It was back in 2007 when Denny Hamlin returned to his home track, Southside Speedway, for a special 175-lap Late Model event, for the Denny Hamlin Foundation. He even brought along his then-teammate, Kyle Busch, drawing in a crowd that Southside Speedway hadn’t seen in years.
This moment showed us the magic of short-track racing, where local heroes like Hamlin inspire the community and fuel the racing dreams of young kids. Fast-forward to today, and we know that NASCAR has changed, but the attraction of such tracks remains the same.
Friday night racing at local speedways is steeped deep in American motorsports culture. For generations, families all over the country would come together to watch or participate in these events, making lifelong friendships and rivalries. However, with time many short tracks have struggled to maintain their relevance. Even after these challenges, there’s an increasing interest in the revival of iconic tracks, with Southside Speedway being one of them.
Setting the Record Straight
The revival of Southside Speedway is proof that the passion of the local community can lead to great things. An investor group, CRI, led by Lin O’Neil and Jeff Oakley, has decided to revive the ‘Toughest Track of the South’. The Board of Supervisors, the Chesterfield Economic Development Authority, has finalized a 20-year ground least-to-purchase agreement for the Southside Speedway.
“As one of the many people who grew up on Friday nights at Southside Speedway, the track holds a special place in my heart. Yesterday Jeff and I were rivals and today we are business partners who want to see our hometown racetrack thrive for years to come,” O’Neil said when asked of the Southside revival.
The story of Southside Speedway is deeply intertwined with the career of NASCAR star, Denny Hamlin. It’s where he learned his skills, earned his stripes, and ultimately, this is where he blossomed into a JGR developmental driver and made it to the NASCAR stage. So, when news broke of Southside’s revival, many assumed Hamlin would be a key player in this venture. However, when asked about his involvement, Hamlin revealed a surprising detail, “I’m not, no. I just had some talks with it, but I kind of just left it up to the state in the county to, you know, let me know what their next steps [are]. You know how they would like me involved in the next steps, and I haven’t heard back.”
This statement has sparked some speculation about why Hamlin’s influence had been overlooked for the revival of this home track. However, according to O’Neil, the door for Hamlin’s return is still open, “I reached out to Denny and showed him what I had—it just never went anywhere.”
Lin O’Neill says the emotions of the Southside Speedway’s revival is just like winning the Daytona 500.
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— Frontstretch (@Frontstretch) March 12, 2025
However, despite this lack of collaboration, O’Neil emphasized his respect for Hamlin and his connection to the track, “We hope to have Denny’s race back here if he wants to do it. This is his home track too…Hopefully, he’ll come in and help us with some things that would be really cool to help us get it even better than it ever was.”
O’Neil also took a cheeky dig at Hamlin’s championship-less tag and challenged him to repeat his winning feat at the 0.33-mile short oval.. “This is his home track too and before Denny retires he needs to win a race here, you know what I mean so we gotta give him that opportunity,” O’Neil added with a chuckle.
With the revival of Southside Speedway gaining traction, one cannot help but wonder, what does the future hold for Southside? Will Hamlin step in and help with the revival of his home track, or can we see the helping hand of another of sports’ biggest advocates for short-track racing, Dale Earnhardt Jr.?
Denny Hamlin’s Homecoming
As Southside Speedway readies up for its revival, it also raises a lot of questions. Will Denny Hamlin return for one more showdown like his 2007 Late Model race that drew never-seen-before amounts of crowds to Southside? The possibility of Hamlin teaming up with Dale Jr.’s CARS Tour could also become a game-changer for both attendance and visibility around the world.
One of the most talked about possibilities is the return of Denny Hamlin’s Short Track Showdown back to Southside Speedway. This charity event, which pits NASCAR stars against local drivers, was a fan-favorite during its early years at Southside from 2008 to 2010, before it moved to the Richmond International Raceway.
“This is truly one of my favorite events to host because of what it means for the local racers…It’s great they get to race against NASCAR veterans like Kyle [Busch], Timothy [Peters] and myself. Plus, I love the attention it gives to these historic Virginia tracks where many drivers, myself included, got our start racing stock cars,” Hamlin said while hosting one of these events, with all proceeds for these events also being donated to charity.
Another exciting possibility is the potential partnership with Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s CARS Tour. The CARS tour has gained significant popularity in recent years, under the guidance of Earnhardt Jr., showcasing late-model stock car racing at various historic short tracks across the country. Adding Southside Speedway to the CARS Tour can help attract national attention and bring the top-tier future talent back to Southside and learn the way Hamlin did in his formative years. Additionally, imagine a race featuring both Hamlin and Earnhardt Jr., racing late-model cars at Southside Speedway, it would break the attendance records and help create some memorable memories for fans and everyone involved.
As everyone awaits racing to return to Southside Speedway, one thing’s for sure, the comeback of this iconic track could reignite passion for short-track racing across the country, perhaps with NASCAR legends leading the way.
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