Nashville Superspeedway

Nashville Superspeedway is a 1.330 mi tri-oval intermediate speedway in Lebanon, Tennessee. The track has held a variety of racing series since its opening in 2001, including NASCAR and the IndyCar Series. It has been owned by Speedway Motorsports, LLC (SMI) since 2021, with Matt Greci currently serving as the track's general manager. The track is served by Interstate 840 and Tennessee State Route 452.

The track has a current permanent seating capacity of 25,000, with potential to expand to 38,000 with temporary grandstands. Along with the main track, the track complex also features a 1.8 mi road course layout that uses parts of the main track along with an infield road course that is used to make a "roval". The complex initially planned to expand further to include a drag strip, short track, and a dedicated road course; however, these plans were scrapped.

Initial plans for the track were announced in 1997 by Dover Downs Entertainment (last known as Dover Motorsports) as part of a rise of popularity in stock car racing in the 1990s and with hopes to bring back the NASCAR Cup Series to the Nashville area. The track opened in 2001 to host IndyCar and the second-tier NASCAR Busch Series (now known as the NASCAR Xfinity Series). However, a decade later, all major racing left the track due to poor attendance caused by the lack of a Cup Series race, and was essentially left desolate and abandoned for nearly a decade. In 2020, in a surprise move, Dover Motorsports announced the return of NASCAR racing; this time with the NASCAR Cup Series.

Configuration
The track in its current form is measured at 1.33 mi, with 14 degrees of banking in the track's turns, nine degrees of banking in the track's frontstretch, and six degrees of banking in the track's backstretch. Varying sanctioning bodies have disputed the length of the track; NASCAR's official measurement is at 1.33 mi, while IndyCar measures the track at 1.333 mi.

Along with the main track, an infield road course was built with the main track's construction. According to The Daily News Journal, the course measured 1.3 mi, and held its first races in July 2001.

Amenities
The track is served by Interstate 840 and Tennessee State Route 452. State Route 452 was built as part of a project by the Tennessee Department of Transportation in 2000 in order to accommodate traffic for the track. According to The Tennessean, as of 2021, the track has a permanent seating capacity of 25,000, with potential to increase to 40,000 for NASCAR races with temporary grandstands. In 2023, a capacity with the temporary grandstands was reported at 38,000. At its peak, the track had a reported capacity of 50,000, with hopes of expanding to 150,000 according to a 2001 report by The Daily News Journal.

Planning and construction
In the 1990s, a boom period of large-capacity and modern tracks that correlated with the rise of NASCAR occurred, with nationwide efforts being made to build tracks to lure a NASCAR Winston Cup Series race weekend. In November 1997, initial plans for a $25–30 million, 50,000-seat track to be built in the Nashville metropolitan area were made in a joint announcement between Dover Downs Entertainment (last known as Dover Motorsports) and Gaylord Entertainment (now known as Ryman Hospitality Properties), with hopes of the track hosting Winston Cup races. If successful, the track would be the first track to host Winston Cup races in Middle Tennessee since 1984, though the chance of success was met with heavy skepticism due to the track's small capacity. In the early planning stages, although track developers expressed desires to build the track and prioritize finding a location within Davidson County, they couldn't find a suitable 1,200-acre site, with developers getting suggestions to look outside Davidson County. Developers later stated that they planned to build an initial track that could hold 50,000, with potential to expand to 150,000 to 200,000 if needed.

Delays, opposition
By March 1998, although a location was not selected, developer Denis McGlynn stated that he was "confident" the track would be opened by 2000. The next month, McGlynn stated hopes of hosting various types of racing, including National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) and IndyCar events. On May 21, while a site wasn't selected, developers stated that a final decision on the area was "three or four weeks away". Three days later, The Daily News Journal reported that McGlynn had narrowed down four potential sites, with speculation on where being placed in Rutherford County and Wilson County. By July, although construction had been scheduled to start by this point, nothing was done, with plans to announce a location being delayed by several weeks, putting the project in jeopardy. However, that same month, the News Journal reported that a 1,600-acre location that was owned by Harding University in northern Rutherford County was being considered, along with a second undisclosed location. By the end of the month, the company began to attempting to buy the land along with other smaller parcels.

The project saw mixed reception from property owners around the Rutherford County location, with some who were asked by Dover Downs Entertainment thinking of refusing to sell their property. To further compound problems, many local residents stated concerns of increased traffic and noise, with guarantees of a Winston Cup date still being thought of as a longshot. In August, Dover Downs announced plans to build a more extensive project, with hopes of building an industrial park; the budget for the track complex increased to $125 million, with Dover Downs having options to buy 2,600 to 2,700 acres of land. In October, Dover Downs opted to file a separate rezoning request for 1,600 acres of land along the Wilson County border, deciding to submit both plans; although the Rutherford County plot was preferred, the company considered moving the entire project solely to Wilson County due to about 230 acres of land not being sold by disinterested property owners. By mid-October, the Rutherford County plan saw increased criticism from residents, with holdouts still adamant on not selling. On October 20, the company announced that the project had moved entirely within the bounds of Wilson County due to the holdouts in the Rutherford County plan.

After a delay of two weeks was announced for Wilson County officials to scrutinize the rezoning plans, the rezoning request was approved to be heard on November 7; by this point, plans had expanded for the complex to include a drag strip, road course, dirt track, and a short track. A vote between Wilson County officials to approve the rezoning was scheduled for December 21; on the day of the vote, the rezoning was approved by a vote of 22–3. The track's approval led to fears of potential decline for the neighboring Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway, which while scrutinized for its aging facilities, was regarded as a historic landmark in the Nashville area. In February 1999, a group that was against the track's construction, County Residents Against Racetrack Havoc (CRASH), filed a lawsuit against Wilson County, accusing the county of committing zoning regulation violations and leading to potential delays for the track's construction.

Construction
The local Wilson County Sports Authority, the Tennessee Department of Transportation, and Dover Downs Entertainment agreed to raise $15 million for renovations concerning the track's infrastructure, which was approved by the Tennessee General Assembly in March 1999. Due to the delays, in April, the track announced that the opening year had been pushed back to 2001. By May, the track itself, which now had a budget of $47 million, was now in doubt if it could make a sufficient economic impact. That same month, developers announced a groundbreaking date in August or September 1999, with new plans to oversee a 1,000-acre plot of land for private development. In July, Gaylord Entertainment backed out of the partnership, but Dover Downs insisted that it would not affect the construction of the track; a groundbreaking date was later announced on August 12, to take place on the 26th of the same month. The track was officially named "Nashville Superspeedway" on the 25th.

Groundbreaking took place as scheduled. However, just before the groundbreaking ceremony, CRASH accused Dover Downs and Wilson County of "fail[ing] to follow its ordinances" and a lack of notice of intent to rezone, adding to their lawsuit. Three days after the ceremony, an analysis ran by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation found that building the 3,100-acre complex would seriously harm the habitat of the endangered Tennessee coneflower, with fears of destroying a major glade. As a result of this finding, CRASH attempted to tack on allegations of environmental destruction; the idea was repelled by track supporters, who claimed that the flower could survive the construction regardless and that CRASH paid no mind of the flowers until the finding was released. By January 2000, the NASCAR Busch Series (now known as the NASCAR Xfinity Series) stated that in 2001, they would move from its race at the Fairgrounds to Nashville Superspeedway, along with the longstanding flagship race of the Fairgrounds, the All-American 400. Four months later, developers began to work on the foundations of the track, hoping to open in April 2001. That same month, in an abrupt transition, the track switched general managers; Cliff Hawks, the executive director of the Fairgrounds, replaced Joe Ernest.

With the additions of Chicagoland Speedway and Kansas Speedway to the Cup Series schedule, the chances of the track's hopes of getting a Cup Series date dwindled heavily despite McGlynn stating otherwise. In June, multiple developments were announced; construction of the road course began, the addition of an Indy Racing League (IRL) race, and the release of a new logo. The next month, although NASCAR stated they had no plans to hold a Cup Series race at the track, the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) announced hopes to host events at the complex in 2002. Track paving was completed in early November, with tickets going on sale within the same month. By January 2001, the track announced additional suites from its initial 24 to accommodate higher demand. The track itself was completed the next month. The first test runs took place in early March, drawing positive reviews from testers Tim Steele and Shawna Robinson. Final approvals of zoning changes for the project were approved in the same month, essentially killing appeals made by CRASH. However, by this point, most development planned for the project hadn't started, putting the hopes of the track holding major events and economic growth for Wilson County businesses under doubt. At the end of its construction, Dover Downs was recorded to have spent $125 million on the initial phase of the project.

Early years
The track officially opened to the public on April 7, 2001, for an open house event. Five days later, after a short electrical worker pay dispute that lasted for three days, the track opened to drivers and teams for practice and qualifying sessions. It drew mixed reception from drivers of the NASCAR Busch Series; drivers such as Todd Bodine and Bobby Hamilton expressed concerns about a lack of grip, while others such as Kevin Harvick hoped that the track would gain grip as time progressed. The track held its first races on April 13 and 14, with Ken Schrader and Greg Biffle winning ARCA Re/Max Series and Busch Series events, respectively. As a result of the complaints of slickness, McGlynn opted to resurface a part of the track between the first and second turns. The facility held its first IRL race on July 21, with Buddy Lazier winning the event. Both weekends both did not see sellout crowds. Six days after the IRL event, NASCAR announced that the track was awarded a second Busch Series weekend starting in 2002. The next month, the track held its first NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event. In October 2009, as a result of the closure of the Dover Motorsports-owned Memphis Motorsports Park, Dover Motorsports opted to move their NASCAR Truck Series date from Memphis to Nashville, with Nashville now having two Truck Series races. The track became publicized in 2011 when Joe Nelms, pastor of the Family Baptist Church, gave a pre-race invocation that praised his family and NASCAR and its sponsors in an eccentric manner that later became an internet phenomenon. The prayer was met with mixed reception; it drew criticism from ESPN reporter David Newton for "put[ting] the spotlight on anybody but himself", while Bleacher Report writer Richard Langford praised it, stating that the invocation had "managed to produce something memorable without being disrespectful".

Era of disrepair and abandon
By 2011, the track faced a litany of issues. The track had a recorded $21 million in bond debt from a 1999 bond deal to extend sewer and water lines, lackluster attendance was prevalent, and the addition of Kentucky Speedway to the Cup Series schedule in 2011 essentially killed any hopes of the track winning rights to a Cup Series weekend; the very goal that Dover Entertainment set. On August 3, 2011, Dover Motorsports announced the track's closure for the 2012 season, with none of the projected projects, other than the tri-oval, being built. The company hoped to sell the track to another company. Although rumors were spread that the IndyCar Series would return in 2013, the closure continued into 2013 and 2014. In March 2014, Dover Motorsports representative Gary Camp stated that the only activities occurring at the facility was for testing.

Attempted sale to NeXovation
On May 30, 2014, Dover Motorsports announced that the company sold the facility to Nashville-based technology company NeXovation for $45.8 million, with the buyer hoping to renovate the track. According to journalist Larry Woody, speculation arose that the CEO of the company, Robert Sexton, had hopes of continuing original plans for the complex or to turn the track into a testing facility. In an interview with The Tennessean, Sexton stated that he wanted to make the facility run year-round, hosting both motorsports and technology-based events. However, the sale confirmation was delayed multiple times. In September, an extension was give until October 25 for NeXovation to further inspect the facility. In March 2015, after paying $400,000, the company was able to further extend their deadline. By the end of May, The Tennessean reported that the deadline had been extended a total of seven times, leading to increasing doubt on whether the facility would be renovated. In July, the company defaulted on their purchase, and by August, Dover Motorsports opted to reopen the sale of the track.

Partial sale to Panattoni
On August 25, 2016, Dover Motorsports announced the sale of the property to Panattoni, a California-based development company for $44.7 million. The company stated that they planned to redevelop the facility and rezone the area into a "logistics and distribution park", with the company initially retaining the track. However, by late 2017, the company sent concept plans to instead purchase the land in phases. In March, a parcel spanning approximately 147 acres was finalized for a price of $5.1 million, with hopes to build an industrial park. The next year, in July, Panattoni bought another parcel of around 132 acres for $6.37 million. By November of that year, the industrial park was opened as the Speedway Industrial Park. Discussion about the track being revitalized for racing was denied by Panattoni, with the decision to resume motorsports events at the track seen as highly unlikely. In December 2019, Woody reported that Speedway Motorsports, LLC (SMI) CEO Marcus Smith initially displayed interest of buying the track, but instead decided to pursue the Fairgrounds.

Resurgence, Speedway Motorsports buyout
In early 2020, NASCAR Cup Series drivers, such as Clint Bowyer and Chase Elliott, began calling for the series' return to the Nashville area. However, they called for the series to race at the Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway due to its closeness to the Nashville metropolitan area compared to the Nashville Superspeedway. In June of that year, Dover Motorsports announced that the company planned to hold future NASCAR Cup Series races at the track by the next year, reopening the track. The decision was seen as a surprise by local Nashville media, as while the facility could be repaired within a year, the location of the track to the Nashville area made it less desirable than the Fairgrounds. However, due to simpler approval processes to resume racing at the Nashville Superspeedway, Dover Motorsports opted to choose it over the Fairgrounds. According to McGlynn, renovating the facility would cost an estimated $8–10 million. After an inspection that deemed the track in "phenomenal shape", in August, Dover Motorsports appointed Erik Moses to run the track. The facility was able to hold its first large-scale events in November, along with gaining confirmation of scheduled dates for its NASCAR events in 2021. The next month, Dover Motorsports rebranded the facility. The first Cup Series race was run at the track on June 20, with Kyle Larson winning the event.

In late 2021, track ownership changed hands when SMI bought out Dover Motorsports for a total of $131.5 million. The next year, on November 15, Moses stepped down from his position as general manager to become the CEO of the Fiesta Bowl. Two weeks later, the track appointed its vice president of events and operations, Matt Greci, to fill in the position. In 2023, during the 2023 Ally 400, the track drew complaints from driver Ryan Blaney, who crashed during the race, hitting the track's inside barrier in the accident. The inside barrier had no SAFER barrier, a safety addition added to track walls widely implemented after the death of Dale Earnhardt. He later described the impact as the "hardest [hit] of my life", advocating for the addition of a SAFER barrier. The accident caused renewed discussion over the safety of the Next Gen car NASCAR had been using since 2022, which had seen multiple injuries within its first year, along with further criticism from NASCAR senior vice president of competition Elton Sawyer for the lack of a proper barrier.

NASCAR
When the facility first opened in 2001, the second-tier NASCAR Xfinity Series held two races Tennessee Lottery 250 and Federated Auto Parts 300 while the NASCAR Truck Series held one race the Rackley Roofing 200 at the facility until the track's first closure in 2011. Both series returned to the facility during the track's reopening in 2021 with one race each.

The track also hosts the annual Ally 400, a NASCAR Cup Series event since 2021. The track had initially sought a Cup Series race since the track's planning, but was refused as the Cup Series schedule had grown to a point where adding another race was seen as unfeasible. On June 2, 2020, The Tennessean reported that Dover Motorsports was planning to host a Cup Series event for the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season, which would host the first Cup Series races for the Nashville area since 1984. The report was confirmed the next day, with Nashville replacing a Cup Series weekend at the Dover Motorsports-owned Dover International Speedway.

IndyCar
The track announced its first Indy Racing League (now known as the IndyCar Series) races in June 2000, with the inaugural iteration of the event taking place on July 21, 2001. The event lasted until 2008; although event organizers entered negotiations to renew for the 2009 season, by August 2008, negotiations had broken down, failing to renew their contract. In 2024, despite successful runnings of the Music City Grand Prix that took place on a street course in downtown Nashville since 2021, the IndyCar Series opted to change their location for the race to the Nashville Superspeedway after it was found that their course layout for 2024 would interfere with construction at the New Nissan Stadium, which was near the street course.

Lap records
As of June 2023, the fastest official race lap records at Nashville Superspeedway are listed as: