The future of the historic Greenville Pickens Speedway, a legendary NASCAR track, has been under threat for a long time. Finally, the track received a short reprieve. 

The Greenville Pickens track was scheduled for demolition, but that was put on hold with a new committee being formed to come up with a solution that preserves the legacy of the track. RealtyLink’s Phase 5 application was denied by the planning commission in a 6-1 vote. The proposal called for the construction of mixed-use industrial buildings behind the racetrack.

“We would love to see it up and back up and turn back into what it once was," said Tasha Kummer after the commission’s decision. "I think it could be very profitable for all of Pickens County, not just for races, but for car shows, STEM programs for kids.”

Tasha Kummer, the first female to win a Late Model race at Greenville Pickens Speedway, is a leading voice for the preservation and resurrection of the track. 

RealtyLink has been developing several warehouses in the surrounding areas of the Greenville Pickens track, and the demolition on the Speedway would allow them to continue on that portion of the property.

But their plan, which proposed building seven more industrial warehouses were denied because of the lack of traffic safety surveys provided to the commission. 

Preparations are already taking shape, although the final decision on the track’s reopening has not yet been reached.

“We even talked to the police department about having like speed chase, events there, or training courses," Kummer said. "People would love to see, maybe like the cop cars come out and have a race. It’s not just about racing, but as a community as a whole.”

Proposed ideas for the property also include festivals and small concerts.

Buyer Interest to Keep Greenville Pickens Track Alive?

The price of $4 million is what one would need to pay if they want to buy the track. There are reportedly a few suitors. One of them is resident Jackie Manley. Kummer spoke about the deal and said it’s still on the table. 

“Yes, they’re still very interested," she said. "The contracts on the table. They are just waiting for RealtyLink to get back with their lawyers on the stipulation that they had concerning the track. I think there were like six things that really needed to be discussed.”

Kummer said the wait is on for RealtyLink to respond and come back with an updated contract for the track. She also expressed that she finally sees the track start to get more support. 

Greenville Pickens is the second-oldest NASCAR-sanctioned track and historically hosted NASCAR’s first nationally televised race back in 1971.

The decision against demolition is only a temporary win, as developers still have the option to propose new plans for the site.

Find more news at Daytona Racing Digest.

Written by

Debrup Chaudhuri

Edited by

Soheli Tarafdar