Dale Jr. Will Race Nashville Fairgrounds Every Year if NASCAR Comes Back

Dale Earnhardt Jr. is so dedicated to the idea of NASCAR returning to Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway that he has already devoted the biggest asset the industry has for its hypothetical return.

Himself.

Since retiring from full-time Cup Series competition in 2017, Earnhardt has raced once a year in the NASCAR Xfinity Series for JR Motorsports. Should Speedway Motorsports Inc. and the City of Nashville close out on an agreement to bring NASCAR back, Earnhardt has already said he will enter the first race back.

During a press conference before the ARCA, Super Late Model and Pro Late Model tripleheader over the weekend, he took it a step further and said he would race at the Fairgrounds every year until he completely retires if NASCAR comes back to the Music City.

"If they run Xfinity Series here, I'll be here," Earnhardt said. "I’ll run once a year. I'll probably do that as long as I can and there should be a few more years of that. Hopefully we can get the Xfinity here soon; the next couple of years because I'd love to come out here and compete."

Speedway Motorsports Inc., which also owns nearby Bristol Motor Speedway, is currently working with the Nashville Fair Board of Commissioners to establish the framework of such an agreement. Nashville Mayor John Cooper entered into a letter of intent to bring NASCAR back to the city, but that’s dependent on Fair Board approval.

That process will continue on Wednesday in the latest monthly meeting where Bristol Motor Speedway vice president Jerry Caldwell is expected to present the results of his community engagement. Before any deal can be signed, and before the Fair Board will vote, SMI will need to work to alleviate concerns from the nearby neighborhood.

Those concerns include the number of days the track will be open for tests, noise mitigation and economic benefits.

Earnhardt will be important to that engagement, serving as a popular and familiar face to a community that still supports stock car racing in the form of a monthly show, even as NASCAR hasn’t visited the track in 21 years.