does not have any of the modern features needed to host a NASCAR event.
Now Dover will be tasked with bringing Nashville Super Speedway up to speed in a relatively short period. McGlynn noted that things are already underway.
“While we have been in discussions with NASCAR for some time about the possibility of bringing the NASCAR Cup Series back to Nashville Superspeedway, plans really just became solidified in recent weeks. We will have many more announcements and exciting updates to share regarding plans for the facility shortly.”
Other Events Eyed?
The Speedway is being eyed for hosting other events as well outside of racing. Although no specifics have been given, it’s worth pointing out that the Festival Grounds at Dover Internationals Raceway is the site of the annual Firefly music festival.
The entertainment option was raised by Mike Tatoian, executive vice president and chief operating officer for Dover Motorsports, Inc.
“Our company is excited about the terrific opportunity to not only host a NASCAR Cup Series race weekend,” said Tatoian. “Bu topening our Nashville facility will enable us to host other exciting forms of racing and entertainment options.”
Track Facts:
- Name: Nashville Superspeedway
- Built: 2001, Dover Motorsports Inc.
- Location: Wilson County, Tennessee
- Seating: 25,000 permanent seats to date
- Length: 33-mile
- Surface: Concrete
- Banking: 14°
- Light: Lighted
- Has hosted NASCAR and IRLsanctioned events from 2001 to 2011.NASCAR Xfinity Series, NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series, NTT INDYCAR SERIES, and other racing series in its history.
- Current NASCAR Cup Series competitors who have notched wins at Nashville Superspeedway include Brad Keselowski, Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch, Joey Logano, Clint Bowyer and Austin Dillon.
Author Bio: Kent Whitaker, also known as “The Deck Chef,” is an award-winning culinary writer and cookbook author. He’s also penned Young Reader, NASCAR, and History titles. The former winner of the Emeril Live Food Network Barbecue Contest also covers football, motorsports, and bass fishing. Kent currently lives in East Ridge Tennessee with his wife Allyson and a couple of dogs that love when he fires up the smoker or grill. You can reach out to Kent at www.thedeckchef.com, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
