“I’ll Run It, but I Need…”: Denny Hamlin Interested in Owning Southside Speedway, but There’s a Catch

While Denny Hamlin was a part of NASCAR as a driver for close to two decades with Joe Gibbs Racing, he ventured into ownership with 23XI Racing in 2021. But a few days ago, Dale Earnhardt Jr. brought his attention to another ownership opportunity. That was to own the Southside Speedway, a now abandoned racetrack in Virginia that needs to be restored.

This was a subject that Hamlin recently addressed in his podcast show, Actions Detrimental. Hamlin explained the truth behind the idea of him owning the racetrack as well as what he thinks the state should do to get the most out of it.

Denny Hamlin explains his prospects of owning Southside Speedway

During the recent episode of his podcast show, Hamlin claimed that he hopes “something can happen” so Southside can come back as a racetrack. Having said that, he clarified that he hasn’t spoken to any state or county officials in the last six months.

“I got asked about Southside Speedway this week during media. I guess the county has asked for proposals for those who want to run the facility to bring it back to life. Man, I hope something can happen so Southside can come back,” as he explained his stance on the whole thing. “My place with it was that, you know, they bought it for a certain amount of money, the county did, I don’t even know. I said, I’ll run it, but I need ‘x’ amount of dollars to enhance the place,” he described.

Hamlin believes the whole thing needs to be built anew so that it can be in “top shape” and be a place that not only attracts a touring series but also keeps the money coming in with events such as concerts, go-karting, and more.

Hamlin thinks his Southside ownership chances are low because of a crucial factor

Of course, to build a racetrack anew would take a lot of money, and Denny Hamlin is aware of that about Southside. Even though he doesn’t know the exact number, the veteran still hazarded a ballpark guess for the whole project. “It’s probably going to be between $5-10 million and that’s to make it really top, top short track stuff,” he said.

Hamlin urged the state or county to contribute to the restoration because his putting in his own money “doesn’t make sense,” especially if it is going to help bring tourism revenue. “I think there is a deal that if we came back to the table, and listen, I’m not interested in running Southside Speedway but I am if I own it but not if I don’t. It wouldn’t make sense time and effort-wise to run something that you don’t own,” he elaborated.

In the end, Hamlin claimed that he would like to revisit the whole thing with the county again so they can get to a mutual agreement and find a developer. They have until October 11 to present a plan for development.

With that said, he emphasized that his chances of getting involved are low unless the other side changes their mindset.