Storied Virginia Short Track Speedway Reopens After Lying Derelict For Years: Report

CHESTERFIELD, VA – The “toughest short track in the south” is roaring again, as hot rods returned to the oval Friday night after a 6-year absence.

WTVR 6 Chesterfield reports that the storied Southside Speedway held a cruise-in event Friday night, marking the beginning of the revival of the nearly 70-year-old track.

The racing oval, which first opened in 1948, had to close its doors in 2020 due to Covid-19 restrictions and hadn’t heard the rumble of an engine until the Friday night event. Reportedly, more than 21,000 people signed a petition to save the historic 0.33-mile track, on which reputations have been made.

Southside Speedway’s revival began when the county, which had bought the track to preserve it, struck a lease-to-purchase agreement with Competitive Racing Investments in 2025, according to Racing Circuits Info. Details are still being finalized, but according to WTVR, the track is planning to host its first race in 2027 and its next full season the following year.

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