"Second-oldest continually operating track in America, Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway has been racing since 1904, and in 2026 the CARS Tour raced here for the first time."
Location: 625 Coliseum Way, Nashville, TN 37203 (Tennessee State Fairgrounds) Track Type: Paved short oval Length: 0.596 miles Surface: Asphalt Banking: 18° (turns) / 3° (straights) Opened: 1958 (current configuration) First NASCAR Race: August 10, 1958
Quick Answers
How big is Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway? The main oval is 0.596 miles, which the track rounds to five-eighths of a mile, with 18 degrees of banking in the turns and 3 on the straights. A quarter-mile inner oval hosts the local divisions.
Where is Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway? 625 Coliseum Way, Nashville, Tennessee, on the fairgrounds just south of downtown. It is a different track from Nashville Superspeedway, which hosts NASCAR's national series today.
Did NASCAR race at Nashville Fairgrounds? Yes. The Cup Series ran 42 races here between 1958 and 1984. Richard Petty won nine and Darrell Waltrip won eight. Geoff Bodine won the last one.
When is the All American 400? The 41st running is Sunday, November 8, 2026. It closes a three-day weekend that opens Friday, November 6.
Where do you park and sit? Parking is $10. Paved lots are off Wedgewood Avenue and two grass lots are at Gate 7 on Craighead Street. All grandstand seating is general admission, and the upper level sits under the track's free-standing canopy. Those details are from the track's fan guide for its October 3, 2026 event.
Who won the first CARS Tour race at Nashville? Caden Kvapil won the Late Model Stock Car race and Dawson Sutton won the Pro Late Model race on Saturday, April 11, 2026.
Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway Schedule: Remaining 2026 Dates
| Date | Day | Event |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 3 | Saturday | Autumn Thunder: Pro Late Models (100 laps) and local divisions. Gates 3 p.m., racing 5 p.m. |
| Nov 6 | Friday | All American 400 weekend: Quarter Mile Championship Night |
| Nov 7 | Saturday | All American 400 weekend: racing moves to the five-eighths-mile oval |
| Nov 8 | Sunday | 41st All American 400 |
Dates are from the track's own announcements, checked October 1, 2026. Confirm at nashvillefairgroundsspeedway.racing before you travel.
Overview
Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway is a 0.596-mile paved oval set on the grounds of the Tennessee State Fairgrounds, just south of downtown Nashville. The second-oldest continually operating racing facility in the United States, the track has hosted motorsports in some form since 1904, when the site ran horseless carriage and motorcycle races on a 1⅛-mile dirt oval. The modern paved speedway opened in 1958 and quickly became one of the South's most competitive short ovals, hosting 42 NASCAR Cup Series events between 1958 and 1984.
Today the track remains an active regional venue anchored by the All American 400, one of the most prestigious Super Late Model events in the country. On April 11, 2026, it hosted its first CARS Tour event.
History
Racing at the Tennessee State Fairgrounds dates to June 11, 1904. The modern paved speedway opened in 1958, and on August 10 of that year a capacity crowd of 13,998 fans watched Joe Weatherly win the inaugural NASCAR race.
The track became a NASCAR fixture through the 1960s and 1970s, with two drivers rising above all others. Richard Petty won nine Cup events here. Darrell Waltrip, a Tennessee native racing on home soil, added eight victories of his own. Together they accounted for 17 of the track's 42 Cup wins and made Nashville one of the circuit's marquee short-track stops.
In 1969 and 1970, the track was lengthened to its current 0.596-mile configuration. In 1972, the corner banking was regraded from 35 degrees to 18 degrees, giving the track its modern character: fast, technically demanding, and a premium on smooth entry and precise car setup. The final Cup race ran in 1984, won by Geoff Bodine driving for All Star Racing, the early incarnation of what would become Hendrick Motorsports.
Since departing the Cup schedule, Nashville Fairgrounds has remained a vibrant regional hub. The All American 400, a Super Late Model feature first run in 1981, reaches its 41st running in 2026, drawing top talent from across the Southeast and cementing the track's reputation as a bucket-list destination for short-track fans.
Key Drivers
Richard Petty (9 Cup wins) and Darrell Waltrip (8 Cup wins) defined the Cup era at Nashville. Joe Weatherly opened the book with the first win in 1958. Geoff Bodine closed the Cup chapter in 1984 in a win that helped launch the Hendrick Motorsports dynasty.
In 2026, Dale Earnhardt Jr., CARS Tour co-owner, drove the No. 8 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet in the inaugural CARS Tour event at Nashville, bringing national attention to the weekend. Tate Fogleman, Caden Kvapil, Landen Lewis, and Conner Jones were among the Late Model Stock Car regulars entered for the Tootsie's Music City Showdown.
2026 CARS Tour: Tootsie's Music City Showdown Results
Nashville Fairgrounds hosted its first CARS Tour race on Saturday, April 11, 2026. The Tootsie's Music City Showdown ran both the Late Model Stock Car and Pro Late Model divisions as a doubleheader. Caden Kvapil won the Late Model Stock Car race and Dawson Sutton won the Pro Late Model race. The 31-car Late Model Stock entry list included many of the series' top regulars alongside CARS Tour co-owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the No. 8, and his presence in the field drew national media attention and sold out the event's premium seating.