Southside Speedway in Chesterfield County (Photo courtesy Chesterfield Economic Development Authority)
Racing could finally return to Southside Speedway, and Chesterfield County is looking for the people who can help make it happen.
The county issued a request for proposals in September calling for plans to upgrade the 61-year-old racetrack and related infrastructure “to ensure a safe return to racing for both participants” and at least 5,500 spectators. “The Toughest Short Track in the South” closed in 2020; the Chesterfield Economic Development Authority bought the property for $4.5 million in 2021. A report commissioned by the county found that the facility was unsafe for racing.
The proposed revival of the 14.8-acre racetrack is part of a larger vision for the surrounding area. The Genito/288 Special Focus Area Plan calls for commercial and residential development that would take advantage of a revitalized Southside Speedway and the River City Sportsplex, which received its own master plan in 2021. The Speedway RFP, which had an October deadline, also suggests that the racetrack should host community events, concerts and other sports.
“We’ve heard from many citizens loud and clear, including those who are passionate about returning racing to Southside,” Clover Hill District Supervisor Chris Winslow said in a statement. “It’s time to let the process work so that we may achieve a sustainable business plan for the site that helps unlock the area’s immense potential. Conversations and meetings continue as we look for capable partners to work hand in hand with the county.”
One of those potential partners is NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin, a veteran of the track and a Chesterfield native. On his podcast, “Actions Detrimental,” Hamlin clarified how involved he wants to be. He said he hadn’t talked to state or county officials in at least six months but that he was open to discussion and pegged the price at $5 million to $10 million. “That’s to really make it top short track stuff,” he said, echoing the county’s stance that the track should be used for more than just weekly racing series, listing concerts and go-karting as examples.
“My place with it was that [the county] bought it for a certain amount of money, [and] I said I’ll run it, but I need ‘x’ amount of dollars to enhance the place,” he added. “I think to get that track back to top shape and [have it] be a place where you could bring touring series … something other than a weekly show, that’s the tough part about it.”
“For me to do all of it doesn’t make sense, especially if I’m doing it to help [the county’s] tourism revenue. ... I’m not interested in running Southside Speedway; I am if I own it, but not if I don’t,” Hamlin said. “It would not make sense, time- and effort-wise, to run something you don’t own.”
