Track Information

There has been a lot of excitement within the racing community after it was announced that Newport Speedway had been purchased and is planning to reopen. That excitement has been followed with lots of questions which hopefully can be answered below:

Q: Has the race track really been sold?
A: Yes! The sale of the property concluded on April 1st (not a joke), 2024. Chuck Ward has bought the property with the intent of renovating the property and turning it into a multi-entertainment venue and a Eastern Tennessee destination.

Q: How soon will work begin at the track after the sale?
A: Work on the facility began as soon as the closing was finalized. There is no definite timeline in place yet however a massive cleanup effort has already taken place at the venue which has seen the removal of the junk cars which had been located on the track grounds. Follow the progress as it happens at the Newport Speedway Facebook page.

Q: Will there be racing in 2024?
A: Mr. Ward has made it a goal to try to hold 4-6 races at the track this year. That, of course will depend on the speed of the renovations. It was announced in late May that the Southeast Super Trucks and Southeast Limited Late Models touring series would be hold races later in the year. The Overmountain Rally and East10 Drifting will also hold events at the track. These are one-off events which those series' officials will be handling and will not involve any official track divisions. Again, follow the website or Facebook page for updates as they are announced.

Q: Are you going to make it a dirt track?
A: NO. Newport Speedway will remain a paved track and to our knowledge will be the only one operating between Nashville and the Tri-Cities. If you want to see dirt racing, there is 411 Speedway in Gatlinburg and Volunteer Speedway in Bulls Gap.

Q: What classes/series are you going to run?
A: All of that information is TBA. Once those decisions have been made, or a touring series has been booked to race at the track, that will be announced on both the tracks' website and social media. We understand the would-be track competitors are wanting to know an that information will be forthcoming as soon as its available.

Q: Are you hiring?
A: When it is time to begin looking for hired staff to help with racing operations, we will again put that information out on both the track website and social media.

Q: Will the junk yard still be on the grounds?
A: Newport Raceway Auto Parts & Towing has ceased operations and the junk cars and equipment are in the process of being removed from the grounds to make way for renovations to the property.

Q: What is your race day schedule?
A: Schedules, calendars, rules packages etc. will be announced at a later date. Right now the top priority is to get the facility back into operating condition after sitting dormant for six years. There is lots of work to be done to the property before those items are even thought about.

Q: Who owns the track now?
A: Chuck Ward is a native of East Tennessee and a proprietor of several East Tennessee business ventures including Chuck Ward Real Estate Investments and the well-known Cotton Eyed Joe entertainment venue in Knoxville. Mr. Ward has also owned race teams which competed at both 411 Speedway and Newport Speedways as well as the Southern All Star Racing Series.

Q: Will you allow third party vendors to sell during races?
A: Those decisions will be made once the infrastructure is taken care of and the focus turns to racing programming.

Q: What are Newport Speedway's stats?
A: Newport Speedway is a 4/10 mile paved oval. It was originally a dirt track until it was paved in 1988. The banking in the turns is a whopping 26 degrees which has given the track the loving moniker of "Little Bristol" (Bristol's banking is 24-28 degrees)

Q: Did Newport Speedway host NASCAR races?
A: No, Newport, Tennessee has been the home to two Newport Speedways. The first one was a 1/2 mile dirt oval which was built at the Tennessee Carolina Fairgrounds. That track held two NASCAR races in 1956 and 1957 with Fireball Roberts winning both events. That track closed in 1967 after the track promoter and fair board members could not come to terms of use. The ruins of turns 1-2, and the grandstand are still visible at the now Cocke County Fairgrounds to this day.

Q: Will you make the track a dirt track?
A: Again, no...we get asked that all the time so we felt we should answer it twice so everyone knows ;)