The Smell of Burning Rubber
🏎 Speedway standoff continues · Submit your Waymo complaints · City officials don't want to disturb the dead · Much more!
Good afternoon, everyone. Racing enthusiasts and affordable housing stans continue to wrestle over the fate of Fairgrounds Nashville Speedway... Waymo in your way? Submit your complaints... City opposes exhumation of Thomas Jefferson's nephew... And much more!
Terrorism in America Join us this Thursday, April 16th for a discussion with domestic terrorism expert Kyle Shideler as we dig into the federal government's response to the Charlie Kirk assassination and what it means for us here locally. (Buy Ticket)
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Opposition revs up over Fairgrounds Speedway’s future.
From Megan Podsiedlik
The Beginning The Fairgrounds Nashville got its start as a horse racing track back in 1891. In 1904, when horse-drawn carts and wagons, trains, streetcars, ferries, and bicycles marked the main modes of transportation, the allure of the automobile captured the imagination of Americans. The fever inspired the construction of the Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway, which held its first race that same year.
Battle Lines Drawn The effort to keep Nashville’s racing legacy alive has become an ongoing battle since 2009, when financial concerns began to threaten the future of the fairgrounds. Dale Earnhardt Jr. is the latest to weigh in on the speedway’s potential closure, calling the possibility "heartbreaking" for the racing community.
On Saturday, the NASCAR legend drew a sellout crowd upon his return to Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway for the zMAX CARS Tour's Tootsie's Music City Showdown. Earnhardt Jr.’s sentiments come as a local coalition seeks to amend the charter to ban racing and prioritize affordable housing at the speedway. The group needs about 50,000 signatures in order for it to show up on November’s ballot, at which point Nashvillians would vote on the fate of racing at the fairgrounds.
Much like previous attempts to reimagine the speedway, pushback from the racing community has been fierce. In February, former racer Neil Chaffin challenged the effort with a lawsuit, hoping the coalition will rewrite the referendum to protect racing as part of the Nashville Fairgrounds charter.
Background Despite the Nashville Fairgrounds yielding diminishing returns, Metro is still sleeping on NASCAR. In March 2023, the Nashville Board of Fair Commissioners approved Bristol Motor Speedway's proposal to lease the Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway. The plan included a racetrack renovation to attract NASCAR and other major racing events.
During a Board of Fair Commissioners meeting in 2024, Chairman Jasper Hendricks raised concerns about the fairgrounds remaining in the red while waiting on the mayor and the council to make a move on the stale deal. “As a board, I think we need to start being realistic about the future of the property,” said Hendricks. “Every year that we're in a million-dollar deficit, that's a million dollars the county could have done something within public education or violence prevention or something else in the community.”
Last year, Speedway Motorsports renewed its interest with Mayor Freddie O’Connell, and proposed a new agreement that included a track renovation featuring a new grandstand, parking structure, and mufflers on race cars for non-NASCAR events. As evidenced by the recent petition to ban racing all together, the fate of the speedway remains in limbo.
✹ TERRORISM IN AMERICA
Domestic Threats to Americans Following the assassination of Charlie Kirk, the Trump administration declared its intent to counter domestic terrorism and organized political violence.
These efforts have been ongoing and recently bore some fruit, including major federal convictions and an upcoming international summit focused on countering the left-wing movement Antifa and other groups.
Join us to learn from an expert in the field on domestic threats to the American people, Kyle Shideler, and what the Trump administration's efforts mean for Nashville.
This event is for the benefit of The Pamphleteer, Nashville, and priced with that in mind. Bard-level subscribers receive free admittance.
BLURBS
🚗 New Road Rage Hits Nashville Stuck behind a confused, driverless car? Cut off by a ghost driver? You can now submit your complaints through hubNashville.
Just imagine being trapped in the back seat of an autonomous vehicle while sixteen lanes of traffic honk at you for blocking Broadway. Perhaps this will be a new spot on the CMA Fest bingo card.
Waymo launched its autonomous ride-share service last Tuesday. Since then, Metro has already received 33 complaints. MEGAN PODSIEDLIK
✹ METRO COUNCIL WATCH
New Council Watch Features We've added additional features to Council Watch. In addition to who's funding your councilmember, you can now see how they vote and who they vote with most frequently. (Take a Look)
HEADLINES
- 🪦 City opposes exhuming Thomas Jefferson nephew's Nashville grave. Nashville's city government is fighting back against an attempt to exhume the body of one of President Thomas Jefferson's relatives who is buried in the city. In response to a petition filed by John Hamilton Works Jr.—a Washington, D.C. professor who says he is a seventh-generation descendant of Jefferson—the city's law department said disturbing a grave is only allowed in very specific circumstances, none of which are present in the case. (Tennessean)
- 💰 Property tax appeal deadline is this Friday. The Online Filing System (OFS) is available for filing your 2026 Informal Review Request. The deadline for requesting an Informal Review is Friday, April 17, 2026, at 4:00 p.m. Informal Review decisions will be mailed in late April. While an Informal Review may be helpful, it is not required for you to file a Formal Appeal directly with the independent Metropolitan Board of Equalization (MBOE) and its Hearing Officers. We will begin accepting appointments for Formal Appeals with the MBOE the Monday after notices are mailed. More information regarding Formal Appeal deadline dates to come. (Metro Assessor of Property)
- 🏫 House narrowly passes voucher expansion. Yesterday, the Tennessee House voted 52-43—just meeting the majority needed to pass—to add 15,000 seats to the state’s Education Freedom Scholarship program for the 2026-27 school year, bringing the total to 35,000 and nearly doubling the universal school voucher program. The bill now heads to the senate.(Banner)
- ⛔ Double Arch Bridge in Franklin to shut down for nearly a year. Starting Wednesday, the bridge on Natchez Trace Parkway will be closed for construction. (WSMV)
DEVELOPMENT
- Perenn will open its fourth Nashville-area location at Cheekwood Estate & Gardens (NBJ)
- XOi opens new Gulch headquarters (Post)
THINGS TO DO
View our calendar for the week here.
📅 Visit our On The Radar list to find upcoming events around Nashville.
🎧 On Spotify: Pamphleteer's Picks, a playlist of our favorite bands in town this week.
👨🏻🌾 Check out our Nashville farmer's market guide.
TONIGHT
🎸 BRONCHO @ Cannery Hall - The Mil, 8p, $34.17, Info
🎸 They Are Gutting A Body of Water @ The Blue Room, 7p, $27.82, Info
🪕 Talbot Mayo @ Dee's Lounge, 7p, $5, Info
🎸 Honky Tonk Tuesday @ Eastside Bowl, 8p, $10, Info
+ two-step lessons @ 7p, The Cowpokes @ 8p
📰 Check out the full newsletter archive here.
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Today's newsletter is brought to you by Davis Hunt, Megan Podsiedlik, and Camelia Brennan.