Overview
- Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s zMAX CARS Tour stop at Nashville Fairgrounds drew a sellout crowd Saturday, filling the grandstands with more than 12,500 fans and a 31-car field.
- Caden Kvapil won after a late restart, while Earnhardt advanced from 25th in qualifying to finish 12th in his first race at the track in 26 years.
- Earnhardt said his goal was to help keep the short track alive, stressing it is not “NASCAR or bust” and that local racing should continue under agreed limits.
- He voiced support for Speedway Motorsports leader Marcus Smith’s plan to renovate the venue and pursue a NASCAR return, a proposal that still requires city approval.
- The site’s future remains contested, with a lawsuit by former racer Neil Chaffin over a 2011 racing mandate and rival pitches for housing and mixed-use backed by attorneys Saul Solomon and Mike Kopp, with interest from Nashville SC owner John Ingram.