The return of racing to Southside Speedway

Catch up quick: Southside Speedway, the amateur car racing track on Genito Road near 288, hosted its last race in 2019.

• In its 60 years, NASCAR legends like Richard Petty, Junior Johnson, Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin raced on the track, dubbed the "toughest short track in the South."
• Chesterfield bought the 41-acre site in 2021 for $4.5 million and put out a request for proposals two years later.

The latest: Chesterfield native Lin O'Neill and businessman Jeff Oakley, former Southside Speedway racers with local ties, are behind Competitive Racing Investments, per a news release.

• O'Neill was the man behind Save Southside Speedway, a multi-year grassroots coalition that wanted to save the racetrack from demolition, Richmond Magazine reported.
• Their lease with the county allows for the track to host other entertainment events, like concerts, the Times-Dispatch reported.

What's next: Before racing can begin, the track has to "undergo extensive upgrades," including redoing the racing surface and updating the grandstands.

• A timeline for reopening the track wasn't available.