- For news on the Kentucky Speedway/ISC lawsuit, see my Lawsuit Page.
- Speedway Motorsports set finalize buy Kentukcy Speedway: Bruton Smith, the Speedway Motorsports Inc. chairman and chief executive expects the $78 million acquisition of the Kentucky Speedway announced in May to be completed later this month. Concord-based Speedway Motorsports had a 90-day option from the time the deal was announced to make the purchase. With that deadline arriving this month, Smith says an annoucement on the completion of the deal could come within a few days. Smith, speaking at Speedway’s ribbon-cutting Wednesday for a $60 million drag strip in Concord, pledged to move a Sprint Cup race from one of the company’s seven other tracks to Kentucky. That move could not take place before 2010. NASCAR unveiled its 2009 schedule this week and did not include a Sprint Cup date at the Kentucky track. “NASCAR has never given me a date, so does that give you a hint?” Smith says. “They never have.” He declined to discuss which race date he had in mind for the Kentucky track. The 1.5-mile track is in northern Kentucky, about midway between Louisville, Ky., and Cincinnati, Ohio. The track has 66,000 grandstand seats and 50 luxury suites and opened in 2000.(Charlotte Business Journal)(8-21-2008)
- No sale at Kentucky Speedway? Speedway Motorsports Inc. may not wind up buying Kentucky Speedway after all. SMI has until Aug. 18 to decide whether to complete the $78 million deal that includes the assumption of $63 million in debt. "I can't answer definitively whether or not we would go forward with the transaction," Bill Brooks, the company's chief financial officer, said during a conference call with financial analysts Wednesday. The track in Sparta, Ky., isn't going to be on the 2009 Sprint Cup schedule. Marcus Smith, chief operating officer and president of SMI, said the the company would consider moving a Cup date from one of its current tracks to Kentucky if the deal does close. "It's one of the potential options that we would have," Smith said.(Charlotte Observer)(8-7-2008)
- NASCAR: No Sprint Cup race at Kentucky next year: Despite the pleas of Kentucky Speedway's prospective new owner, a NASCAR official says there will be no Sprint Cup race at the track next year. NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston said Saturday that the 2009 Sprint Cup series schedule won't include a stop at the 1.5-mile tri-oval located about halfway between Louisville and Cincinnati. "There will not be a NASCAR Sprint Cup series race at Kentucky on the 2009 schedule," Poston said before the Nationwide Series Meijer 300. Speedway Motorsports Inc. is in the process of purchasing the northern Kentucky track from the current ownership group led by businessman Jerry Carrol. SMI chairman Bruton Smith toured the track with Carrol on Saturday and told reporters he remained optimistic about landing a coveted Cup date next year if the current ownership group drops an antitrust lawsuit against NASCAR and International Speedway. "If the lawsuit, if the present owners see fit to change that, the chance of getting the event next year would go up greatly and I think we could get that done," Smith said. Carrol, however, said his group has no plans to drop the lawsuit. SMI could choose to move a Cup date from one of its seven NASCAR-sanctioned tracks to the speedway, an option Smith did not rule out.(ESPN.com/AP)(6-15-2008)
- France not ready to add Kentucky to Cup schedule: NASCAR isn't as anxious to put a Sprint Cup race at Kentucky Speedway as Speedway Motorsports chairman Bruton Smith is. "It's not a market that we've said is highly desirable," NASCAR chairman Brian France said before Sunday's Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway. "It's well served. We'll look at things as we get down the road, but right now he doesn't own it and we've got to deal with the owners that do have it and we have Nationwide events and Truck races, so we're working on that with them right now." Smith has agreed to purchase Kentucky Speedway with the contention that he can get a Sprint Cup date for the 1.5-mile track that he went so far as to file a lawsuit against International Speedway Corporation and NASCAR to get a date. He said on Thursday he wanted a date for 2009, something NASCAR says won't happen. He has 90 days to finalize the deal. France is concerned another Cup race in the Southeast, which already hosts more than half of the schedule, will further over-saturate the market. NASCAR spent the past few years trying to alleviate that saturation, closing North Wilkesboro and North Carolina Speedway that once hosted two Cup events each and taking one date from Darlington. "The schedule is getting completed and we have no intentions right now of getting a Sprint Cup race there for 2009," he said. "That's all we can say right now. We don't have any intentions of doing that." France said Smith has not informed him of his plans, which many speculate includes buying Pocono or Dover, closing those tracks and giving the Cup dates to Kentucky and Las Vegas. "I don't know about that," France said of the speculation. "Those are speedways that have their events. They're doing fairly well. When something changes in the ownership structure we'll deal with that." There also has been speculation that Atlanta, Talladega and California are swapping dates in the fall of 2009. That would give Atlanta the Labor Day weekend race, California the Talladega weekend and Talladega the Atlanta weekend. Sources said that likely will happen. "We're working on a number of things," Smith said. "That's one of the reasons it's too late in the game for us to be looking into any other realignment options, not the least of which is that SMI doesn't own Kentucky right now. We're trying to get our schedule out earlier than we have in a while and there could be some dates that move around a little bit, not from speedway to speedway, just in scheduling. [We] might be able to work on a different weekend for one track or another that has been trying to do that for a long time."(ESPN.com)(5-27-2008) Comment here
- NASCAR: Too late to add Cup race to Kentucky: NASCAR officials said Friday not to expect a Sprint Cup Series date at Kentucky Speedway in 2009. "I don't see any scenario where there could be a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race in Kentucky in 2009, regardless of ownership," NASCAR communications director Ramsey Poston said.
Kentucky Speedway founder Jerry Carroll said in a phone interview Friday that he is unhappy with the decision and had contacted his attorneys to fight it. "This is what bullies do and it's been going on too long," Carroll said. "They've showed their hand again. If they want to break us and want to run us out of business, get more creative." Bruton Smith, the Speedway Motorsports Inc. owner, announced Thursday that he had purchased the Kentucky track, located halfway between Cincinnati and Louisville, with the intention of having a Cup race there next season. Poston said there had been no formal request made from Speedway Motorsports for a date. In addition, Poston said, NASCAR is well into the sanctioning process for the 2009 season and hopes to release the schedule in the near future. "We're hoping to be able to release the schedule earlier than ever so the tracks can promote their races sooner," Poston said. Though Poston chose not to comment on the matter, sources close to NASCAR said NASCAR and SMI officials held a sanction meeting Friday, and SMI didn't so much as mention Kentucky -- because they don't yet own the track, and won't formally until late summer at the earliest. "In terms of next year, after we looked through it, it's just not really an option," Poston said. According to papers filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Smith has not yet completed the speedway purchase, in which he agreed to pay $78.3 million for the track that cost $152 million to build. There is a 90-day window in which Smith can walk away from the deal.(ESPN.com/AP)(5-24-2008)
- Two SMI presidents deny tracks may lose race dates: The presidents of two Speedway Motorsports Inc. tracks firmly dismissed the notions that their facilities could lose Sprint Cup dates in order to provide Kentucky Speedway with one. New Hampshire Motor Speedway and Atlanta Motor Speedway have been mentioned as tracks that could lose a race, but NHIS President Jerry Gappens and AMS President Ed Clark shot down the idea that SMI Chairman Bruton Smith would ever do that. In fact, both presidents said they are planning to finalize sanctioning agreements with NASCAR on Friday morning for two races each in 2009. "Bruton has not given me any, any indication at all that he's looking to change anything," Gappens said. "...I don't think this will have any impact. I think there's more to the puzzle that he's got to finish completing to do some of the things he's thinking." Clark vehemently denied that his track, which has struggled with attendance recently, would have a date moved elsewhere. "I'm tired of people bringing that up, because I get so sick of answering it, I'm about to scream," he said. "You can go ask Bruton, you can ask me – there is no chance. It is not going to happen."(SceneDaily)(5-23-2008)
- NASCAR - No Guarantee of a Cup Race for Kentucky: A NASCAR spokesman said Thursday that just because Speedway Motorsports Inc. Chairman and CEO O. Bruton Smith wants a NASCAR Sprint Cup race at his newly acquired Kentucky Speedway is no guarantee he’ll get one – in 2009 or after. Smith announced Thursday that SMI had inked a deal to purchase the speedway, which is located half an hour from Cincinnati, and he expected it would host a Cup race next year. And to think that it might in 2009, may be wishful thinking, according to NASCAR Managing Director of Corporate Communications Ramsey Poston. “There are certainly some hurdles there,” Poston said of Smith’s hopes to get a Cup date next season. In the past, NASCAR has refused to grant Kentucky a Cup race, citing, among other factors, its proximity to Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Bristol Motor Speedway, Chicago Speedway, and Talladega Superspeedway. With the Southeast and Midwest already saturated, NASCAR has said Kentucky holds little appeal for a Cup race. NASCAR traditionally announces its final schedule in mid-summer and by now is deep into negotiating sanctioning agreements with tracks for next year. If SMI wants to move a race to Kentucky next year, it must submit a plan to NASCAR saying where it would be willing to give up a race at one of its other tracks.(SPEEDtv)(5-23-2008)
- Bruton Smith/SMI buys Kentucky Speedway UPDATE 2: The future of Kentucky Speedway is expected to be addressed during a “major announcement” scheduled for Thursday afternoon in Concord, N.C. Sources close to the speedway confirmed to the Enquirer tonight [May 21st] that Kentucky Speedway officials have been in talks with Speedway Motorsports Inc. chairman and chief executive officer O. Bruton Smith about selling or partnering with the Sparta track owned by Jerry Carroll and his partners.
A spokesman with Lowe’s Motor Speedway, one of the seven tracks owned by SMI that hosts NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races, indicated only that Thursday's announcement would be of interest. The exact nature of the announcement is not immediately known, but it could include selling all or part of the speedway or partnering with Smith to bring a Sprint Cup race to the 1.5-mile track. Smith will make the announcement at 3pm/et Thursday in the media center at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. Carroll was unavailable for comment Wednesday. News of a potential deal with SMI comes at the same time lawyers representing Kentucky Speedway continue to fight in 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals the early January decision by a U.S. District Court judge to dismiss the track’s antitrust lawsuit against NASCAR and International Speedway Corp.(Cinncinati Enquirer)(5-22-2008)
UPDATE: The Kentucky Speedway in Sparta is being sold to one of professional auto racing's biggest operators. Speedway Motorsports Inc. of Charlotte, N.C., and its founder and chairman Bruton Smith will announce at 3 p.m. that it is purchasing the speedway in a deal that is expected to close in October. Terms will not be announced but Kentucky Speedway Chairman and developer Jerry Carroll confirmed this morning that Smith plans to invest $50 million in the speedway and bring a coveted NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race to the Gallatin County track as early as 2009. "He wouldn't be buying the track if he wasn't going to bring a Sprint Cut race here," said Carroll as he rode to the airport to take a charter flight to North Carolina for the announcement. Speculation is that Smith will move a Sprint Cup race from tracks he operates in Atlanta or New Hampshire. Track employees were informed of the sale during a 30-minute staff meeting held this morning at the track’s business offices in Fort Mitchell. The message from Carroll, track president Mark Simendinger and executive vice president and General Manager Mark Cassis was to continue operating as usual. The speedway employs about 30 people.(NKY.com)(5-22-2008)
UPDATE 2: Speedway Motorsports has agreed to purchase Kentucky Speedway from Kentucky Speedway, LLC. The agreement was announced today by O. Bruton Smith, founder, chairman and chief executive officer of Speedway Motorsports, Inc. The acquisition is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2008. Kentucky Speedway, which opened in 2000, hosts one NASCAR Nationwide Series event, one NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event, one IndyCar Series event and other racing events each year. The speedway is located in Sparta, Ky., approximately one-half hour south of Cincinnati, Ohio. The speedway is easily accessible via modern highways. Located on approximately 820 acres, Kentucky Speedway features a 1.5-mile tri-oval speedway, with chair-back grandstand seating for 66,089 spectators, 50 luxury suites with seats for approximately 2,000,
100 private RV spaces, 200 reserved camping spaces and 1,000 unreserved camping spaces. Kentucky Speedway regularly hosts near capacity crowds for its Nationwide Series events. Smith added that he has offered Jerry Carroll, who was instrumental in the development of Kentucky Speedway, the opportunity to remain involved in its future operations.(SMI PR), no word on a Cup race or the lawsuit against NASCAR.(5-22-2008) Comment here
- Water closes Kentucky Speedway: Soggy conditions below ground, however, left Kentucky Speedway track workers dealing with water seeping onto portions of the 1.5-mile track that led to the cancellation Tuesday of a scheduled ARCA RE/MAX Series test session. Track officials reacted swiftly and announced that the track will be closed to any on-track testing for at least the next two weeks. "We want to make sure it's safe for the race car drivers and the teams," Kentucky Speedway spokesman Tim Bray said. "We're taking a proactive approach to it. We have everybody's interests in mind. The track is fine. There's just been so much water that we just need to make sure that what's under the track is dried out." The snow and rain that have flooded parts of the region since February is being blamed. Track workers spent several hours Tuesday trying to dry the surface and concentrated their efforts on problem spots in Turns 3 and 4. Thirteen ARCA RE/MAX Series drivers were at the track Tuesday. The speedway will open its 2008 season with the ARCA RE/MAX Series May 10. "The test session will not be rescheduled, based on our schedule, what we're looking at ahead here," ARCA RE/MAX Series spokesman Don Radebaugh said. The temporary shutdown comes as nine Sprint Cup teams were scheduled to spend today [Wednesday] testing their cars at the speedway. Joe Gibbs Racing, Penske Racing, Dale Earnhardt Inc. and Gillett Evernham Motorsports, which tried to test last week at the track but could not because of the seepage, were among those scheduled. "We're monitoring it and want to make sure we're ready when the bell rings," Bray said. "Today was just unfortunate. It's not a huge deal because we're aware of it, and we are taking every step to make sure it's ready to go when we go racing."(Cincinnati Enquirer)(4-16-2008) Comment here
- Kentucky Speedway Single-Event Tix on sale: Kentucky Speedway placed single-race and Fanfest tickets for its six-weekend 2008 season on sale Monday, Jan. 7. The 66,098-seat facility's season begins May 10 and concludes Sept. 20. Event tickets will range from $20 to $80 depending on event and seat location. Single-event tickets can be reserved online through the "Tickets" pages of www.kentuckyspeedway.com, at speedway ticket offices located at 400 Buttermilk Pike, Suite 100, in Ft. Mitchell, Ky., near Montgomery Inn
and the Sparta, Ky., Fan Center located off of I-71 Exit 57 and Ky. Hwy. 35 N, by phone at 888-652-RACE (7223) and through Meijer stores. Season ticket plans for the venue's ninth season are on sale now and range from $165 to $255. Plans can be reserved online through the tickets pages of this Web site, by dialing 859-578-2300 and pressing "2," or through both track ticket offices.(Kentucky Speedway PR)(1-9-2008)
- Kentucky: no talks about buying NHIS: Kentucky Speedway co-owner Jerry Carroll visited New Hampshire International Speedway with other track officials and local basketball legend Oscar Robertson on Sunday. Attending the Nextel Cup Series race, Carroll said, was unrelated to his interest in buying the track from its longtime owner, Bob Bahre. "There were no, absolutely no talks about buying the track," said Carroll, who offered to buy the New Hampshire track last year. "I think Bob Bahre knows we have an interest. Our agreement is when the time comes, he can give me a call." Purchasing a track with a Nextel Cup date and moving a race to the Kentucky Speedway is one option Carroll has considered to get NASCAR's top division to the 1.5-mile track in Sparta [KY]. The speedway's federal antitrust lawsuit against NASCAR and International Speedway Corp., filed in 2005, remains headed toward a March trial date. Buying another track would not change Carroll's opinion about the lawsuit. "Absolutely not," he said. "The lawsuit's not so much about getting a race. The lawsuit's about an even playing field." The five-person contingent that visited New Hampshire International Speedway on Sunday included Mark Cassis, the Kentucky Speedway's executive vice president and general manager. The group flew to Concord, N.H., in a chartered jet and from there took Bahre's helicopter over to the Loudon, N.H., track.(Cincinnati Enquirer)(9-20-2007)
