I have virtually zero interest in auto racing, but I sure hope the Indy Racing League keeps its Nashville race here in town. The city essentially forfeited its two Winston Cup races in the mid-80s and has watched from the roadside as NASCAR has enjoyed an unprecedented boom the past two decades.

Nashville’s annual IRL race is good exposure for the city and adds to the entertainment options available for local residents. I will likely never traverse the gates at the superspeedway, but I hope that many others have the opportunity to do so to see IRL events and, hopefully someday, Sprint Cup events there.

As unlikely as adding a Sprint Cup date might be today, losing an IRL race would do nothing to help that long-term cause. It would be especially unfortunate to see the IRL leave town just as the league’s ugly battle with the Champ Car series is ending. That’s a development that will likely lead to renewed interest and increased popularity for open-wheel racing.

Bridgestone Firestone Motorsports Executive Director Al Speyer said the company would not insist that an IndyCar race remain at Nashville Superspeedway; however, that is the company’s preference. “I hope the race continues, but at the same time it is not our personality to demand that a race remain here just for us,” Speyer said.

I hope local officials–including those at IRL sponsor Bridgestone-Firestone–will do everything possible to keep the race in town. It’s fine by me for Bridgestone to say publicly that they won’t “demand” that IRL keep a race here, but I sure hope the company lobbies hard behind the scenes for Nashville to stay on the calendar.