Short Track Scene will be covering this weekend's All American 400 at the Fairgrounds Speedway, but not as credentialed media. Matt Weaver, the site's founder, says Fairgrounds Speedway boss Tony Formosa denied the outlet's request because of some reporting Formosa didn't like back in 2014.

Weaver writes in a post published Monday that the outlet will still cover the race, but it will do so by paying for a ticket like everyone else. "I hate to justify their decision to not credential me, but our readers deserve coverage," he says.

More from his STS post on the background:

"Back in 2014, I was the Super Late Model editor for Race22.com and essentially broke the story that Fairgrounds Speedway Nashville track promoter Tony Formosa had split his track and the All-American 400 from the Southern Super Series touring division that sanctioned it the year prior.

I received texts and phone calls from several drivers whom heard Formosa explain his decision during a driver’s meeting at a weekly show in July. I followed-up by calling Dan Spence, then acting SSS Director of Operations, whom confirmed the news. I also reached out to Nashville which did not immediately answer.

The original breaking news story can be read below.

http://race22.com/all-american-400-pro-late-model-southern-series/

Formosa’s daugher, Claire, called me the next morning and requested that the story be taken down because her father had misspoke and no decision had been reached, despite the touring series already confirming it. However, as a courtesy, I updated my original story to reflect the younger Formosa’s request — but that wasn’t good enough as the track continued requesting that my “press release” be taken down.

http://race22.com/nashville-says-no-aa400-decision-made-blasts-southern-super-series/

This was all a moot point as the Formosas confirmed the decision to split from the SSS just two days later while also confirming that the event would indeed feature Pro Late Models. I followed through again with this story and wrote the corresponding update.

http://race22.com/all-american-400-confirmed-as-pro-late-model-race/

I also wrote a column, criticizing the decision, stating that “The Daytona 500 is not run with ARCA cars and so the All-American 400 shouldn’t be run with the second-tier crate Pro Late Models” which only further irritated the staff at Nashville."

"The problem here is that Fairgrounds Speedway Nashville was upset that a reporter published something that it didn’t necessarily want made public despite the promoter misspeaking (or speaking too soon) at a drivers meeting," he adds.

There's another problem too. The Fairgrounds Speedway is owned by the city — more specifically, by Nashville taxpayers. Formosa, a racing promoter, is contracted by the Fair board to oversee it. He may be allowed to do this, but it's not a good look. Beyond that, it's a puzzling business decision. Reader: Is it your impression that what the Fairgrounds Speedway and its events need is less media coverage?

Pith shared Weaver's post with Fair board member Kenny Byrd who says, "I'm very concerned with a member of the press being excluded from a taxpayer-funded facility." Byrd says he's going to look into it and "unless there's something that I don't understand, I'll be immediately trying to make sure that this reporter has access to the fairgrounds."

We've been unable to reach Formosa to talk about the situation — a message left for him Wednesday was not returned. The new executive director of the Fairgrounds, Laura Schloesser, is out of town but we'll update when we are able to reach someone in the office.

Update (10:45 a.m.): Ken Sanders, assistant director at the Fairgrounds calls back.

"Our customers lease the facilities and they can control who and who they don't let in," he tells Pith. "I know that if this man buys ticket he's, I'm sure, going to get to come in."

Asked if a reporter being denied credentials to cover an event at a taxpayer-funded facility bothered him as a matter of principle Sanders says "I have no opinion on that."

"It would be inappropriate for me to have an opinion on what one of our clients does or doesn't do. Contractually, he has the right to do whatever he wants to and in my position here I don't need to be sharing my personal feelings about those type of things because my duty is to run the fairgrounds facility and enforce the conditions in the contractual agreements."



