Nashville lawsuit filed to challenge proposed racing ban at fairgrounds
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A former race car driver sued Friday to challenge the proposed Metro charter amendment to ban auto racing at the Nashville fairgrounds.
Why it matters: The push to ban auto racing comes at the same time that Speedway Motorsports Inc. is pursuing a plan to revamp the speedway in hopes of bringing NASCAR races back to Nashville.
- A coalition of neighborhood groups and environmental groups wants to put the racing-ban measure on the November ballot. The lawsuit calls into question whether they will be able to do so.
Driving the news: The challenge was filed by Neil Chaffin, who used to race at the fairgrounds speedway and currently owns cars that race there.
Between the lines: Chaffin's lawsuit, filed in Chancery Court, zeroes in on a technical issue. The suit argues the proposed ballot language inaccurately uses the terms Tennessee State Fair and Tennessee Fairgrounds instead of Nashville Fairgrounds.
- The State Fair, which once took place in Nashville, is now held in Wilson County.
Zoom out: The anti-racing coalition's proposal seeks to do two things.
- It would replace auto racing with affordable housing on the charter's list of required programming at the fairgrounds.
- It would also ban auto racing on the property. Lead owner of the Nashville SC and powerful businessperson John Ingram supports the plan.
The other side: Mike Kopp, a spokesperson for the group seeking to ban racing, said the term "Tennessee State Fair" is open to interpretation, based on an earlier Chancery Court ruling.
- "We anticipated this kind of frivolous lawsuit by racing special interests. This is yet another example of how North Carolina-based Speedway Motorsports seeks to undermine the will of Nashville voters," Kopp said.
What's next: If the ballot measure survives the legal challenge, the group will have 90 days to collect about 50,000 Davidson County voter signatures in order to get the charter amendment onto the November ballot.
- Voters would then decide whether to ban racing at the fairgrounds.