One of the most prominent and well-organized efforts to undermine auto racing at the Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway was affectively defeated, for now, due a self-inflicted clerical error \u2026 just not the one that was originally at the forefront. \u00a0<\/p>\n
Former racer Neil Chaffin sued Saul Solomon, a former Nashville Metro legal director and political strategist Mike\u00a0Kopp, founders of the ‘Restore the Fairgrounds.’ The latter sought to override a 2011 charter voted upon by the residents of Davison County, Tennessee that protected auto racing, a fair and flea market on the city-owned property.<\/p>\n
Right now, that charter reads as follows:<\/p>\n
\u201cAll activities being conducted on the premises of the Tennessee State Fairgrounds as of December 31, 2010, including, but not limited to, the Tennessee State Fair, Expo Center Events, Flea Markets, and Auto Racing, shall be continued on the same site. No demolition of the premises shall be allowed to occur without approval by ordinance receiving 27 votes by the Metropolitan Council or amendment to the Metropolitan Charter.\u201d<\/p>\n
The pairing sought to make the following changes, and received enough signatures to place it on a ballot in November, before the lawsuit was filed by Chaffin:<\/p>\n
\u201cDelete the first sentence of Sec. 11.602.(d) and replace it with the following sentence: \u201cContinue activities, other than auto racing, on the premises of the Tennessee State Fairgrounds including, but not limited to, the Tennessee State Fair, Expo Center Events, Flea Markets, and Affordable and\/or Workforce Housing as defined in Chapter 2.213 of the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County\u2019s 2026 Code of Ordinances.\u201d Further, add the following as a new subsection: \u201cImplement plans as soon as possible, in coordination with other Metro Government agencies or bodies, to ensure that no auto racing occurs on the premises within 1,000 feet of Brown\u2019s Creek.\u201d<\/p>\n
Chaffin had sued, in part, over language in the revision that included the \u2018Tennessee State Fair\u2019 at the \u2018Tennessee State Fairgrounds\u2019 but the Tennessee State Fair had not been held in Nashville since 2019 and is now held in neighboring Wilson County in Lebanon, Tennessee. Chaffin stated that this created confusion as the fair in Nashville now is The Nashville Fair each September.<\/p>\n
Read Also:<\/p>\n
The judge, Chancellor Patricia H. Moskal didn\u2019t rule in favor of Chaffin on that front as the order read Kopp and Solomon \u2018are not responsible for updating what may be out-of-date language that appears in the current version.\u2019 The order also states the following:<\/p>\n
\u201cThe proposed amendment does not purport, on its face, to operate or name a state fair or otherwise do anything that the State Fair and Exposition Act regulates. Again, the fact that outdated language may continue to be used in the Metro Charter does not invalidate the proposed amendment that is limited to removing auto racing and adding affordable and workforce housing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Where Solomon and Kopp lost in the court was actually the definitions of \u2018affordable housing\u2019 and \u2018workforce housing\u2019 as the amendment did not define them within the text in the amendment, which is actually what would confuse voters. \u00a0<\/p>\n
Specifically, the title on the ballot read \u2018Updating the Functions and Duties of the Metropolitan Board of Fair Commissioners (\u201cFair Board\u201d)\u2019 and the judge also stated that was misleading. A more passable title that read \u2018Referendum to Remove Racing from The Fairground Charter and Replace it With Affordable and Workforce Housing\u2019 would have been more viable, hypothetically.<\/p>\n
\u201cKopp and Solomon\u2019s proposed amendment would remove one of those listed activities, auto racing, and replace it with a new activity, \u2018affordable and\/or workforce housing.\u2019 While the title of the proposed amendment refers only to \u201cfunctions and duties\u201d of the Board of Fair Commissioners, the subject of the proposed amendment removes a permitted activity on the fairground premises and replaces it with a new activity. Thus, the Court concludes that the title of the proposed amendment does not clearly express its subject and fails to meet the requirements.\u201d<\/p>\n
What now?<\/p>\n
The petition process now must return to the very beginning, needing to regain the 50,000-plus signatures by July 5, and that doesn\u2019t even assume another legal challenge to prevent the matter to make it on the ballot this November.<\/p>\n
Big picture<\/p>\n
Speedway Motorsports continues to pursue a plan to revitalize the speedway property, which is desperately in need of infrastructure improvements, which would also allow for the return of NASCAR national touring races.<\/p>\n
This would require a long-term lease and partnership between SMI and the City of Nashville. Fairgrounds Speedway is currently promoted by Track Enterprises and president Bob Sargent, who has operated racing in Downtown Music City since 2020.<\/p>\n
NASCAR Cup Series races were held at the speedway from 1958 until 1984. In the years since, it has continued with a weekly series program for local and regional races that also include touring series events promoted by ASA. CARS Tour will make its debut at the track in April.<\/p>\n
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