The Old Nashville Fairgrounds and the Nashville Speedway

In June of 1904, the Nashville Speedway was home to “horseless carriage” and motorcycle races. At the time, the track was made of dirt and would host harness horse racing on special occasions.

By September of 1904, a new racing series was introduced to Tennesseans that involved the modern marvel… cars. Some racing around the bend at speeds of 60-miles-per-hour.

Several years later in 1915, a few drivers from the Indianapolis 500 decided to head to Nashville to take a few runs around the small track. Growing in popularity, the races grew larger and larger audiences into the 30’s and 40’s. However, it wasn’t until 1958 that organizers decided to pave the track.

The old Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway held their first NASCAR Grand National Race of 200-laps in 1959. Music City continued to host a leg of the NASCAR Grand National / Winston Cup Series races up until 1984.

In the 2000’s, the track was renamed the Music City Motorplex. Today (2022), the track is known as the Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway and hosts a number of races to include the Bass Tire 100, the Camping World SRX Series and more.

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Big Machine Music City Grand Prix 2021

A crowd of more than 140,000 spectators were in downtown Nashville for the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix. Fans from all over the globe filled hotels throughout Middle Tennessee. The event reportedly generated over $20-million in revenue for Nashville and the 8-counties that surround the Metro area – and that number doesn't include the funds used to organize and set-up the 3-day race (Aug. 6, 7, 8, 2021).

Winning the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix on Sunday evening was Marcus Ericsson from Sweden. Driving for Chip Ganassi Racing, his Honda powered IndyCar won the race after smashing the nose of his ride into car number 14. 30-Year-old Ericsson finished within 1.5596 seconds of his teammate Scott Dixon.

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Photography and Story by Scott Walker

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Korean Veterans Memorial Bridge during Sunday racing in Nashville, Tennessee - Aug. 8, 2021.

One of the highlights of the race occurred when the 27-cars traveled over the Korean Veterans Memorial Bridge. In fact, the bridge over the river was a first for the IndyCar circuit in the U.S. and one of only a few courses in the world to cross over a river the size of the Cumberland.

Known for their speed, the IndyCars were reported to have hit 185 miles per hour as they traveled 80-feet above the Cumberland River while crossing the 553-yard bridge (1,660-feet in length). The straightaway at the start and end of the bridge, including the roadway leading up to and away from the bridge, was approximately 2,200-feet, which made it the longest straightaway for IndyCar this season.

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Lot’s of wrecks took place on the race course that included 11-turns in the 2.17-mile run. One of those wrecks (above) involved #48, Jimmie Johnson. Evidently, Johnson tweeted that the course was really “bumpy.”

Murfreesboro's MTSU played a role in helping to ensure safety measures were in place. The MTSU School of Concrete and Construction Management helped to design and build the racing barriers along the course and on pit row.

Life is a Highway... Well, Route 66 is a Highway

Route 66 was once the main artery through the desert lands of the west leading to the metropolis of Chicago.

The route was dotted with only a handful of mom and pop gas stations along the way. Some still standing while others fall in decay and are now abandoned.

"Because the greatest part of a road trip isn’t arriving at your destination. It’s all the wild stuff that happens along the way.” — Emma Chase

Slower Pace

In some areas of Cuba, it is a slower pace of life. Instead of cars roaring down narrow streets, you often see taxis with pedals instead of engines. Conversation instead of cellphones. Smiles instead of glares.

“If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away." ― Henry David Thoreau

Underdog in the Supercar Fight

ABOVE: 2013 Lamborghini LP 550-2. The "2" is slightly more obscure than other Gallardo's because it is only rear wheel drive as opposed to all wheel drive. Perhaps this makes it slightly more exciting for automobile enthusiasts? My guess would be a solid yes.

He was born into the world to a family of grape farmers in 1916. Seeing the need for a better tractor, he started his own manufacturing company in 1948.

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As an Italian who appreciated the artistic body of a fine automobile, Ferruccio Lamborghini had the income with tractor production in his pocket to buy a Ferrari. So, the man who grew up with little soon bought a few Ferrari's.

In 1963, tired of dealing with the mechanical maintenance of Ferrari, tired of poor customer service, Mr. Lamborghini decided to build his own super car.

Automobili Lamborghini officially born. Possibly, the true underdog in the supercar fight.

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Raining in the streets

“Let the rain kiss you. Let the rain beat upon your head with silver liquid drops. Let the rain sing you a lullaby.”

— Langston Hughes

Quiet Midnight Street

On a quiet midnight street.

"I want to run
I want to hide
I want to tear down the walls
That hold me inside
I wanna reach out
And touch the flame
Where the streets have no name"

- U2, 1987

An amazing state full of different

The area surrounding the Grand Canyon in Arizona is interesting on multiple levels. Nature supplies the region with thick firm plants, multicolored rocks filled with reds, browns, grays and even shades of green. The rock formations are massive, jagged, and far reaching. When you see them in person it is almost too hard to comprehend they are real.

Below the shadows of the rock mountains you will find vast fields and small homes or even huts every 10 to 20 miles. You may spot boats left to decay in a field, old cars or trailers. Farm animals are something you don’t see as much. Gardens and landscaping are equally rare.

The high school graduation rate in Arizona is not on par with the rest of the country. Arizona ranks number 44 on the list for having one of the lower graduation rates. On the flip side, Arizona residents seem to enjoy better health with a ranking of 28 on the list. They also rank at number 17 on the list for having the fewest hospital re-admissions.

Depending on where you live in the mountainous / desert environment you may receive notices from the National Parks Service to conserve water. One of those notices is in effect now.

Bottom line: A trip to Arizona is like a trip to a far away planet. It looks too unreal to be real. It is amazing in every way. It is beautiful yet strangely scarce.

Off to the Races

Race horses are bred for one thing… to run. 

If you have ever been to the races, have you taken the time to watch the muscular horses make their way to and from their stalls? They fight their handler all the way in. They show their teeth, they pull away, they strut the opposite direction, and they sometimes rare back onto their hind feet. 

The Thoroughbred race horse resembles its historic Arabian descendants. It is a horse that is stout and quick to jump, run or escape the rider in some cases. 

The American Quarter horse is a popular breed in races as well. The smaller, muscular horses have sometimes been clocked at speeds of 55 miles per hour. The life expectancy is usually around 27 to 30-years of both Quarter horses and Thoroughbred’s, assuming no serious injuries end that life early. 

When I think of race horses, I think of that old school jazz infused big band style of music. I think of Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra and Betty Grable. 

“Gal is like a racehorse, I play her to win
But if I should lose her, another may come in
Love can be like heaven, love can be a joke
But it's worth a gamble so, hey, I go for broke”
- Dean Martin, “Who’s Got the Action”

The Drifter

He was sitting on his bike outside of a bar in downtown Nashville. "LOVE" and "HATE" tattooed to his fingers... He looked like the type who drifted into town with the thought of one night, but likely turned into two and later three.

By ten that evening, he was laying down on his ride with his feet hanging over the rear tire – his head on his handlebars. It was as if he owned the street and if he was told to move on, with a spit he’d say no and sit tight.

The type most would not approach in fear of not being able to walk away, he sat alone as the traffic around him blurred past.

"Got no strings to tie me down
Got no cause to hang around
What difference does it make which way I go
Got an empty feelin' down inside
Still I need to stay alive
Who can tell what waits beyond this road
I'm a drifter, lonesome drifter"

- Johnny Cash, “I'm A Drifter” (Version 2)

The relax after the ride

“A man went looking for America and couldn’t find it anywhere” - Easy Rider

The Great Race stops in Murfreesboro, Tennessee

Murfreesboro, Tennessee hosted a lunch stop on the 2017 Hemmings Motor News Great Race presented by Hagerty. The cars stopped in Murfreesboro on Monday, June 26, 2017 at 12 noon. The stop was at the Cannonsburgh Village.

The Great Race, the world's premiere old car rally, brought 120 of the world's finest antique automobiles to Murfreesboro for the $150,000 event. The Stones River Region of AACA hosted the event.

In all, the participants in the race will cover more than 2,100 miles in 9 days. The start was on Main Street in downtown Jacksonville, Fla., on June 24.  The race will finish July 2 in Traverse City, Mich., on the banks of Grand Traverse Bay just off Lake Michigan as part of that city's annual Cherry Festival.

Teams and cars from Japan, England, Germany, Canada and every corner of the United States will be participating in their vintage automobiles dating back as far as 1916.

"There are more than 450 people just in our entourage from all around the world taking part in this incredible adventure," director Jeff Stumb said. 

Along the route, competitors will travel parts of the original Dixie Highway in seven states - Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio and Michigan. 

The Great Race, which began 34 years ago, is not a speed race, but a time/speed/distance rally. The vehicles, each with a driver and navigator, are given precise instructions each day that detail every move down to the second. They are scored at secret check points along the way and are penalized one second for each second either early or late. As in golf, the lowest score wins.