motor racing

Chesterfield County will be holding a community meeting next Tuesday to share draft recommendations for the Genito/Route 288 Special Focus Area Plan.

The open house will take place from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Clover Hill High School, where residents can ask questions or discuss the proposal with Supervisor Chris Winslow, Planning Commissioner Gloria Freye and officials with the county’s parks and recreation department.

A major point of contention is the future of Southside Speedway, which sits at the intersection of Genito Road and Oak Lake Boulevard and is adjacent to River City Sportsplex — a major hub for athletic tournaments that has generated millions in revenue since being acquired by the county in 2016.

The Speedway, a 47.1-acre property assessed in 2021 for about $1.8 million, was purchased by the county for $4.5 million last year from a family who had owned it since 1958. Currently, no racing is taking place.

Winslow said in an October community meeting that he had not been made aware of any formal offer to bring racing back but is “absolutely open to that.”

“We want to be intentional about getting a direction in place and so that means that if those folks who have financing for plans or have plans to finance, we want to hear about what those are,” Winslow said.

During that same meeting and last week’s board of supervisors meeting, people spoke up about the need to save what they called a site filled with history, where NASCAR champions such as Denny Hamlin, David Pierce and Wendell Scott, the latter of whom was the first Black driver to compete full time in the pro circuit, once raced.

County officials have voiced plans to “incorporate elements that highlight the racing history” in board documents.

In a public comment period during last week’s board of supervisors meeting, Chesterfield resident Rob Beals said he chose to move to Chesterfield County to be close to Southside Speedway, noting how the site has brought in industry experts and entrepreneurs to the area to work on the cars.

“Racing is a way of life for us. It’s part of our culture. It’s a passion that requires us to invest every bit of time, talent and treasure…