Bristol Motor Speedway makes claims about their proposal to expand and refit our historic fairground that just don’t hold up. Nashville residents and their leaders should know the truth before making a 30 year commitment to this deal.

Bristol and NASCAR claim that “Sound absorption materials will reduce existing auto racing volume by as much as 50%”

  • THE TRUTH: Bristol is only promising to reduce existing racetrack noise by as much as 50%. They make no comment about NASCAR racing noise, which is louder than what we currently have at the fairgrounds. 
  • THE TRUTH: The sound from NASCAR racing will be louder and travel farther – it will carry into neighborhoods that are not currently impacted by existing racing.
    • The noise study funded by Bristol admits that disruptive NASCAR noise would reach far beyond the existing sound footprint. Find out how the racetrack expansion would affect your neighborhood here.

Bristol and NASCAR claim that a “Renovated Fairgrounds Speedway will generate $200 million in economic impact for the local community”

  • THE TRUTH: The renovations could cost Tennessee taxpayers $100 million.
  • THE TRUTH: All of the financial benefit will not go to the city of Nashville.
  • THE TRUTH: NASCAR is an industry in decline and we cannot count on it to survive the full 30 years of this agreement. That means we get stuck with the bill. 

Bristol and NASCAR claim that they will increase parking by 50% for non-race events

  • THE TRUTH: Parking is already a significant concern in this residential area, and adding another 30,000 spectator racetrack will only cause a greater parking and traffic bottleneck. 
  • THE TRUTH: The Bristol plan eliminates some existing parking options. 

Bristol and NASCAR claim that there will be a “limit of 10 race events, strict curfews, reduction of track testing days”

  • THE TRUTH: The existing agreement allows for racing to be scheduled until 10:00 pm, and has contingencies for weather delays.
  • THE TRUTH: The average NASCAR race lasts more than 3 hours!
  • THE TRUTH: NASCAR fans and out-of-towners will be tailgating and loitering in residential areas long after the scheduled 10:00 pm end of the race.
  • THE TRUTH: A “race event” can last an entire weekend, and is not only one race on one day.

Bristol and NASCAR claim that there will be a “limit of 10 race events, strict curfews, reduction of track testing days”

  • THE TRUTH: The existing agreement allows for racing to be scheduled until 10:00 pm, and has contingencies for weather delays.
  • THE TRUTH: The average NASCAR race lasts more than 3 hours!
  • THE TRUTH: NASCAR fans and out-of-towners will be tailgating and loitering in residential areas long after the scheduled 10:00 pm end of the race.
  • THE TRUTH: A “race event” can last an entire weekend, and is not only one race on one day.