OT: Big Bad John Ingram

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DS2001
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OT: Big Bad John Ingram

Post by DS2001 »

I know his family has almost singlehandedly kept Vanderbilt athletics afloat all these years, but he's decided that a renovated Fairgrounds Speedway would be too much "competition" for his Nashville SC Geodis Park and its not fair! He's fired off a letter to all the media outlets saying his organization is being mistreated by Metro Government because they are pushing a plan to have Bristol Motor Speedway enter into a long term agreement to renovate and manage the speedway and run a NASCAR race there every other year.
What Ingram REALLY wants is for the speedway to continue to deteriorate (nothing's been done to it in over 40 years) so he can ultimately take it over and build giant Parking lots for the soccer crowd who currently have little places to park for games. (They didn't think about parking when they built Geodis Park).
Since the issue is getting ready to go to the Metro Council, John and his Nashville SC associates have decided the "sky is falling" strategy needed to be employed NOW, even though this issue has been discussed quite frequently since Geodis Park opened.
It will be interesting to see if the billionaire MLS club owner can quash Metro taxpayers and takeover that speedway land.


MrMemorial
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Re: OT: Big Bad John Ingram

Post by MrMemorial »

DS2001 wrote: Thu Jun 01, 2023 3:16 pm I know his family has almost singlehandedly kept Vanderbilt athletics afloat all these years, but he's decided that a renovated Fairgrounds Speedway would be too much "competition" for his Nashville SC Geodis Park and its not fair! He's fired off a letter to all the media outlets saying his organization is being mistreated by Metro Government because they are pushing a plan to have Bristol Motor Speedway enter into a long term agreement to renovate and manage the speedway and run a NASCAR race there every other year.
What Ingram REALLY wants is for the speedway to continue to deteriorate (nothing's been done to it in over 40 years) so he can ultimately take it over and build giant Parking lots for the soccer crowd who currently have little places to park for games. (They didn't think about parking when they built Geodis Park).
Since the issue is getting ready to go to the Metro Council, John and his Nashville SC associates have decided the "sky is falling" strategy needed to be employed NOW, even though this issue has been discussed quite frequently since Geodis Park opened.
It will be interesting to see if the billionaire MLS club owner can quash Metro taxpayers and takeover that speedway land.
There is a much newer and larger race track facility on 840 as you know. Nashville doesn't need two.

I am not taking sides between soccer and nascar because I would watch paint dry before watching either.
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FayetteDore
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Re: OT: Big Bad John Ingram

Post by FayetteDore »

I'm with Big John on this one. A racetrack doesn't need to be in that area; when I lived in Oak Hill, a good 5-8 miles away, it sounded like it was next door. I'd hate to think how loud it is in all the new residential development over in that area. And as noted above, there's a virtually new track out off I-840.

And the Tennessean article said taxpayers ARE on the hook for the track under the deal with Bristol. Here's the excerpt:
Renovations under the proposed deal would be covered by public funding from the state, Nashville Convention and Visitors Corp. and revenue bonds issued by the Metro Sports Authority. Bristol Motor Speedway would be responsible for construction cost overages and any maintenance costs not covered by diverted tax revenues.


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Re: OT: Big Bad John Ingram

Post by charlestonalum »

Ingram supports VU and that makes him my friend.
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Re: OT: Big Bad John Ingram

Post by AuricGoldfinger »

I don't live in Nashville but have kept up with the development of GEODIS Park and the surrounding Fairgrounds, and I don't see how this wasn't inevitable from day one of the discussion about the soccer venue.

I still remember being a freshman back at Vandy in the 1980s and being able to clearly hear the roar of the cars at the racetrack on a Friday or Saturday night with my dorm room window open.
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Re: OT: Big Bad John Ingram

Post by vandybl »

When I first moved to Nashville in 1974, I lived in the Melrose area about a mile and a half from the racetrack. On the weekends, if you were outside at a pool or on a patio, the race-car noise was deafening. I totally agree with Mr. Ingram. As far as a racetrack for this area - promote the one out in the country. It has more parking spaces and will not bother the folks in the downtown Nashville area. Do what is best for the city.
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Re: OT: Big Bad John Ingram

Post by Nashmann »

Racetrack does NOT need to be in that residential area....period!
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