Locals Fight to Save Historic Greenville-Pickens Speedway From Demolition

Residents and racing supporters in South Carolina are pushing back against plans to demolish Greenville-Pickens Speedway and replace it with an industrial park, a fight that’s paused, at least for now, the bulldozers that once looked all but inevitable.

What’s Actually Being Proposed

The historic track in Pickens County is slated for redevelopment by SC Speedway Hwy, LLC, which has proposed building a 376,380-square-foot industrial building along with retail space, a gas station, and a restaurant complex on the site. Community members organized after word got out that demolishing the speedway would be the first step in clearing the property for that project.

The Fight to Save It

Tasha Porter Kummer, the first woman to win a Late Model race at the track and a longtime competitor there, has become one of the most visible voices opposing the demolition. She’s worked to build public support for preserving the facility and has reached out to potential investors, including people connected to the NASCAR community, to try to find a buyer for the property instead. Reports indicate she received an offer of roughly $3 million, though no sale has been finalized.

The pushback isn’t just sentimental. Greenville-Pickens Speedway is recognized as the second-oldest NASCAR-sanctioned track still standing in the United States and was the site of the first televised NASCAR race back in 1971. Over the decades, drivers including Ralph Earnhardt, Dale Earnhardt, Johnny Allen, and David Pearson all competed there, giving the facility a direct link to some of the sport’s most recognizable names. Supporters have used social media and public forums to press local officials to reconsider the redevelopment plans altogether.

Where Things Stand

For now, the demolition has hit a procedural snag: progress has been temporarily halted after developers failed to provide sufficient information about the road and traffic improvements tied to the project, and county officials are still reviewing the submitted plans. That pause buys time, but it isn’t a resolution. The track’s future remains genuinely uncertain as developers, county leaders, and the community continue working through what happens next.

About the Author

Eve Nowell

Administrator

Eve Nowell writes about cars for Backfire News, and she comes by it honestly—she grew up in a racing family, around engines and pit lanes before she was old enough to drive. That world isn't a beat she picked up; it's just where she's always been. At Backfire News she covers off-roading, classic car culture, motorsports, and the people behind the machines. She writes with the enthusiasm of someone who genuinely loves this stuff, but she's a stickler for getting the details right—the kind of writing that holds up with actual gearheads. She's still early in her career and building her own voice, bringing a fresh take to a world she's known her whole life. Her work runs across racing coverage, truck and off-road culture, collector vehicles, and the wider lifestyle that comes with all of it. When she's not writing, she's usually trackside, out in the garage, or chasing down the next story worth telling.

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