Dale Earnhardt Jr. Calls on Denny Hamlin to Save Forgotten NASCAR Track

Over the years in the NASCAR racing scene, Denny Hamlin has grown quite a lot both on and off the racetrack. While there is no doubt about his racing skillset, his business game has slowly evolved to take a strong presence in the modern-day NASCAR garage.

Just a few years ago, he dipped his feet into the world of racing team ownership after partnering up with the $2 Billion valued NBA Legend Michael Jordan. Of course, over time, or at least after he’s done with his racing career, he would look out to other businesses as well.

But interestingly now, a former NASCAR driver and Hall of Famer recently seemed to have named Hamlin as the person of choice who could end up joining him and his team of investors toward future track ownership.

NASCAR icon names Denny Hamlin for future track ownership

While the prospect of owning and operating a race track sounds fascinating, there are several hurdles to getting there. One of the main ones would be to wait for an opportunity to open up, along with several other things.

Well, in that case, if the $65 Million worth Hamlin opts to go ahead with track ownership sometime in the future, an opportunity just opened up. A short track by the name of Southside Speedway, Chesterfield has been reported to be looking for a new operator. The track has been sitting idle for some time now and has been around since back in 1949. Interestingly, the speedway had also hosted several Cup Series events starting from 1961.

Highlighting the news about the track looking for an owner, Dale Earnhardt Jr. recently tagged Denny Hamlin on social media, suggesting the 23XI Racing Team’s co-owner take up ownership of the old short track along with him and Matthew Dillner.

Interestingly, Hamlin has some history with this track as well. Early in his racing career, he raced in the Mini Stock division at Southside Speedway. Furthermore, he has also hosted races at this specific track for his short-track showdown events in the past.

What are the plans for the race track right now?

The Chesterfield Economic Development Authority has been actively looking toward either selling or leasing the track to a prospecting buyer as soon as possible. At the moment, they are the owners of the short track.

There has been a debate about allowing commercial development on the track grounds, including the possibility of constructing a hotel or shopping center. However, a recent report by Richmond BiZsense states that the county’s goals for the property are to revive the auto racing scene at the race track with sustainable business operations and to provide an entertainment space for concerts and community events.

This presents a potential opportunity for Hamlin to expand his business portfolio. Additionally, given Earnhardt Jr.’s successes in his own business ventures, this could be an ideal opportunity for him to join in as well. Furthermore, Hamlin could possibly end up following in the footsteps of Tony Stewart in the grassroots track ownership scene.