Golden Mountain revival ends quickly
The revival of Golden Mountain Speedway in Sparta, Tenn., is apparently over after a single season.
The 3/8-mile dirt track, shuttered since 2005 but remodeled and updated by Deke Waters and his family to host oval track racing again in 2025, has cancelled the second half of its modest four-race season, including June 13’s Topless Outlaw Series event. The track’s opener was cancelled to avoid conflicts with high school graduation ceremonies and another event rained out.
In Thursday’s statement announcing the closure, the Waters family cited money-losing events, employee shortages, equipment problems and the struggles to balance promoting the track amid work-family interests, saying “we have reached a point where we can no longer give the speedway the time, attention, and resources it deserves.”
The statement also said that “we believe this is the best decision for our family and for the future of the speedway. Rather than stretching ourselves too thin and risking the quality of the experience we provide, we feel it is important to take a step back and focus on what matters most.”
The track, originally built in 2002, completed seven events in 2025 that included Late Model-style cars, including a Topless Outlaws event and Crate Late Model touring events with the Best Plumber 604 Series and Save A Lot American All-Star Series. No track champions were crowned.
The Cumberland Plateau facility includes an off-road park with lodging that remains operational.
