You think race fans don't have clout anymore?

The Tennessean, Nashville's primary newspaper, reported this week that more than 1,000 people turned out, spoke their minds for more than three hours and got the city's Metro Council to hold off on demolishing the historic Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway short track.

City officials wanted to raze the track as part of an urban renewal effort for the entire 117-acre fairgrounds site.

Retired NASCAR stars Sterling Marlin and Darrell Waltrip, both of whom began their careers on the .596-mile oval, have been championing an alternative plan that would revitalize both the track and the fairgrounds.

Although the reprieve still needs final approval in a vote next month, it got initial unanimous approval from the council, The Tennessean reported.

Which renewal plan will go forward appears uncertain, but at least some fans got together and kept the bulldozers away for now.

Just goes to show that if race fans feel strongly enough, and unite, they can still get things done -- at least on a local level.

And it's a stand for short tracks in general, which have been on the decline nationwide.

Whether NASCAR Nationwide and Truck racing returns to the old track, as Marlin hopes, remains to be seen. And fair board members have been unhappy with the revenues of Saturday night racing there, the newspaper reported.

But the renewed interest seems to keep snowballing in Nashville, largely thanks to Marlin's efforts.