Since its rebirth a little more than one year ago, Nashville Superspeedway has become a champion for Middle Tennessee charitable causes.
Unfortunately, the last two years have provided many reasons for Middle Tennessee residents to circle the wagons to help one another. From the March 2020 tornadoes to the Christmas Day bombing and this summer’s devastating floods to the lingering specter of the pandemic, there has been no shortage of tragedies to respond to and rally against.
Track efforts, along with financial assistance from the NASCAR Foundation, Ally Financial and the Bear Hollow Wood Carvers, have led to nearly $100,000 going back into the greater Nashville community through several organizations.
"One of our key objectives for reopening Nashville Superspeedway has always been to use the venue as a force for good in this community," said track president Erik Moses. “Middle Tennessee comes together when its neighbors are struggling with hardship and it‘s our pleasure and core to our mission to assist those efforts however we can.”
For Make-A-Wish Middle Tennessee, those efforts included the track hosting two Make-A-Wish recipients (Braeson and Tyree) for laps around the 1.3-mile track in a pace car and a ceremony in Victory Lane less than a week before the Superspeedway‘s NASCAR weekend in June. Before the laps at the track, the boys toured the Rackley W.A.R. race team shop in Centerville, Tenn., where the team‘s trucks that compete in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series are constructed.
Make-A-Wish Middle Tennessee serves 38 counties and works to grant wishes to children with critical illnesses.
“The support from Nashville Superspeedway to help grant wishes for Braeson and Tyree gave them an amazing experience and, more importantly, gave them a chance to recapture part of their childhood,” says Beth Torres, President and CEO of the Make-A-Wish Middle Tennessee. “Nashville Superspeedway made it possible for two boys to put their medical conditions aside for a moment and realize their dream of being race car drivers.
“The spirit of Nashville is one of collaboration. Our chapter and our wonderful wish families benefit from this culture. Each wish asks our community to come together, support a family, and create beautiful, magical wishes.”
Assisting children is also the goal of the Boys & Girls Club of Rutherford County (Tenn.), which has distributed more than 24,000 meals to Club families during the COVID-19 pandemic. On Friday, June 18, Nashville Superspeedway hosted more than 100 children with the assistance of the Boys & Girls Club and the NASCAR Foundation for a Fun Day Festival. On the opening night of the Superspeedway‘s tripleheader weekend, the participants learned about healthy living while playing NASCAR-themed games.
“Our mission is to enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens,” says Beth Hackett, Resource Development Director for the Boys and Girls Club of Rutherford County.
While some projects can be accomplished with little or no costs, other organizations have to plan massive fundraising campaigns in order to meet their charitable goals. For Amputee Blade Runners, the equipment cost for a new athlete is $3,300, while the average cost for an athlete is around $2,000.
“Amputee Blade Runners seeks to help lower limb different athletes of all ages re-imagine what is possible in sports and in life,” says Joshua Southards, the Amputee Blade Runners‘ Executive Director. “Partners like Nashville Superspeedway are crucial to the mission of ABR. Nashville is an exceptionally generous community.”
Habitat for Humanity of Wilson County also benefits from the generosity of Volunteer State residents. The organization provides homeownership opportunities for working men and women who are unable to obtain a traditional mortgage and operates retail stores, the ReStore in Wilson County.
“The impact of investing in Habitat for Humanity is immeasurable,” said Jeff Bennett, Director of Divisions for Habitat. “Statistics show that children who grow up in homes are more likely to graduate from high school and college and to become contributing members of the community.”
The Nashville Habitat group, established in 1985, has built, recycled, or renovated more than 1,341 homes and served more than 3,341 family members, including more than 2,104 children. Almost 10,000 people annually volunteer for Habitat projects.
The roots of many Nashville-based organizations that have benefited from their relationship with Nashville Superspeedway go back generations. Box 55 Association, which provides on-site services to first responders such as fire departments, EMTs and police, was first established in 1952. The Urban League of Middle Tennessee, civil rights and urban advocacy organization, has supported the Nashville community since 1968.
“We care about our neighbors — it‘s the motivation behind empowering communities and changing lives,” says Clifton Harris, the Urban League‘s President and CEO. “As a partner, Nashville Superspeedway provides needed resources to help us make communities across Middle Tennessee stronger.”
Raceway Ministries began offering guest services and chapel experiences to race fans across the country in the 1970s. At Nashville Superspeedway‘s June NASCAR weekend, Raceway Ministries workers drove golf carts for disabled fans, staffed information tables, managed a campground hospitality/community center and provided a Sunday morning church service in the campgrounds.
“We are all about offering encouragement, assistance, inspiration and help to folks in need when crisis or disaster strikes, or when folks simply face the challenges of everyday life,” says Dr. Roger Marsh, the Raceway Ministries‘ Executive Director. “We also have observed the spirit of the Nashville community when it comes to helping others. On those occasions when Nashville itself has experienced challenge — tornadoes, flooding, bombings, etc. — the community has been resilient.”
To learn more on how your group can benefit through a relationship with the track, contact Ashley Shores, Nashville Superspeedway‘s Public Relations & Community Engagement Coordinator at [email protected].
Explore the links below to learn more about the organizations assisted by Nashville Superspeedway.
- AMPUTEE BLADE RUNNERS
- BOX 55 ASSOCIATION
- BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB (RUTHERFORD COUNTY, TENN.)
- HABITAT FOR HUMANITY OF GREATER NASHVILLE
- MAKE-A-WISH MIDDLE TENNESSEE
- RACEWAY MINISTRIES
- URBAN LEAGUE OF MIDDLE TENNESSEE
