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New Jersey Track Closes: Speculation that Wall Township Speedway would not open this season are fact, not fiction, a fax from managing partner Timothy H. Shinn of Manasquan said on Friday. Shinn's signature represented the four partners who own the speedways — Fred Archer, Joseph Sanzari and the Creamer brothers (Fletch, Glenn and Dale). "It is with an extremely heavy heart that I must, at this time, formally announce the closing of our beloved Wall Township Speedway, formerly known to the vast majority of us as Wall Stadium," the release said.(Asbury Park Press), the track held on Cup race back on July 26, 1958, won by Jim Reed.(Racing Reference)(3-15-2008) Comment here

Carolina Motorsports Park back in biz: Carolina Motorsports Park is back better than ever after a brief period of closing its doors to undergo extensive improvements and track renovations, offering motorsports enthusiasts much to be excited about. The new management team, with their extensive expertise in racing, added alternate turn configurations, built twenty four day garages, added a 200 ft. x 50 ft. wet/dry skid pad, and repaved most of the corners, offering increased speeds, reduced tire wear, and better grip. And this is just the beginning of what is to be a multi-phase track overhaul.
Revisions have been made to turns 12, 13 & 14. Turns 12 and 13 now offer alternate configurations as well as increased speeds. Turn 14 has been permanently changed. The apex curbing has been removed and 16 ft. of pavement has been added to the inside of the corner, making it approximately 5 MPH faster. Most turns have been newly repaved. The previously sand paddock roads are also now paved. The new 200 ft wet/dry skidpad allows drivers to learn crucial car control skills in a safe controlled environment. The day garages guarantee guests the luxury of reserved spacious parking as well as their own paddock area with exclusive electrical access and shelter from the weather.
In addition to the physical renovations and additions being done, on January 1st CMP officially launched The Palmetto Motorsports Club. The club has been created to offer affordable and easy track access to anyone with a passion for speed. Novice drivers/riders will find the advice and instruction they want from a staff of professional drivers, while experienced drivers can test and tune.
Located just an hour from Charlotte in Kershaw, S.C., Carolina Motorsports Park is the only purpose-built road racing facility in the Carolinas. Sanctioned by The Sports Car Club of America and designed by famed track designer, Alan Wilson, the track offers a challenging 2.23 mile, 14-turn road course. It was built in 1999 by a small group of investors, led by driving enthusiasts Joe Hooker and Bob Humphreys. Teams competing in NASCAR, Champ Car, American Le Mans Series, Grand AM, Koni Challenge and World Challenge also utilize the track for testing. For more information and pictures about Carolina Motorsports Parks' expansion and The Palmetto Motorsports Club please go to www.carolinamotorsportspark.com.(3-1-2008)

Dolphin Stadium executives are interested in luring ROC to U.S.: [Miami] Dolphin Stadium executives are interested in luring Race of Champions to the United States. "When I went to [work for] Dolphin Stadium and the Miami Dolphins, part of my marching orders is to bring new events to the stadium," said Terry Bassett, Miami Dolphins vice president of business development and former executive at International Speedway Corp., which owns 12 tracks on which the Nextel Cup Series competes. "We did a big renovation, about $350 million, to our building and … how are you going to fill it up? "Anticipating the Marlins not being there when they get their new building, when you're dark, you need to fill it with dates. This is a perfect event: big names, international scope. We believe because of our South Florida location, proximity to Central America and South America, we've got a location not many places in the U.S. can compete with." If this were to come to fruition, it would mark the first time ROC was held outside of Europe. Among the past locations are Paris, the Canary Islands, Madrid, Barcelona, Nurburgring and Monthlery. This was London's first time hosting the event. Johnnson said the current contract with Wembley Stadium is a one-year deal with "options in our favor for 2008 and/or 2009." He said the event is likely to return to Wembley next year. After that, it's anybody's ball game. Event founder Fredrik Johnnson said there are some seven or eight renowned venues worldwide in contention to secure the event in the future, Miami being one of them. Johnnson said ROC officials chose Wembley in 2007 over other venues such as Berlin's Olympic Stadium, which hosted the FIFA World Cup soccer final in 2006, and Dolphin Stadium, home to last season's Super Bowl. Along with those two venues, Beijing's Olympic Stadium, home to the 2008 Olympic Games, and Stade de France in Paris, where the event was run from 2004 to 2006, are interested in hosting ROC in the future. Bassett and the Dolphins want a piece of that dream. Bassett has American racing ties. He once worked for NASCAR and IRL team owner Roger Penske, helping manage Penske's former ring of oval racetracks in Brooklyn, Mich.; Rockingham, N.C.; Fontana, Calif.; and Nazareth, Pa. When Penske sold those tracks to International Speedway Corp., Bassett went with them to ISC. He said he'd love to re-enter the racing realm by securing ROC for Dolphin Stadium. The event has drawn more than 50,000 fans every time out, Johnnson said, and has drawn as many as 62,500.(see full story at ESPN.com)(12-20-2007)

Penske pulls proposal for test track: Penske Racing South says it is withdrawing plans for a ľ-mile banked oval test track near Mooresville -- for now. Roger Penske, chairman of Penske Performance, Inc., said today that Penske Racing South has withdrawn its application for a conditional use rezoning request of approximately 54 acres of property on its Mazeppa Road site that would allow the company to add a test track about the same size as Richmond International Speedway. “In this way we can more fully communicate our plans to all our neighbors and to those others who have expressed an interest in this matter,” Penske said. “This action provides an opportunity for a better and more constructive dialogue which can only benefit the county and its citizens." The request, which was submitted to the Iredell County Planning Department on Aug. 14 and unanimously recommended for denial by the Iredell County Planning Board on Sept. 5, was slated to be considered by county commissioners at Tuesday's meeting. Don Miller, president of Penske Racing South, said Roger Penske made the decision last night in the interest of allowing the company time to put together an "educational process" that will help neighbors of the project and concerned citizens to better understand the proposal. "He decided it was best for us to step back at this moment," said Miller. "There's so much misinformation out there about what's going on and what's not going on." Miller said Penske plans to resubmit his application for the test track in the future but did not offer a time frame.(Mooresville Tribune)(11-7-2007)

Public hearing on Penske test track is postponed: A public hearing for a proposed racing test track near Mooresville, NC has been postponed until Nov. 6. The hearing, before the Iredell County Board of Commissioners, was originally scheduled for Oct. 2. Commissioners decided Tuesday to move the date after a request from Penske Racing. County Planning and Development Director Ron Smith said attorneys for Penske emailed him asking to move the date because the company wanted time to address neighbors’ concerns about the test-track plans. Penske is proposing to build the half-mile facility at its racing shops in the Mooresville Business Park.(Mooresville Tribune)(9-27-2007)

Rejection of Penske test track recommended: Iredell County [NC] commissioners should deny Penske Racing permission to build a test track off Mazeppa Road near Mooresville [NC], the Iredell County Planning Board voted late Wednesday [9-5]. Fueled by about 200 opponents in the audience who were concerned primarily about noise, the board voted 9-0 against the $21 million track. The Planning Board is a citizen advisory board and the final say rests with the commissioners, who will consider Penske's plans on Oct. 2.(Charlotte Observer/Thatsracin)(9-7-2007)

Penske Racing to create test track in Mooresville, NC: Penske Racing plans to build a test track in Mooresville similar in size and layout to the track at Richmond International Raceway. The 54-acre site on Mazeppa Road would include 1/4- and 1/2-mile ovals within the 3/4-mile oval track, and a 1.8-mile road course, documents filed with the Iredell County Planning Department show. At its neighboring race shop, Mooresville-based Penske already designs, makes and tests high-performance vehicles for competition in the Nextel Cup and Busch series, Indy Racing League, and Automobile Racing Club of America and American LeMans series. The test track also would accommodate law-enforcement training and recreational motorsports, but is not for spectators paying admission, Penske says in its filing with the county. Testing would be between 8am and 6pm/et, according to the filing. The acreage now includes two ball fields and a vacant lot. The land is zoned for heavy industrial uses, including race tracks, Iredell County Planner Rebecca Harper said. Penske proposes putting in landscaping along the track property's railroad boundary to obscure the track's view from Mazeppa Road, and adding landscaping along Penske Way, which leads off Mazeppa. The company would leave the woods on the west side of the property as a noise buffer. Industry border the other three sides. Penske Racing South president Don Miller could not be reached Thursday. The Iredell County Planning Board will consider the plan at 7pm Wednesday. The planning staff is recommending approval. County commissioners are expected to consider the board's recommendation in October.(Charlotte Observer)(8-31-2007)

City approves NC track: on August 9th the Zoning Board of Adjustment of the Town of Spencer, NC, unanimously approved High Rock Raceway’s Conditional Use Permit to operate a Country Club Racetrack, as well as all of the requested variances. For most of the four hour session, the five person Board, led by T. Jefferson Morris, meticulously laid out, agreed on and approved “findings of fact” that supported approval of the Permit. The Board on several occasions made note of the overwhelming public support that had been demonstrated for the project. An initial release of fifty individual memberships is being offered at $25,000.00 each. Members will have the exclusive use of the entire 2.15 mile road course on sixty pre-scheduled dates throughout the year. This membership is perpetual, meaning that it does not expire.(High Rock Raceway PR)(8-12-2007)

Lowe's to be the primary building material supplier for High Rock Raceway: High Rock Raceway announced that Lowe's will be the primary building material supplier for High Rock Raceway. High Rock Raceway which is a $30 Million dollar motorsport road course will purchase material from Lowe's product vendors and raw materials to construct the 126 "Race Condo" units and other support buildings on its 2.2 mile course which is set to open in February 2008.(PR) More info at racehighrock.com.(5-19-2007)

Rusty to consult in development of N Calif track: Riverside Motorsports Park and Rusty Wallace Inc. (RWI), announced that the two companies have entered into a five-year agreement that enlists NASCAR Champion Rusty Wallace as a consultant in the development and construction of Riverside Motorsports Park in Merced County, CA. The terms of the agreement call for the 1989 NASCAR Premier Series Champion to provide track design enhancement engineering to the eight world-class motorsports venues within the RMP facility, which was approved for construction in December 2006.
Originating in August 2000 as RMP Founder and CEO John Condren's concept for the future of motorsports in California and first announced as a development proposal on 12 August 2003, Riverside Motorsports Park will include eight different motorsports venues, offering 15 race tracks within a single recreation and entertainment park:
" Northern California's first world-class oval speedway (length: 7/8-mile) for all major stock car and open-wheel racing series " A 3.2-mile road course for sports cars, endurance and open-wheel racing (closely replicating the world-famous Riverside International Raceway, which closed in 1988)
" A 1/4-mile (5,000-foot total length) drag strip
" An integrated 1/3- and 1/2-mile, banked paved oval tracks for stock cars and sprint cars
" A 3/8-mile dirt oval track for motorcycle, stock car, sprint and midget racing
" A 3/4-mile karting course (for sprint and shifter karts)
" 1/2-mile motocross and 1/8-mile BMX courses
" A 1-mile off-road course for trucks, buggies, rally cross cars, etc.
(Rusty Wallace site)(4-7-2007)

New road course track planned in NC: High Rock Raceway is being developed on a 200+ Acre Parcel a 2.25 mile world-class road racing track and 120 trackside garage/ town home condominiums (“Race Condos”). Because these will be town home units, Race Condo owners will own the land beneath their Race Condo. The property is located adjacent to Interstate 85, approximately forty minutes drive north of Charlotte, NC and forty minutes drive south of Greensboro, NC. The track will be forty feet in width with a 2,400+ foot front straight, a 1,600+ foot back straight and a 10+ acre paved paddock. Throughout the twelve-turn course there will be ten separate rolling changes in elevation of between thirty and sixty feet. The Race Condos will be 1,400+ square feet on two floors. Condo owners can keep their performance vehicles in their own garage and enjoy exclusive access to the track on sixty pre-scheduled dates each race season. More info at racehighrock.com.(4-4-2007)

Penske Plans to build track near shop: Roger Penske has now consolidated all three of his teams -- his NASCAR, Indy Racing League and American LeMans groups -- under one enormous roof in Mooresville, N.C. That includes approximately 260 employees working in a state-of-the-art, 425,000-square foot, shop. It is an impressive campus that includes a wind tunnel and a seven-post vehicle dynamics rig, and now with all the teams, all the engineers, all the employees under one roof, the thought is there can be plenty of knowledge sharing. For instance, a Cup crew chief can study the aerodynamics of an open-wheel car and apply what he learns to the Cup car, particularly the new Car of Tomorrow. Penske said he is finalizing plans to build a test track near the shop. There is plenty of land to spare, and about 70 acres will be used. "We could build an oval that's the size of the Richmond [International Raceway]," Penske said, referring to the .75-mile track. "And we'd put a road course in. We look at it as a test track, but our sponsors could use it. There's lot of different things you could use something like that for, so I think it will be terrific." Penske is, of course, thinking out of the box yet again. He figures that the test track would cut the expenses of going on the road for testing, and it would eliminate some of the travel wear-and-tear on the drivers and crews. Of course, Penske figures the test facility could be used for sponsor and customer entertainment, as well.(ESPN.com) AND NASCAR.com had something posted about this in January but never noticed it or found it.(3-20-2007)

NASCAR looking at Missouri to build track? While researching ideas on what draws people to the region, we [Northwest Arkansas Business Journal Staff] ran across several folks talking about a possible future attraction. Word is NASCAR has been shopping around for land in southwest Missouri to build a new racetrack. Sources in McDonald County have confirmed this and even said NASCAR has identified about 1,200 acres of property near Anderson, Mo., a few miles north of the state line. There is a caution flag, though. The land includes about eight separate farms and not all of the farmers are on the same track. In fact, we’ve been told there are a few not willing to sell, regardless of the price. Calls to NASCAR, based in Daytona, Fla., were not returned, but it sounds like this deal has a roadblock or two to get through before it reaches the finish line.(Northwest Arkansas Business Journal), if this is for a NASCAR track, it would have to be for a short track and not for Truck, Busch or Cup Series as Anderson, MO is within 2-3 hours of Kansas Speedway.(3-3-2007)

Texas World Speedway for sale: Texas World Speedway in College Station, Texas has been listed for sale, for $10.5 million. According to real estate listings, the speedway cost over $17 million to build in 1969 and sits on 563 acres of land. The listing follows the death of TWS Managing Partner Dick Conole on January 3.(roadracingworld.com)(2-3-2007)

Stewart, Schrader and Kenny Wallace buy into Macon track: One of the oldest race tracks in Illinois gets new life with new owners. Macon Speedway revealed the new ownership team Sunday as part of the Racing Expo at the State Fairgrounds. Past track owner-operator Macon's Bob Sargent and NASCAR stars Tony Stewart, Kenny Wallace and Ken Schrader make up the team. Racing on the dirt track ended ahead of schedule last season because of financial hard times. The track was built back in 1946 in Macon.(wandtv.com)(1-22-2007)

Riverside Track gets approval: In the Merced County [CA] Board of Supervisors Meetings on December 12 and December 19, Riverside Motorsports Park received votes of approval and entitlements for the construction of the project in Merced County, California. Riverside Motorsports Park is a 1200-acre, motorsports-themed family recreation and entertainment center in development in Merced County, located in the heart of California's Central Valley. The Park plans include eight different types of tracks, including a paved super speedway; 3-1/2-mile, multi-configuration road course; 5,000-foot drag strip; kart course; integrated paved oval tracks; integrated dirt oval tracks; an off-road circuit; and a motocross course. Riverside Motorsports Park's multiple tracks will provide a racing venue for every form of automobile, truck, motorcycle and kart racing—meeting the needs of professional and club racing sanctioning organizations across the United States.(Riverside Motorsports Park PR)(12-28-2006)

Track Approved in California: Kern County [California] Planning Commissioners blessed a new paved, half-mile banked-turn raceway in Kern County Thursday night. It was the final go-ahead for a project that's been brewing for a year. Racing starts in spring 2008. Commissioners said the plan for the half-mile track -- the rebirth of east Bakersfield's iconic Mesa Marin Raceway -- will be nothing but good for Kern County. Not a word of opposition was raised during the meeting. Larry Collins, son of Mesa Marin founder Marion Collins, said racing negotiations will now start with NASCAR, even as construction work on the new raceway begins. A name for the raceway is in the works. The driving force behind the raceway came from two Kern County families, the Collinses of Mesa Marin and the well-known Destefani farming family.(Bakersfield.com), note: this track will not host Nextel Cup/Busch races.(12-16-2006)

Earnhardt Picks Location for Alabama Track: Gulf Coast Entertainment, L.L.C. announced Mobile County as the future home of Alabama Motorsports Park, A Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Speedway. The investor group controls approximately 3,000 acres in Mobile County, much of it located in the city of Prichard near Saraland and Chickasaw. The entertainment complex is planned to house four racing venues, retail shopping, hotels, restaurants, an RV resort, and other venues such as music theaters. The investors plan to open the complex for racing in the fall of 2009 and to be fully operational in 2010. (Alabama Motorsports Park PR)(12-15-2006)

New 'NASCAR' track proposed in Tulare CA: Officials say they are one step closer to bringing a NASCAR worthy race track right here to Tulare County after the Tulare Agri-center board just approved for the track to be built. Action News took a look at some of the risks of the project and how long it could be until we see NASCAR right here in Tulare [near Frenso CA]. It's a $250 million dollar project that could bring 3,000 jobs to the south valley. Private developer bud long wants to build a 50,000 seat race track complete with hotels and restaurants. But it could be years before the racing association comes to the area, if it comes at all. The plans are to hold regional races and other smaller events first. Though the developer insists Tulare and NASCAR are on the same page, other small market race tracks have struggled to bring the biggest NASCAR races to their facilities. Tulare city officials say they're confident the race track deal will get done.(abc30.com)(12-9-2006)

Alabama Track Complex Bears Name of Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Gulf Coast Entertainment announced plans to construct a major motorsports and entertainment park in southern Alabama. The investor group has narrowed its site choices to a location in Mobile County in the area across from the University of Mobile and two potential sites in adjacent Baldwin County--one on the Foley Beach Express and the other in central Baldwin County. The project - which is to include an asphalt speedway, a road course, a drag strip and a dirt track - will be named "Alabama Motorsports Park, A Dale Earnhardt Jr. Speedway." Joining the motorsports star and a diverse group of investors from various southern states in participation in the project are Kelley Earnhardt Elledge and Kerry Earnhardt, marking the siblings' first professional collaboration. "Our family business is racing and it's been our business for three generations," said Dale Earnhardt Jr. "Kelley, Kerry and I want to continue the family business with hopes that the next generation of Earnhardts will want to be involved in the sport. This new venture with the Alabama Motorsports Park provides yet another avenue in which the Earnhardt family can participate. The site plan developed by HOK Sport of Kansas City includes parking, a significant RV resort, multiple music theaters and an arena and reserves land for commercial, residential and light industrial activities. The schedule calls for the project to be completed in the fall of 2009. Dale Earnhardt Jr. has provided input on the lighted, 75,000-seat, 7/10-mile oval. Features will include pedestrian/vehicle tunnels and banking and multiple grooves to promote close racing with extensive passing opportunities. Kerry Earnhardt has provided input on both the track and on a freshwater lake that investors believe will attract national fishing events. The 3.5-mile road course will feature two distinct but connected segments to enhance testing on the track. The 1/4-mile drag strip and 3/8-mile dirt track will be designed to attract national events. The park's website, alabamamotorsportspark.com, will provide future project and construction updates.(PSE-3 PR)(9-12-2006)

New Calif Track: A new NASCAR sanctioned raceway is planned at Interstate 5 and Enos Lane (Highway 43), on 80 acres owned by the Destefani Family [former owners of Mesa Marin]. The project is a joint venture between the Destefani Family and the Collins Family. The planned layout of the track is a high-banked half-mile paved tri-oval, with a smaller flat oval within the half-mile, and a 1/8-mile drag strip adjacent to the oval. The track will have a full service Pit Lane suitable for live pit stops. The Competitor Pit Area will be located in the infield. The track is designed with a vehicle and pedestrian Access Tunnel. Twelve Corporate Suites are planned in the initial phase of construction. The plans are to host NASCAR sanctioned races, plus community events, concerts, and other forms of motorsports competition. The official name of the new track will be announced at a later date, today the new track is referred to as "Kern County's New Home to NASCAR". Corporate naming rights are being sought. Planned opening 2007.(kerncountynascar.com)(12-5-2005)

Dale Jr. to buy track with Schrader? UPDATE Official: A Kenny Schrader/Dale Earnhardt Junior owned Paducah Raceway would certainly focus a lot of attention on the area racing scene. Not only for PIR, but for Kentucky Lake Motor Speedway as well. Both run dirt track races and would be in direct competition. Eddie Jarvis, Tony Stewart's manager, says Kenny Schrader approached Stewart to purchase the Raceway. Stewart declined and Dale Earnhardt Jr. expressed interest. "Dale Jr went out this morning before he left town. Hopefully he'll own something around here and that he'll have a chance to come back to Paducah quite a bit," Jarvis said.(News Channel 6)(10-7-2005)
UPDATE: Dale Earnhardt, Jr., and Ken Schrader along with well known Midwestern promoter Bob Sargent are now the proud owners of Paducah International Raceway. The trio recently finalized their purchase of the popular McCracken County, KY, venue that boasts a 3/8-mile high-banked clay oval, 1/5-mile race track and a Motocross/TT run with grandstands that accommodate 5,000 spectators. In addition to PIR, Schrader is the co-owner of another dirt track - I-55 Raceway in Pevely, MO. Located off of I-24 in Paducah, the track hosts the most popular touring sanctions from the AMA motorcycles to various 700+ horsepower super late model series. Paducah International Raceway will also host prominent special events including the Tri-Track Challenge, U.M.P. Summernationals and the track's annual banner event - "The Wayne Coakley/Bob Memmer Memorial 'World 50'". Racing action will take place at PIR every Friday night during a seven-month season from March through September and will feature U.M.P. Super Late Models, U.M.P. Modifieds, Crate Late Models and Pure Street Stocks. Additional divisions including quads, 4-cylinder hornets and mini-sprints will also compete on a limited schedule.(Paducah International Raceway site)(11-28-2005)

Proposed Track in Tennessee: A consulting agency working with a local property owner and planner presented the board of mayor and aldermen with a feasibility study Monday for a 300-acre motorsports park. The project, which is currently called Smoky Mountain Motorsports Park, will feature a drag strip, 5/8 mile oval and up to a four-mile road course, said Larry M. Camp of Camp & Associates consulting. According to a feasibility study presented by Camp, the project could have a seating capacity of 100,000, including 40,000 permanent grandstand seats and festival seating of 60,000. It would have on-site parking for 12,500 vehicles. The proposal also calls for a 300-room hotel on the site. The developers are asking the city to assist with the $74.4-million cost of construction of the facility, possibly using the Tennessee Sports Authority Act, the same law the city turned to when it built Smokies Stadium. The sports act allows the city to claim all sales tax proceeds from the facility, which would then be used to retire the bond used to pay for the work. If the city does take part in the project, they would hope to bring in as many different types of shows as possible, Atchley said after the meeting. Sevierville Mayor Bryan Atchley said "I don't think we can actively go after a big Nextel Cup when you've got Bristol 90 miles up the road, but ... there are hundreds of successful tracks all over the country that don't have NASCAR." Busch Series races or truck races could be attracted there, he said. (The Mountain Press)(11-11-2005)

Dale Jr. to buy track with Schrader? A Kenny Schrader/Dale Earnhardt Junior owned Paducah Raceway would certainly focus a lot of attention on the area racing scene. Not only for PIR, but for Kentucky Lake Motor Speedway as well. Both run dirt track races and would be in direct competition. Eddie Jarvis, Tony Stewart's manager, says Kenny Schrader approached Stewart to purchase the Raceway. Stewart declined and Dale Earnhardt Jr. expressed interest. "Dale Jr went out this morning before he left town. Hopefully he'll own something around here and that he'll have a chance to come back to Paducah quite a bit," Jarvis said.(News Channel 6)(10-7-2005)

Track Closes after 2006: Stockton 99 Speedway [CA] officials have announced 2006 will be the final season of NASCAR racing at the facility, where competition began in 1946 and NASCAR sanctioning started nine years later. The property is scheduled to be sold to land developers after next season. The 1977 track champion was Ernie Irvan, winner of 15 Cup races as well as the Daytona 500.(The Record)(10-1-2005)

Mesa Marin sold, closes at end of year: Mesa Marin Raceway has been sold and will close at the end of this season, track Vice President Larry Collins announced Wednesday. The famed racetrack -- which opened in 1977 -- sits off of Highway 178 in northeast Bakersfield, an area experiencing rapid housing development. Track President Marion Collins said after the news conference that he believes the buyers are planning a residential development on the land. The sales price and identity of the buyer were not immediately known. The deal involves 40 of the 56 acres the Collins' family owns in and around the track. Marion Collins said his family would retain 16 acres, including the property that houses race shops adjacent to the track. Wednesday's announcement came as a complete shock to most people attending the news conference, including a NASCAR official on hand for the confirmation that Nextel Cup star and Bakersfield native Kevin Harvick will drive in a Late Model race at Mesa Marin on June 23. The race will be Harvick's last at the Mesa Marin, where he won a track championship in 1993.(bakersfield.com)(6-9-2005)

Shower Power: Maui Shower Co. has made its Bristol debut, at Farmer Bob’s Campground off Tenn. Highway 394. The colorful trailer holds 11 shower “pods” that can accommodate up to 1,000 showers a day. “It’s a state-of-the-art, premier, multishower unit,” said Pamela Withage, who is running Maui Shower with her husband, Mike. Each private pod consists of a stainless steel shower — cleaned with hospital sanitizer after every use — and a changing area. Maui Shower’s generator is continuously running so hot water is always available. Towels can be purchased for $4 each, soap and shampoo for $1. The showers operate on tokens, bought at the trailer, that are worth $1 each. It costs two tokens to start a shower and one for each additional minute. Withage said she encourages patrons to buy $20 worth, since most people don’t know how long it will take them to shower and leftover tokens can be used any time. This is Maui Shower’s fourth stop since inception — the first three were at races and a “bike week” in Florida. Withage said they are following the NASCAR circuit, and have about 28 weeks booked this year. The company tries to set up at multiple-day events that draw no less than 5,000 people.(Johnson City Press)(4-2-2005)

NORTH WILKESBORO

website: savethespeedway.net

North Wilkesboro Speedway Highway Marker Dedication: Save The Speedway and the North Carolina Office of Archives and History are scheduled to dedicate the North Wilkesboro Speedway Highway Marker on May 24, 2008 at 2pm with the following inscription:
"NORTH WILKESBORO SPEEDWAY"
Pioneering NASCAR dirt track. Built 1946; paved in 1958. Hosted sanctioned events, 1946-96. 5/8 mile oval 1/2 mi. E.
The dedication of the sign will take place on Old US 421(Speedway Road) at NC 115 southeast of North Wilkesboro, North Carolina.(4-16-2008)

Smith now owns North Wilkesboro: As part of his purchase of New Hampshire International Speedway from Bob Bahre, Bruton Smith also became "100 percent owner" of defunct North Wilkesboro (N.C.) Speedway. Bahre and Smith had been reluctant co-owners of the track for 10 years.(Fort Worth Star Telegram)(11-8-2007)

North Wilkesboro to be bought? UPDATE: This weekend 11 years ago, the NASCAR [now Nextel Cup, next year Sprint Cup] Winston Cup Series visited North Wilkesboro Speedway in North Carolina for the last time. The then 50-year-old track was sold to other racetrack owners, who mothballed the facility after the 1996 racing season. Time has stood still at North Wilkesboro Speedway since that chilly September day. Banners still hang and tables are still set, and the track office is still filled with old ticket stubs and brochures. It's like the world locked the door to the track behind them that evening, and tomorrow never came. But rebirth for the speedway could be right around the corner if a land developer gets his way. Worth Mitchell, 33, says he's got a plan in place to buy the track within six months. After talking quietly for seven months with the track's realtor, Andy Stancil, Mitchell stands ready to revive the 61-year-old track. "This isn't the biggest deal I've put together, but this is a lot more than a deal," Mitchell said. "This is about reviving a town." The small towns of Wilkesboro and North Wilkesboro lost millions of dollars to its local economy when the track closed. Since then, residents have watched many individuals and groups come in and try to reopen the racetrack, but none have been successful. But Mitchell has what the others didn't: money. "I know this track isn't going to be given away," Mitchell said of North Wilkesboro Speedway's $12 million price tag. "But it has all the potential in the world." Stancil says he's confident Mitchell can strike a deal with the track's owners, Bruton Smith and Bob Bahre. Smith and Bahre own several racetracks that NASCAR currently races on and bought North Wilkesboro Speedway in 1996 to take the track's dates away to bigger facilities - Texas Motor Speedway and New Hampshire International Speedway. The track went on the real estate market late last year. Mitchell says he's still looking for a few partners and ideas on what to do with the track. He said he would like to open up a neighboring hotel and retail center and host local concerts and festivals at the track as well as racing.(Ocala Star-Banner)(9-28-2007)
UPDATE: Mitchell said he is making headway in negotiations with Bob Bahre, Speedway Motorsports owner. There are many in the community cheering on Mitchell, including NASCAR legend Junior Johnson. "I think it will bring a lot of recognition to the county," said Johnson. "A lot of people would come for the (track's) past." In addition to the purchase price, believed to be in the $12 million range, Mitchell estimates it will take $2 million in renovations. Mitchell said if everything goes smoothly, he could have North Wilkesboro Speedway up and running by 2010. He estimates his odds are 50-50 of pulling off the deal. Speedway Motorsports officials had no comment on the negotiations.(MyFox WGHP)(10-1-2007)

Benny Parsons Rendezvous Ridge and Savethespeedway.net will be hosting the first annual Wilkes County Racing Heritage Celebration September 29, 2007 from noon to 4 p.m. The event will be held on the grounds of the Wilkes County Heritage Museum at 100 East Main St. Wilkesboro, NC. The event will be free to the public. Scheduled to appear at the event so far are 1960 NASCAR champion Rex White and Lee Roy Mercer who will be on hand signing autographs and promoting his new CD "Gone Racin", featuring prank calls to NASCAR drivers. Also, on display for the event will be racing memorabilia from Benny Parsons Rendezvous Ridge, the sponsor of the event, and Winston Cup era memorabilia from the Winston Cup Museum out of Winston Salem NC. Live entertainment will be provided throughout the afternoon, and all are welcome to come join us in celebrating Wilkes County's contribution to the history of Auto Racing. More info at savethespeedway.net.(9-4-2007)

North Wilkesboro Speedway Highway Marker Approved: Save The Speedway has recently received word that their application for a historical highway marker for North Wilkesboro Speedway has been approved. The application was submitted last fall, however a decision was postponed to determine proper verbiage for the sign. At the most recent meeting on May 18 the sign was approved with the following inscription:
"NORTH WILKESBORO SPEEDWAY"
Pioneering NASCAR dirt track. Built 1946; paved in 1958. Hosted sanctioned events, 1946-96. 5/8 mile oval 1/2 mi. E.
Plans call for erecting the sign on Old US 421(Speedway Road) at NC 115 southeast of North Wilkesboro, North Carolina, a dedication ceremony is planned when the sign is available. More details as they become available.(Save The Speedway)(6-7-2007)

North Wilkesboro Speedway sold to real estate company UPDATE: Speedway Motorsports Inc.'s Bruton Smith said he and Bob Bahre [owns New Hampshire Intl Speedway], who each own half-interest in North Wilkesboro Speedway, have signed a deal with a real estate company to negotiate a sale of the land on which the defunct track now sits.(Thatsracin)(1-25-2007)
UPDATE" Smith talked about the possible sale of North Wilkesboro Speedway, which he bought half of about 10 years ago in order to launch Texas Motor Speedway in the Fort Worth-Dallas area. That move helped kick off 10 years of major expansion by the NASCAR Cup tour. Smith said that he and Bob Bahre, who bought the other half of the Wilkes County track and took that tour date to his Loudon, N.H., track, have agreed to put the track and land in the hands of a realtor, who, Smith said, thinks he can sell it. The price tag is, as it has been for several years, $12 million, Smith said. How to make a profitable return on such a $12 million investment has always been a question mark. Smith said it won't be for racing. "I don't think they're looking at it for racing, but rather other events, like a major national fiddlers' convention," he said. "I hope the buyer is successful in whatever he wishes to go. We'll have to wait and see. It was just a phone call with Bob. Bob and I have been getting along fabulously, contrary to what some have said. He just said 'Whatever you want to do....'"(Winston Salem Journal)(1-26-2007)

Racing at North Wilkesboro looks dim for 2006: A group trying to bring racing back to North Wilkesboro Speedway is "back to square one" after a parting of the ways with a New York investment banker who was helping raise money to buy the dormant track. "It will probably be 2007 if we can do it," said Joe VanHoose, a spokesman for the Save the Speedway group that wants to return racing to the historic Wilkes County, N.C., track. VanHoose is at Daytona International Speedway this week looking for investors willing to contribute significant amounts toward purchasing North Wilkesboro Speedway from Bruton Smith and Bob Bahre. Smith has the track is for sale, but VanHoose said Smith has been "pretty firm" on his asking price of $12 million. Robert Smith, the banker who met with Smith earlier this year after agreeing to help with the group's effort, contacted the Observer Wednesday night and asked that his name no longer be associated with the effort. "I have parted ways with these young kids," Wilson said. The Save the Speedway group is headed up by Robert Marsden, a 24-year-old computer specialist from New York. "They just have no clue what business is all about." Wilson said the group told him it had agreements with several racing series to hold events at North Wilkesboro, and that he went to potential investors with that information. "When I asked to see the agreements what they showed me were letters of intent," Wilson said. "If I go out trying to raise money telling people they have agreements for dates, and then they get to negotiating contracts and things don't get worked out, then I have lied to these people. That's fraud." VanHoose said the Save the Speedway group did not misrepresent its letters of intent with racing series when it met with Wilson about being involved in the project. "We presented what we have as letters of intent and we never said we had signed contractual agreements," VanHoose said. "He misunderstood, and we have decided to cut our ties and go in a different direction."(Thatsracin)(2-17-2006)

The first domino falls in North Wilkesboro: Organizers from Save the Speedway.net have a commitment from an investor for one million dollars to purchase one million shares towards acquiring North Wilkesboro Speedway. STS Motorsports is now searching for additional investors to purchase another six million shares at one dollar per share to finish the purchase from Bruton Smith and Bob Bahre. The STS group has been actively working on finalizing steps to completing an outstanding racing schedule on the 5/8ths-mile track, once the proper funding has been arranged. Those people interested in investing should contact STS officials at savethespeedway.net, punch up staff and direct correspondence to President Robert Marsden. STS has also hired an investor banker to help with negotiations. The New York resident put together the original NASCAR TV package. STS announces and welcome Racing Electronics as their Offical Two Way Radio Communications company of STS Motorpsorts Inc and North Wilkesboro Speedway.(STS Site)(1-17-2006)

North Wilkesboro over valued by Smith? UPDATE: Bruton Smith, the co-owner of the North Wilkesboro Speedway, has named his price to sell the track to Wilkes County government: $12 million. But county officials say the offer isn't reasonable for a depreciating track that requires a lot of work and is listed on the tax rolls with a value of $4.83 million. All five county commissioners have met during the past few months with representatives of a group called Save the Speedway. The group's Internet site gathered 4,582 signatures of support for getting racing again at North Wilkesboro. The Save the Speedway folks have also been talking to Smith. They love the track and say they have plans that could get racing there next year. What they don't have is financial backing. They want the county to buy the speedway, then lease it to them. But county officials say that Wilkes cannot take on all of the financial risk.(Winston Salem Journal) and more info about saving/buying/racin the track at: savethespeedway.net.(12-12-2005)
UPDATE: In a telephone interview Monday, Smith told The Associated Press that he and Bahre, who owns New Hampshire International Speedway, have set a price of $12 million for the property. Smith, who owns Lowe's Motor Speedway outside Charlotte and several other tracks through his Speedway Motorsports Inc., said he has offered to spend $1 million on improvements to the property as part of any sale. He said he also told the county he and Bahre will accept payment in tax-free bonds in lieu of cash. "One of my managers has talked to them (the county) a couple times" about the bonding idea, Smith said. "They thought it was a great idea."(ESPN.com/AP)(12-13-2005)

Racetrack website gaining momentum to getting back on track: The doors may have been closed for nearly a decade, but conversation about the legendary North Wilkesboro Speedway has never stopped. The overall facility is currently owned by multi-track owner Bruton Smith and New Hampshire Speedway owner Bob Bahre. After being badgered by several interests, the most serious conversations concerning purchase are coming from a group determined to resurrect the race track to a weekly competitive facility. Forty-thousand seats may not be enough to keep up with Cup standards, but ample for many other purposes. The .625-mile paved track and its surroundings has been surprising well-kept and used on occasion by NASCAR teams for testing, most recently by Jack Roush in an effort to land next year's truck drivers in his 'Gong Show'. Since May 2005, the Help Save North Wilkesboro Speedway website has amassed more than 3,500 petitioners eager to see the track brought back to life.
Kenny Wallace is among the many signatures with demographics showing those interested coming from almost all 50 states and as far away as Canada with more than 20,000 hits to their credit. The group putting their heads and wallets together is spearheaded by Robert Marsden, Mike Kuver, Steven Wilson, Jerry Sink, and Todd Knaperek.
If successful, racing for next year is quite possible after several track and facility improvements are made. No. 1 on the list of 'things to do' will include grandstand repairs and a complete resurfacing of the track. Local county officials have recently expressed an interest in hooking up public utilities, namely water and sewer concerns.
Major sponsors also appear very interested in reviving the historic facility. Area residents and more importantly, area business' would welcome with open arms a chance to recapture some economic improvements since the track closed in 1996. Besides being a racing facility, other plans for the 110-acre site include area concerts, swap meets, shows of various kinds, driver education and high-performance driving schools, police and military training site along with private team testing. Those interested in supporting the idea of North Wilkesboro Speedway returning to action can punch up www.savethespeedway.net. If all of the careful plans by organizers fall into place, we might be hearing "Gentleman, start your engines." by late Spring 2006.(10-6-2005)

North Wilkesboro: a website, www.savethespeedway.net has been started trying to save and re-open the North Wilkesboro Speedway in North Wilkesboro, NC. It has images and oher information. Why? the site states: The mission of this page is to reach out to people who want to see racing return to North Wilkesboro Speedway, and to win support to reopen this historic track. Bob Bahre got half of Wilkesboro and Bruton Smith got the other, so they each got a race date for their racetracks. In the mean time, North Wilkesboro sits unused and a town has been decimated by the financial loss because the two owners cant come to an agreement. This track would be perfect for the Busch series, truck races, ARCA, Hooters, Concerts, events, etc.(4-27-2005)

North Wilkesboro News: Mike Staley, once president of North Wilkesboro Speedway, is now the Tour Director the newly named ASA/SMART tour, an American Speed Association-sanctioned derivative of the old Southern Modified Auto Racing Teams. "I believe the association with ASA will be great for the future of the SMART tour," said Staley. "It may begin a process of expanding the series a little farther out with its geography. ASA/SMART tour is a really great product ,and I feel there is potential for considerable growth."(Gaston Gazette)(4-10-2004)

Residents want North Wilkesboro Re-Opened: Wilkes County residents [NC] are asking that the old North Wilkesboro Speedway be reopened to racing as a way to stimulate the county's economy. A petition asks that the county condemn the speedway so it can be sold to someone who will reopen the race track that once hosted NASCAR races. The track was one of the oldest on the NASCAR circuit when it was closed in 1996. Owners Bob Bahre and Bruton Smith bought the track so they could move the speedway's two Winston Cup race dates to larger, more modern tracks.(WRAL.com/AP)(10-22-2003)

No Racing at North Wilkesboro? ever again? Bruton Smith comment: "I don't see North Wilkesboro (Speedway) ever coming back to life. It's history. A storm tore it up. It's had water and sewer problems, and the track itself is worn out. I offered $4 million to (co-owner) Bob Bahre to buy it all, but he wouldn't take it. Right now, I only have half a vote in what goes on over there. If I had it all, things would be different. Fans don't understand how much you'd have to spend to get it back like it was. Let's just forget about North Wilkesboro. It's fast returning to the earth."(Daily Press)(1-23-2003)

Bruton Smith says it is not his fault about North Wilkesboro: O. Bruton Smith says it’s not his call whether or not the North Wilkesboro Speedway may be sold to Junior Johnson. “I only own half of it. It wouldn’t be up to me,” Smith told The Record during a Monday morning interview. He added, “I haven’t talked to Junior. I can’t speculate on this.” The North Wilkesboro Speedway has been closed since September 1996. It was sold to Smith and Bob Bahre after the death of track owner Enoch Staley. Johnson, a former racecar driver and NASCAR team owner, says he and a group of investors would like to buy the track and bring some type of racing back to Wilkes. Smith said if he had gotten his way in 1996, racing would have never left. “I had a plan when I thought I would be 100 percent owner,” Smith said. He wouldn’t elaborate on what the plan was, but said improvements would have been made to the track, which opened in 1947. Smith’s attempts to buy the track for himself failed. Smith, the owner of Texas Motor Speedway, and Bahre, the owner of New Hampshire International Speedway, bought the North Wilkesboro Speedway to acquire the fall and spring race dates for their tracks. The total sale price was reportedly $14 million. Since the sale, the track has stood dormant. It didn’t have to be that way, Smith said. “The people there had the chance to sell 100 percent to me,” Smith said. “If that had occurred it (the track) would have been operating today. I offered Mr. Bahre a $4 million profit and he wouldn’t take it. It’s not my fault.” Bahre has blamed Smith for the track’s closure. He told The Record in a previous interview that he would like to see the facility used, but that he couldn’t do anything without Smith’s blessings. Smith said he’s not going to risk his money on a track of which he only owns half. “I’m not going to put my dollars and people at risk as only a 50 percent owner,” he said. As for Bahre, Smith said, “I can’t remember the last time I talked to him about (the North Wilkesboro Speedway).” The Record couldn’t reach Bahre for comment this week. Officials at New Hampshire International Speedway said he was out of town and referred all questions about the North Wilkesboro Speedway to him. Smith said that if he owned the track, he would have made substantial changes. Those would include installing a new sewer system, he said. “We would have spent a lot of money there and I was prepared to do it,” Smith said. And, apparently, Smith has it to spend. In 1996, the year he bought half the North Wilkesboro Speedway, he was listed in the Forbes 400 as one of the wealthiest businessmen in America. Smith is also the founder of Speedway Motorsports, Inc., which owns the Atlanta Motor Speedway, Bristol Motor Speedway, Lowe’s Motor Speedway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Sears Point Raceway and Texas Motor Speedway.(The Record)(1-10-2003)

Racing back at North Wilkesboro? Racing will return to Wilkes County - if NASCAR legend Junior Johnson has his way. “I think there’s an excellent chance that in less than five years, there’ll be racing there again,” Johnson told The Record during a Monday interview. “It’d make a great place for Winston Cup and Busch to test, too.” Johnson, a former driver and Winston Cup team owner, said that he and a group of investors, whom he declined to name, are pondering the possibility of purchasing the track. Johnson appears to be ready to participate in the purchase. If racing returns, it isn’t expected to be Winston Cup. BGN and CTS racing are more likely candidates, Johnson said. The North Wilkesboro Speedway opened in 1947. The last race was held there on Sept. 29, 1996. Since then, the .625-mile asphalt oval has been silent and the 40,000 seats empty. The track’s long career came to an end after the May 1995 death of owner Enoch Staley. The speedway was then sold to Bruton Smith, who owns Texas Motor Speedway [along with Lowe's Motor Speedway, Infineno Raceway, Atlanta Motor Speedway, Bristol Motor Speedway and Las Vegas Motor Speedway thru Speedway Motorsports], and Bob Bahre, who owns New Hampshire International Speedway. The sale price was reportedly $14 million. The two bought the Wilkes track with closure in mind - they wanted the spring and fall race dates for their tracks. Bahre has said that he’d like to see the North Wilkesboro Speedway used, but says Smith isn’t interested. And there’s the snag. With Bahre and Smith reportedly not being on speaking terms regarding the track, little has been done. Johnson says several legal issues must be settled before any sale could be considered. “Bruton (Smith) won’t do anything with his part,” Johnson said. “Still, I think it’s a possibility that once they get that over with something can be worked out.” Neither Smith nor Bahre could be reached by phone this week. Johnson and Bahre, however, appear to agree that the North Wilkesboro Speedway would be suited for BGN and CTS racing. There has also been talk of weekly modified and sportsman division races. Wilkes has proven that it can be a successful host to special events. Johnson used the Brushy Mountain Apple Festival and MerleFest as examples. If the track reopens, he said, it could also be used during such events. There’s also been talk of establishing a NASCAR museum in Wilkes. A museum here would be appropriate, Johnson said, due to Wilkes County’s racing roots. When NASCAR left Wilkes, “It just absolutely destroyed the economics here,” he said. During the two race weeks held at the speedway each year while the track was operating, thousands of fans filled motels and hotels in Wilkes and surrounding counties. Those fans ate in area restaurants and shopped at local stores. In more recent years, the race dates had shared the limelight with the Apple Festival and MerleFest as the three major drawing cards to the area. But, Johnson said, “The race track was the biggest of them by far.” County Manager Gary Page, when told of Johnson’s hopes for the track, said, “As far as the NASCAR fans in the county, they’d be thrilled to have some kind of racing back here.” Page added, “As far as economic development, I’m sure that any kind of racing (at the speedway) would cause some spin off of benefits. We’ve always heard that if the track opens again, a lot of NASCAR teams would like to use it for testing.” For the past few years, speedway owners and Wilkes County tax officials have disputed the tax value of the property - which includes the track, stands, 43.2 acres of land and two houses. A $9.5 million tax value has been listed by the county. Smith and Bahre say it’s worth about $2 million. An independent appraiser valued the property at $7.2 million. The dispute will head to the state Court of Appeals, possibly in the next few months, county officials say. In the meantime, Smith and Bahre pay their taxes despite the disagreement. “They’re good taxpayers,” said Wilkes Tax Administrator Alex Hamilton. “They’ve already paid their (2002) bill.” The annual bill is $72,000, Hamilton said. It is paid by North Wilkesboro Speedway Inc., in which Smith and Bahre each own 50 percent of the stock. County officials are hopeful once the tax dispute is settled, the track will be used again. About the possibility of a sale and reopening of the North Wilkesboro Speedway, Page said, “I don’t see any negatives. With the economy the way it is, I just think it would bring back a little normalcy and stability to Wilkes County.”(The Record)(1-3-2003)

North Wilkesboro News: Speedway Motorsports Inc. chairman Bruton Smith, who owns 50% interest in the dormant North Wilkesboro Speedway, says he has no plans to reopen the historic track for any kind of racing. "The track is worn out and you'd have to rebuild and repave it," Smith said. "There is a sewer problem there that would have to be solved. There are so many things that it would take to get that track back up and running again." New Hampshire International Speedway owner Bob Bahre owns the other 50% of the track. "You can't make money there. We only own 50 percent of the track. I'm not going to waste money and people up there because I'm only a 50-percent owner." Smith denied rumors that he has talked to Junior Johnson, who lives in Wilkes County, about selling the track to Johnson or any group he represents. "I've talked to Junior recently, but he's never, ever mentioned buying the track from me," Smith said.(ThatsRacin.com)(1-18-2002)

Johnson and North Wilkesboro: If Junior Johnson can persuade Bruton Smith and Bob Bahre to sell him North Wilkesboro Speedway, the stock car legend would like to open up a Junior Johnson Driving School at the famous short track and also run Busch and Truck races.(Winston Salem Journal)(10-16-2001)

Johnson and Wilkesboro: Former Winston Cup star Junior Johnson, who won 50 races behind the wheel and six championships as a car owner, said Friday he has been involved in some efforts to reopen North Wilkesboro (N.C.) Speedway, but doesn't see any progress on the issue. Bruton Smith and Gary Bahre jointly bought the speedway in 1996, but each used one of the track's two races dates for other tracks - Smith for Texas Motor Speedway and Bahre for his New Hampshire International Speedway. The North Wilkesboro track has not been open since. "I've put a little bit of effort into it," he said. "Not enough to start shooting at somebody, believe me. I think the Wilkesboro race track should be opened. It has a lot of potential, maybe not for Winston Cup, but you've got a variety of things you could do. Johnson, who is grand marshal of Sunday's Southern 500, said he has talked Bob Bahre, Gary's father and co-owner, about selling, but he has never committed to a sale. "I think he's to the point now where he doesn't even want to talk about it," Johnson said.(That's Racin') AND - North Wilkesboro Photo: Bob Hanner of The Stock Car Gallery stopped by North Wilkesboro Speedway after attending the Bristol race and took a nice shot of the track in it's current state, see the image at: North Wilkesboro Speedway August 26th 2001(8-29/9-1-2001)

North Wilkesboro News: the November 12th issue of Speedway Scene reports in the Snowballs column that it is hearing Bill France Jr has bought Bob Bahre's half of North Wilkesboro. Bruton Smith owns the other half, that would be an interesting partnership(11-14-1999)

MASSACHUSETTS

More Mass. Track News: More than 2,000 people crowded the Southwick-Tolland Regional High School gymnasium Thursday for a sometimes heated meeting with the principal partners of the proposed Motorsports USA race track complex to be built on 230 acres of land near the Southwick-Westfield border.(National Speed Sports News)(7-25-2000)

Massachusetts Racetrack: A new NASCAR quality raceway, replacing the one that closed at Agawam's Riverside Park last year, may be coming to Western Massachusetts. An informational hearing has been scheduled for July 20 at the Southwick-Tolland Regional High School. Promoters of a Motorplex Entertainment Center will outline plans then. In addition to Southwick, Hebert said promoters are looking at a site in Connecticut, between Hartford and Springfield along the Interstate-91 corridor. The motorplex will consist of a high-banked Đ-mile track and a 2-mile road course(Union News)(6-29-2000)

MINNESOTA

New Track in Minnesota Planned: Competition for a place on the NASCAR Nextel Cup schedule may be extremely hot but that hasn't deterred the International Motorsports Entertainment and Development Corporation from pressing ahead with plans to build a track in Minnesota. The project is estimated by management of IMEDC to cost $200 million and will include a paved three-quarter mile high-banked oval suitable for NASCAR, ASA, ARCA and IRL style racing as well as a one-quarter mile NHRA style drag strip. Plans also include the incorporation of a major retail development to further add to this soon to be destination location. One of the major market centres of the Midwest, the Twin Cities of Minneapolis-St.Paul, has a reputation for its strong business climate and economy. With a population of approximately 31 million, it has been ranked by Fortune magazine in the list of top 10 business locales in the nation, and is home to 16 Fortune 500 companies including current NASCAR team sponsors Best Buy, Target, 3M and General Mills. "Our strategy concentrates on expansion and innovation targeting motorsport spectators, sponsors and competitors. We plan to grow operations and increase shareholder value through the development and expansion of a motorsports facility within the Minneapolis-St Paul Market," said Jim Farnum, IMEDC CEO, "Our goal is to create a first-class complex for the state and local community of which all Minnesotans can be proud."(Crash.net)(3-13-2007)

"Big plans are under way for construction of a NASCAR and Indy-car race track in Otsego, Minn., about 30 miles northwest of the Twin Cities near Elk River, Rogers, Monticello and Albertville, where there is an abundance of rural land. Interstate 94 would need infrastructure work to handle traffic to the track, which would seat at least 80,000 and as many as 120,000. If political hurdles are cleared and financing is approved, the 1 1/2-mile track could be in place within two years, with three to five big-time races a likelihood every summer"(Pioneer Planet), I got many messages about this story(I hear Roger Penske may have something to do with this)(8-8-97)

MISSISSIPPI

Memphis not threatened: The proposed $100 million Tunica Speedway [in Mississippi] has stirred excitement about a possible NASCAR race in the Mid-South, but with key races under contract for the next few years, officials at Memphis Motorsports Park don't feel threatened. Zoning for the proposed racetrack in Tunica was approved Dec. 8, but that doesn't give Tunica any pull with NASCAR to look at the site for a future Nextel Cup event. "They may build a track in Tunica, but that doesn't make it a NASCAR track; it's a motorsports facility," says Rob Stallins, director of media relations for Memphis Motorsports Park. The Memphis park hosts two NASCAR events a year, a NASCAR truck series race and the Busch Series Sam's Town 250, which are two of its biggest draws. The park also hosts the O'Reilly Mid-South Nationals event for the NHRA, which draws 70,000-80,000 people over the course of four days. All of these events have been staples of the park and are under contract until at least 2005. NASCAR spokesman Andrew Giangola says NASCAR has not been involved in discussions with any developers about adding races in Tunica.(Memphis Business Journal)(1-6-2004)

No Mississippi Track? A confidential Tunica County [Mississippi] planner's memo made public Thursday says developers of a proposed NASCAR race track need a more suitable site. Tunica County officials turned over the document two weeks after it was first requested by The Commercial Appeal, but after the county's planning commission voted unanimously Dec. 8 to recommend rezoning the land to accommodate the project. Gary M. Copeland, director of the county's office of planning and development, said Thursday that the critical memorandum, drafted by former planner Greg Hurley, was never given to planning commission members. Tunica Motorsports Inc., a Tennessee corporation created in May by Memphis attorney James O. Lockard, plans a one-mile paved oval race track, a two-mile road course, a drag strip, grandstands eventually accommodating 120,000 spectators, lakes, an RV park and commercial, high-rise residential and hospitality areas 1.6 miles north of the town of Tunica and several miles south of the casinos. Tunica Motorsports Inc. has an option to purchase the property, which is owned by the M.O. Carter Trust, according to the company's rezoning application. Lockard said he hadn't seen the memo, but disagreed that the proposed site for the racetrack was inappropriate. The Tunica County Board of Supervisors has scheduled a Dec. 31 public hearing to discuss the project. In the undated memo, Hurley points out that the 536-acre tract is not in the "resort" district set aside for outdoor recreation and other tourist-oriented land uses within the county's comprehensive land use plan. The six-page memo also points out that the application doesn't address the potential cost to the county for adequate fire protection, police services, water and sewer needs. Residents of the nearby Hambrick subdivision have raised noise and health issues at recent planning commission meetings. Perhaps the most significant finding in the memo is a potential safety concern about a natural gas pipeline that crosses the property.(Memphis Commercial Appeal)(12-20-2003)

More on the proposed Miss. track: A proposed $100 million motorsports complex in Tunica County [Mississippi] could be built even without the promise of landing one of NASCAR's premier events, a Nextel Cup Series race. Memphis attorney Jim Lockard, president of Tunica Motorsports Inc., said NASCAR doesn't guarantee events to proposed tracks, "and that's something we all have to accept." But, he added, "With the facility we're building, it would be very surprising if we couldn't attract those type of events." Plans call for a concert venue that could seat 60,000 or more. "Its success is not going to totally rely on the exact nature of the race we get," he said. From a racing standpoint, a Nextel Cup event would be the ultimate coup for the planned one-mile oval with initial seating for up to 60,000 and eventual expansion to 150,000. The project faces many hurdles, from financial demands to the need for a zoning change on the proposed 536-acre site, on U.S. 61 about seven miles south of the casinos. But the biggest challenge may be landing a Nextel Cup event. Attempts to reach NASCAR officials Thursday were unsuccessful. However, there's a lack of event availability, and steep competition - if one were to become available - from the Memphis Motorsports Park, which already is host to lower-level NASCAR events, and from the much larger markets that NASCAR is thought to crave. "I don't want to appear like you can't get one of these superevents," said Don Naman, Alabama-based consultant for Tunica Motorsports, "but there'd have to be some dramatic changes on the scene before that would happen." Naman, former track manager at Talladega Superspeedway, and Lockard both said they considered the Memphis Motorsports Park to represent a separate market. The Memphis track is under contract for NASCAR Busch Series and Craftsman Truck Series events through 2006. Jason Rittenberry, MMP vice president and general manager, said his track's existing NASCAR races and NASCAR-connected owner Dover Motorsports made it more likely than Tunica County to land a Nextel Cup event. He said MMP could expand seating at its 3/4-mile oval from the current 35,000 to about 100,000. But Rittenberry said the odds could be long for either Mid-South track, given NASCAR's desire to move into New York and other major markets. The Tunica track saga continues Monday, when the Tunica County Planning Commission is scheduled to consider a zoning change for the track site.(Memphis Commercial Appeal)(12-8-2003)

Track in Mississippi? If developers get their way, NASCAR racing could be headed to the Mid-South in a couple of years. Plans call for a race track to be built in Tunica County [MS]. But there could be some track troubles as residents wonder how the track would affect them. A race track would give the folks at the Visitors' bureau something to talk about. Right now it's slot machines that spin in Tunica County, but soon it could be race cars taking a spin around what's being called the race track of the future. The plans are ambitious, a NASCAR worthy, state of the art race track that would start out with minor races then move into the big leagues. Developers based in Memphis want to build the track on 550 acres in Tunica County between New Highway 61 and the future Interstate 69. Proposals say at least twenty races a year could bring in tens of million of dollars and more than a hundred jobs. Folks who live near the land like the money and the jobs but wonder what else a track could bring. Those who back the track say it's already being talked about in racing circles and a contract has been signed with the International Hot Rod Association. If built, project backers say the track would have the latest in noise reduction and safety features for drivers and spectators also it would feature fiber optic video and audio and would also be billed as an entertainment venue for concerts.(WMCTV)(11-21-2003)

NEW MEXICO

Plans for indy-style track west of Albuquerque have stalled over questions about water supply and the impact of race fans traveling on INTERSTATE 40. The first phase of the proposed N.M. Motor Speedway calls for 1.25 mile track, seating for 50,000, and parking for 17,000 cars.(8-29-97)

NEW ORLEANS/LOUISIANA

Tulane Motor Speedway

Louisiana Race track deal on go: The Louisiana International Speedway is still on go and moving at a faster pace, said Bruce Harrell, whose family has agreed to sell the land for the project. Closing the land deal is on a “day-by-day” basis now. “It used to be month-by-month,” Harrell told the Kentwood Rotarians Thursday. “Believe it or not, this is moving pretty fast. I don't believe it was ever off track. I really believe it is going to happen. It's a huge project. There are a lot of people involved.” Naysayers and skeptics have not rattled Harrell's optimism. “The significant thing is they've done this several times,” said Harrell, a CPA and veteran business and government auditor. “I don't see anything we need to be concerned about.” When the act of sale on the land goes through, “you better get ready,” he added. Harrell and Ron Brion, finance director for LIS, recently visited the Kansas Speedway, 15 miles outside of Kansas City and near the Missouri state line. A photograph presentation showed crowds of racing fans and racing cars, a hotel with a water park inside, an outdoor shopping mall, the main facility with at least four street entrances, concessions at the race track and corporate hospitality tents that rent for up to $80,000 each. The stadium is designed so that every seat including the pricey “suites” has a full view of the entire track. The engineers for the Kansas track are the same ones working on the Kentwood track. When asked about infrastructure for the project, Harrell said he believes the basic road system with several entrances are already in place at the property, but those roads would need improvement. Parish President Gordon Burgess noted that the parish was able to use some economic development dollars for infrastructure at the Wal-Mart distribution center in Robert. “That could very easily be done,” Burgess said. Kentwood restaurant owner Tom Tolar researched the Kansas project because of his business interests and the similarities to the Kentwood proposal. The Kansas speedway was built in a cornfield with “nothing around it” and there was some speculation it would never be built when it was first announced, Tolar said. Today the Kansas Speedway is surrounded by big businesses and impacts six counties in Kansas and eight in Missouri. It has generated $170 million in tourist dollars and another $428 million in retail and entertainment dollars, Tolar said. “My feeling is this is economic development,” Harrell said. “It's great for my family but it's even better for the community” The plan is to build a one-mile oval asphalt paved track to NASCAR specifications, a one-quarter mile drag strip and a one-quarter mile drag boat course. Drag racing on the quarter-mile strip will likely be the first event for the motor sports entertainment. But concerts, festivals and other types of events are also anticipated.(Hammond Star)(10-12-2007)

Louisiana speedway plans unveiled: Developers announced plans for a new $100 million motor sports racing facility on the Northshore. It is planned for an area west of Interstate 55 near Kentwood, Louisiana. Officials say the Louisiana International Speedway will feature "a one-mile oval asphalt paved track, a quarter-mile drag strip and a drag boat racing course." Developers say they plan to hold stock car racing, National Hot Rod Association drag racing and International Hot Boat Association events. The 1500 acre site could also host concerts, festivals and other events. They hope to open it in the fall of 2008. Governor Kathleen Blanco says the project is expected to generate between 600 and 800 jobs and break ground this summer.(wwl.com)
AND It's unclear whether the track would ever be home to a NASCAR race. Officials of the stock car circuit don't consider a speedway until after it's complete.(ESPN.com/AP)(7-27-2007)

Louisiana track proposed, could be started soon: Construction on a motor speedway in Ouachita Parish [Louisiana] could begin within three months. BizCapital President John M. Brocato confirmed Wednesday the company will finance the $6.2 million project, which is also backed by a U.S. Agriculture Department loan guarantee of 70%. The Monroe Motor Speedway, which will feature a three-eighths mile oval surrounding a figure-eight course, will be built on 55 acres fronting Wagon Wheel Road just off of the Interstate 20 frontage road east of Garrett Road. "It's a dream that took more than 20 years," said Stu Bashner, managing partner of an ownership group that includes about 20 investors. "I'm excited and relieved at the same time." Bashner said the speedway complex, which will include a grandstand that can seat up to 4,000 fans, will be ready for racing in January 2008. It will have total seating for 5,000 fans. Bashner and other investors bought the track site more than three years ago but weren't able to secure financing until the USDA approved the loan guarantee about four months ago. Breck Construction of Monroe will build the complex. Bashner said Paxton Waters, who has designed such tracks as the California Speedway and Las Vegas Motor Speedway, will be the architect for the project.(The News-Star)(1-6-2007)

News on a Louisiana track: A visit by NASCAR legend Bobby Allison to Monroe is almost icing on the cake for local race track promoter Stu Bashner. On a Thursday when Allison served as keynote speaker at the Monroe Chamber of Commerce Annual Banquet at the Monroe Civic Center Conference Hall, Bashner said preliminary designs of the Monroe Motor Speedway have been completed, which means possible racing on the proposed track by early 2005. "The white flag is waving," said Bashner, which in racing terminology means one lap left in a race. "We've got all the pieces in place. I feel more confident than I ever have, and we're as close as we have ever been." Allison's visit to Monroe was due in part to his association with Bashner. Allison serves on the board of directors for Monroe Motors Speedway, a $5 million, three-eighths mile track to be located on 55 acres just off the Interstate 20 frontage road(The News Star)(1-31-2004)

Louisiana Track may get built: Stu Bashner, a local Ouachita Parish [NE Louisiana] restaurateur, who is heading a group that plans to build Monroe Motor Speedway would be built on 55 acres, a $5-million project. Bashner said the three-eighths mile oval would be both a home to local racing and national touring circuits, perhaps on the level of ARCA, which Bashner compares to Class AA minor league baseball. A study commissioned by the North Louisiana Speedway Corp., which will own the racetrack, estimated the project would have a $50 million economic impact on the market. Bashner has organized a nine-member board of directors, most of whom boast strong racing pedigrees. Among them are Don Naman, who managed Talladega Superspeedway, Andy Vertrees, general manager of Kentucky Speedway and Bobby Allison, a NASCAR legend. Bashner, Gary Booth and Richard Guraedi are the local directors. Bill Moss, who built the Talladega and Las Vegas speedways, is a stockholder and will supervise construction. Bashner said the grandstands would seat about 5,000 spectators initially, with room to grow to as many as 20,000 seats. "There is literally nothing like this between Talladega and Dallas," Bashner said. "It will generate dollars and tourists and corporations to our community. We have a fantastic racing fan base in northeastern Louisiana."(News-Star - Monroe, LA)(7-24-2003)

Another Louisiana Track Proposal: The rural parish, or county, of St. Helena, approximately 75 miles north of New Orleans, also has been exploring the possibility since 1997.(see my Track News and Links page for news on the other track). The speedway's proposed site would be about 10 miles south of the Louisiana-Mississippi state line and three miles west of I-55, a major north-south corridor connecting New Orleans, Jackson, Miss., and Memphis, Tenn. Louisiana State Highway 10, along which proponents hope the track will be built, is scheduled to be widened for the proposed Zachary Taylor Highway, which will be a new east-west interstate. Cost estimates for the proposed St. Helena track are roughly $150 million. Construction plans call for a 1.86-mile speedway(cool not 1.5 miles), a five-eighths-mile asphalt oval, a half-mile dirt oval, a quarter-mile dragstrip and a 1.5-mile paved road course. Bruce Cutrer, a major proponent of the track and the fire chief of a district that includes the speedway site, said last month the funds needed to develop the facility were not yet in hand. Private, out-of-state funding is being sought for the development.(in part from the Winston Cup Scene)(2-1-2001)

New Orleans Track: been a while since I heard much on this - Three private developers have expressed an interest in recent months about building a speedway in New Orleans designed to host NASCAR events. The proposals received by the 13-member New Orleans Speedway Task Force are from Ardy Arani of The Championship Group, an Atlanta-based company that formerly owned Road Atlanta; Robert Maloney, a developer who owns two truck stops in the New Orleans area; and Donald Panoz and Ralph Sanchez, with whom the city was negotiating in 1997 when the track was first proposed. Panoz and Sanchez are considered to have the inside track since they built Homestead-Miami Speedway. In December, the board of commissioners of the New Orleans Business and Industrial District, where the track is likely to be located, voted to begin talks with Panoz and Sanchez. The cost of developing the track is estimated at around $150 million. Plans call for the development of either a 1- to 2-mile oval with a winding interior road course and an adjacent quarter-mile dragstrip, or a 2.15-mile road course with an adjoining dragstrip. However, a smaller track may be the way to go, according to some commissioner members. A project in the $55 million to $60 million range for smaller sanctioned events may work better because of the already-high number of Winston Cup weekends, New Orleans officials have been told.(in part from the Winston Cup Scene)(1-25-2001)

New Orleans Update: A task force exploring the feasibility of building a motorsport speedway in eastern New Orleans will notify a handful of developers that the New Orleans Industrial and Business District, the group spearheading the move to build the track, is ready to proceed with the project. As envisioned, it's estimated that the eastern New Orleans track will cost between $50 million and $75 million(NOLA Live/Times-Picayune)(8-28-2000)

Louisiana Track News: An $100 million auto racetrack in the River Parishes, contemplated for at least three years, took a step toward reality with approval of a bill in the House Ways and Means Committee last week. The committee on May 23 forwarded House Bill 303, authored by Reps. GarySmith of Norco and Bobby Faucheux of LaPlace, to the full House for debate. No specific date is set for discussion by the full House. Other co-sponsors include Sen. Joel Chaisson II (Destrehan), Rep. RoyQuezaire (Donaldsonville) and Rep. Alex Heaton (New Orleans).The bill calls for implementing a 2 percent hotel-motel tax, the revenue from which would generate $130,000 annually as infrastructure improvements or as a pledge to secure bonds issued for such improvements, aimed toward developing the project. Several sites are being contemplated, including a 2,000-acre site near Killona and other sites near Edgard and possibly between Reserve and Garyville. A site north of Lake Pontchartrain is also contemplated, however, this House bill applies only if the site selected is in the River Parishes(L'Observateur)(5-24-2000)

New Orleans Track: A long-standing proposal to create a major auto speedway in eastern New Orleans got its biggest boost yet when an influential task force announced last week that it would explore the feasibility and funding of the multimillion-dollar project. With a panel including Gov. Foster, Mayor Marc Morial and a host of political and business leaders, the New Orleans International Speedway Task Force was designed to give the initiative a solid front of state and local support, a key ingredient missing from a previous proposal that failed. But even with the task force's formidable lineup, a racetrack is a long way from the finish line. See full story at the nola live/Times-Picayune(4-4-2000)

Ralph Sanchez, who helped build the Homestead, Fla., track, is expected to begin work on what could be a new race track near New Orleans, according to sources close to Sanchez.(JournalNow)(3-23-98)

As for the rumored New Orleans track, I hear the land that is proposed for it may be used for a planned amusement park called Jazzland Regional Theme Park, cost about $76 mil. This would be in the I-10 off hwy 90 area around Michoud(thanks Reggie for the info)(6-22-97)

More news on the New Orleans track: Plans for a new track just like Texas being built off of I-10 and I-510 in the New Orleans area (to be specific off of Michoud Blvd and Almonaster Rd lot of open and empty space). The governor of the state supports the track as do the local politician. Buddy Bakers name has been thrown around with some involvement with this track or a track he and some investors are planning on building near Hammond, LA. off of I-55(6-12-97)

Rumor has a track to be built near New Orleans. From what I hear they(?) are trying to get a setup a lot like the Texas Motor Speedway. Here is what I hear: "Word is going around that there are some well-financed people planning to build a track somewhere around the Gulfport area and west, which would qualify as "near New Orleans", probably just north of I-10, where there's lots of land(6-11-97)

OKLAHOMA

Oklahoma Track? UPDATE: The U.S. Probation Office in Jackson, Miss., has initiated parole revocation proceedings against the promoter of a multimillion-dollar motor raceway and entertainment complex in Craig County. Charles D. Kelley of Wagoner, who has been promoting the supposed $730 million project west of Vinita, has been ordered to appear Thursday at an initial revocation hearing in U.S. District Court in Jackson. Kelley represents World Racing Association, headquartered in Wagoner. See the complete story at: Race backer may lose parole. For more info on the track project, see worldracingonline.com -- more info from Speedwords: Over the last year or so SPEEDWORDS has heard about a spectacular racing development reputed to include a 1 1/2 mile NASCAR style oval, a road course, a 1/2 mile dirt oval and a 1/4 mile covered drag strip. Sound impossible? Maybe not impossible but certainly expensive, reportedly around $730 million bucks. The complex was to be constructed not far from Vinita, Oklahoma. A few months ago I had a phone conversation with a representative of the World Racing Association that promised to keep me informed of all developments, except apparently this one. Charles D. Kelley, who has been promoting project, has been ordered to appear Thursday at an initial probation revocation hearing in U.S. District Court in Jackson, Mississippi. Kelley has been on three years probation (scheduled to end in late March) for a felony conviction on two counts of wire fraud in an U.S. District Court. Kelley was previously convicted of fraudulently obtaining money for a charity, obtaining money under false pretences and bail jumping in Oklahoma(Speedwords)(3-17-1999)

COOLER NEWS

Richmond and Coolers: Richmond International Raceway will allow coolers this year, but only ones of the soft-sided, insulated-bag variety. No hard-sided coolers are allowed into the raceway. Ticket buyers were confused by a recent RIR letter explaining the new security procedures. The letter states that "no backpacks, coolers, large bags and/or camera bags" will be allowed in the grandstands. However, a paragraph later, the letter explains that fans can bring food and beverages into the grandstands in the insulated bags. Raceway officials said they had received letters questioning the cooler rule but had resolved the issue when they explained to fans that the soft-sided coolers are allowed. These bags can be 6 inches by 6 inches by 12 inches, large enough for a six pack and a couple of sandwiches. Each ticketholder can bring in one. Fans also are allowed to carry an 18x18x4 clear plastic bag into the grandstands, primarily.(Richmond Times Dispatch)(1-23-2002)

Coolers - Fans Fight Back UPDATE: There is a grassroots movement afoot to protest International Speedway Corporation's recent safety-related decision not to allow coolers into the grandstands of its many racetracks. One of the anti-ISC organizers says the Daytona Beach company is simply using security issues as a way to wedge longtime race fans from their treasured coolers. ISC's cooler and backpack ban took effect following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. ISC has staged one Winston Cup race (Kansas Speedway, Sept. 30) since the rule was issued. ISC knows this is a hot-button topic but plans to stick to its guns for the rest of this season. NASCAR left cooler policies up to each track. In response to the cooler ban, David Talley, ISC director of corporate communications, said ISC has reduced prices on most concession items by 50 percent. The list of concession products with a lower price tag includes beer, hot dogs and soda. The company also will add 25 percent more concession stands to accommodate race fans. The ISC cooler and backpack guidelines pertain only to grandstand areas this season. Coolers are still allowed on an infield ticket. There is a message board for frustrated race fans to speak out: http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/nascarfansagainstisc. See Full story at the Daytona Beach News Journal.(10-9-2001)
UPDATE: International Speedway Corp., which has been criticized this week for a no-cooler policy, says the new guidelines for its racetracks is not a food and beverage issue. Each grandstand spectator entering any ISC track for the rest of the 2001 season will be allowed to carry in one 6-by-6-by-12 inch insulated, soft-sided bag. See full story at the Daytona Beach News Journal(10-12-2001)

ISC Sets Security for future Events - No Coolers: International Speedway Corporation (ISC) announced today that, due to recent tragic events and continuing concerns, all of the company's operational subsidiaries will increase security at events. Some of the new procedures are:
No backpacks, coolers, large bags and/or large camera bags will be allowed into the grandstand area for future ISC events.
All items brought through the gate area (purses, scanners, small camera bags, binoculars, etc.) are subject to inspection by security officials.
None of the above items can be left in or around the gate area.
Fans are encouraged to limit the size and type of any bag brought into the facility.
The tracks will work to minimize any inconvenience that these new practices may cause, including the reduction of concession pricing at tracks that formerly allowed coolers. Increased security must take precedence at this time and ISC will continue to focus on providing a safe environment at its future events. Therefore in addition to these new practices, ISC will implement increased security measures, including an increased law enforcement presence on site and K-9 units in some areas. As well, media, employees, temporary staffing, volunteers, sponsor representatives,VIPs, teams, and others holding a credential, will have to show a valid photo ID before entering the property. The tracks include Daytona International Speedway in Florida; Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama; Michigan International Speedway located outside Detroit, Michigan; California Speedway near Los Angeles, California; Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kansas; Homestead-Miami Speedway in Florida; Phoenix International Raceway in Arizona; Richmond International Raceway in Virginia; Darlington Raceway in South Carolina; North Carolina Speedway in Rockingham, North Carolina; Watkins Glen International in New York; and Nazareth Speedway in Pennsylvania.Other track interests include the operation of Tucson (Arizona) Raceway Park and an indirect 37.5% interest in Raceway Associates, LLC, which owns Chicagoland Speedway and Route 66 Raceway in Illinois.(ISC PR), as far as I know, this is a PERMANENT thing, No Coolers, wish to complain or send thanks? Contact ISC at their website: www.iscmotorsports.com - Contact page(sorry no email address)(9-20-2001)

MISC NOTES

Senate Passes Corporate Tax Bill, NASCAR Tracks Included: The Senate passed a far-reaching, $136 billion corporate tax package Monday that cuts taxes for businesses ranging from film companies to bow and arrow makers while closing tax loopholes and bringing U.S. exporters in line with international trade rules. The corporate tax bill grew out of the need for Congress to respond to a World Trade Organization (news - web sites) ruling that a $5 billion annual subsidy for U.S. exporters was illegal. As a result, 1,600 American exports to Europe are being hit by penalty tariffs that now stand at 12 percent and are rising by one percentage point a month. The bill became the vehicle for the most significant overhaul of corporate tax law in nearly two decades. It includes $76.5 billion in new tax relief for the manufacturing sector, which was broadly defined to include oil and gas producers, architectural and engineering firms and film and music companies. The package also provides benefits for a wide range of groups, from native Alaskan whalers, importers of Chinese ceiling fans, NASCAR race track owners [note: or any race track owner] and residents of states without state income taxes, who would be able to deduct state and local sales taxes from their federal tax returns. The measure includes a $10.1 billion buyout for tobacco farmers. Several senators from both parties objected strenuously that the final version of the bill drops Senate-approved language that would give the Food and Drug Administration (news - web sites) the power to regulate tobacco.(Yahoo News)(10-12-2004)

Dedication of Augusta International Raceway: On Saturday, September 11th, a Memorial Dedication remembering the Augusta International Raceway, was held at the Diamond Lakes Regional Park in Augusta, Ga. What was unusual about this Memorial is that it honors a track that has been closed for over 40 years. Augusta International Raceway was a three mile road course that opened in November of 1963. The first race was a 510 mile NASCAR event that was won by Fireball Roberts. The last races at A.I.R. were held on March1st of 1964 and were USRRC sports car races and won by Dave MacDonald and Ken Miles In an eerie twist of fate all three drivers would lose their lives in racing accidents within the next two years. Two drivers that participated in those events, 1960 NASCAR champion Rex White and Ted Tidwell were present at the dedication and were awarded plaques to commemorate the occasion.(Georgia Drag Racing News with links to photos of the event)(9-15-2004)

Happy 50 Years Hialeah Speedway...then goodbye: Tonight [June 12th] about 60 homegrown [Miami/South Florida] drivers will be at Hialeah Speedway, getting their cool cars ready for the track's 50th anniversary. Starting at 8 p.m., there will be four 50-lap feature races for the cyclone, mini stock, street stock and late model divisions and the always fan-pleasing figure-8 school bus race. Fireworks will cap off the night's celebration at a place that opened its doors in 1954. It all began when the Coury Family bought the land, which at the time was a strawberry field. But the family was approached by the Greater Miami Racing Association to build a track. The family realized there was more money to be made in racing than in the sweet fruit at the time and built a track with a 50-year lease. The lease has since expired. There will not be another 50 years. There will only be about five more months. Late this fall, at the end of this season, the track will be demolished, and construction on a new commercial development will begin, according to Drew Ogden, son of Richard Ogden, the owner of Miami-based Tropicaire Development, which is handling the project. The 28-acre tract off Okeechobee Road just east of the Palmetto Expressway is simply too valuable and too costly to be used as a local track. Taxes alone are now more than $100,000. Then there's insurance, ground-lease payments and overhead. Fans [Jayski used to go there weekly when he lived in North-West Miami] can drive through the gates of the antiquated track and feel like they are back in the 1960s. Hot dogs will be $1 tonight, and the popcorn, still made from an old-fashioned popper, is as tasty as ever. The speedway has honed some local legends such as Bobby Brack, Joe Winchell and Larry Rogero. But the speedway also produced some nationally famous drivers, including Bobby and Donny Allison. Red Farmer, Fireball Roberts and Darrell Waltrip have raced here, too. Hialeah Speedway used to be packed on Saturday nights. But the soaring popularity of NASCAR, as well as the proliferation of other things to do in South Florida, has led to sparse crowds to cheer on the hometown racers. The track once stood by itself, but now strip malls and fast-food joints line the place. One can drive by the entrance and hardly notice the tiny Hialeah Speedway sign.(see full story at the Miami Herald)(6-12-2004)

NASCAR [Cup] Race in Ohio? A bill sitting on Gov. Bob Taft's desk could eventually lead to a NASCAR race [they must mean a Cup race, there is already a 'NASCAR' race in Ohio, at Mansfield with the Trucks] in the Buckeye State. House Bill 393, sponsored by state Rep. Sandra Stabile-Harwood, D-Niles, would add motor sports complexes to the list of sports facilities that the Ohio Arts and Sports Facilities Commission can participate in financing. A revised version of Harwood's bill passed both the House and Senate at the end of May and was forwarded to Taft for his signature. Harwood said the problems with the original bill was it required the sports owner, possibly NASCAR, and the facility, or the track, to be under a contract with the state that the proposed sport venue would be at the facility for at least 20 years. This is to ensure the newly constructed facility, funded through state bonds, would have a sport at the facility for more than two decades to help generate revenue to pay back the money borrowed through state bonds. "What happens with NASCAR is, NASCAR does not promise or commit until a facility is built, so there are some unknowns out there if we choose to go forward," Harwood said. "In the new bill, we wedded the facility owner, rather than the facility, because we can't do the facility without a team under contract with the state for repayment of the bond." Harwood proposed the bill to make changes to an existing law that allowed the state to help fund sports stadiums. The new bill added motor sports complexes to the list, after being approached by a Mahoning Valley Task Force attempting to lure a major indoor, all-season motor speedway to the area.(Wapakoneta Daily News)(6-5-2004)

A New 'NASCAR' Track in Alabama? A group of Alabama investors is exploring opening a new NASCAR speedway in Baldwin County [on the Gulf], an estimated $350 million venture in one of the state's popular tourist areas. The group plans to approach NASCAR officials in June with the proposal. The group has hired a Raleigh, N.C.-based consultant to help with the development process, according to Rick Edwards, one of 10 businessmen from around the state involved in the venture. The group either owns or has an option to buy five sites on the Foley Beach Express, ranging from 500 acres to 1,000 acres. "Nothing is definite with NASCAR," Edwards, a developer based in Point Clear, told the Mobile Register in a story Sunday. "We got a group together and said, `Let's make a run at it.' Alabama's Talladega Superspeedway hosts NASCAR events in the spring and fall. The newspaper's efforts to reach NASCAR President Mike Helton were not successful. The plan is to incorporate a speedway with other entertainment venues that could take advantage of the 500 to 600 acres of parking that would be needed on race days, Edwards said. The sites also include extra land to serve as a buffer for the noise. "We're hoping that what we've got will be a little different than anything done in the past," Edwards said. "Our biggest concern is whether it will affect the Talladega race. We don't feel like it will. It's an entirely different market down here."(Alabama Live)(5-10-2004)

Local NC Track still for sale: Orange County Speedway remains for sale and hopes of racing action taking place at the facility this season are quite slim. For the past two years, Orange County Speedway has been marketed as being for sale. Normal operations at the track continued for two seasons, however, the speedway officially closed down at the close of the business day on Friday, Nov. 21. And, while there has been much speculation as to potential buyers for the speedway, the track remains quiet and still for sale. Tommy Bowes, who operates Tommy Bowes & Associates Realty in Roxboro, has been contacted by Orange County Speedway's current owners to market the track for sale. Orange County Speedway, originally known as Trico Speedway, was initially a dirt track. Now a paved oval, the speedway is often referred to as the fastest three-eighths mile track in the southeast. A host of current NASCAR Nextel Cup Series, NASCAR Busch Series and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series stars have competed at the facility. Through the years, the track has hosted such events as the NASCAR Busch Series and the NASCAR Goody's Dash Series.( Courier Times)(1-28-2004)

NC Short Track Closing? The future of racing at Orange County Speedway in Rougemont, NC may be in jeopardy. The track, which has been for sale for the past two seasons, officially closed down at the end of the business day last Friday. If a buyer is not found soon, the roar of racing engines won't be heard from the three-eighths mile asphalt oval in Rougemont in 2004. Tuesday morning, Charlie Lamm, vice president of Orange County Speedway, along with his mother, Bobbie, were at the track gathering various equipment and items from the office area. Also present Tuesday morning were track promoter Laura Beth Young, speedway superintendent Ron Bunton and John Walters of Triad Racing Souvenirs. "We're closed," Charlie Lamm, who was standing in the entry area of the office, said. "Other than that, I have no comment. That's all you're getting from me. We're closing up." While Lamm refused to elaborate on the closing of the speedway Tuesday morning, he did indicate that the track remained for sale. The entrance marquee at the track, located just off N.C. 57 South, still displays the words "for sale." Orange County Speedway, originally known as Trico Speedway, was initially a dirt track. A host of current NASCAR Winston Cup Series, NASCAR Busch Series and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series stars have competed at the facility. Through the years, the track has hosted such events as the NASCAR Busch Series, ASA, NASCAR Goody's Dash Series, All Pro, ISMA, Sprint Winged Cars and the Hooters Cup Series. Last season, the regular weekly racing program at the speedway consisted of events for the Late Model Stock Car Division, Limited Sportsman Division, Grand Stock Division and Super Stock Four-Cylinder Division.(Roxboro Courier)(11-26-2003)

Winchester closing: Winchester Speedway [IN], one of the most revered car racing tracks in the country, will not schedule events next season. Co-owners Jeff Jeffers of Richmond and Charlie Shaw of Lynn made the announcement Wednesday. They cited steady financial losses in the six years they've owned the half-mile paved track.(Palladium-Item)(11-7-2003)

Track for Sale: Jackie Thacker, owner of Thunder Valley Speedway since he built it five years ago near Glenmora, LA, is trying to sell the state's only NASCAR-sanctioned dirt track. "I'm doing it for medical reasons," the 53-year-old Thacker said. "I've got high blood pressure, and (heart trouble) runs in my family. My doctor told me, 'You need to slow down a little bit. I've given it to the (Noles-Frye) Realtors, and if they can't sell it in six months, I'm going on with it next season. We've already got dates set. Our first play (practice) day is Feb. 29 and we have another March 7, and we open March 13." Thacker said the track has been appraised at "over $1 million, and I'm asking three-fourths of that: $775,000."(Town Talk)(11-5-2003)

Mansfield Motorsports Speedway to expand: Mansfield Motorsports Speedway will expand grandstand seating due to demand for the Inaugural Ohio 250 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race scheduled for May 16, 2004. Mansfield Motorsports Speedway has a 7,200-seat main grandstand that sits on the front stretch, as well as hillside seating available in turns three and four. Plans are now in place to expand grandstand seating around turns one and two and down to the midpoint of the backstretch. Tickets are now available for Inaugural Ohio 250 by calling the track office at (419) 525-RACE (7223). For information on Mansfield Motorsports Speedway, please visit www.mansfield-speedway.com.(10-27-2003)

New Venue for the Truck Series: Mansfield Motorsports Speedway and NASCAR have reached an agreement that will bring a national touring NASCAR series back to the State of Ohio for the first time in fifty years. The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series will visit the facility for the Inaugural Ohio 250, which is scheduled for Sunday May 16. The event will be the first nationally sanctioned NASCAR event in Ohio since May 24, 1953 when Herb Thomas won a 100-mile Grand National (now Winston Cup) Series event at the Ohio State Fairgrounds in Columbus. In all, there were eleven Grand National Series events in Ohio at tracks in Columbus, Dayton, Toledo, and Canfield. There has not been a NASCAR Busch Series or Craftsman Truck Series event in the state, until now. The Inaugural Ohio 250 will be the fourth race of the 25-race NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series schedule in 2004. Tickets are now available for Inaugural Ohio 250 by calling the track office at (419) 525-RACE (7223) or visit their website at www.mansfield-speedway.com.(Liberty Sports Management PR)
Actually Sharon Speedway [located in Hartford OH, but named after the nearest large city - Sharon PA] held the last nationally NASCAR race on 5/24/1954 won by Lee Petty [Stock Car Racing Encyclopedia], this track is now owned by Cup driver Dave Blaney.(10-21-2003)

Atomic Speedway cancels races, might be sold: The future of Atomic Motor Speedway [Knoxville TN]appears to be almost as cloudy as the dirt that can swirl around the track. Two races this weekend have been cancelled and reports continue to circulate that Carson Branum has sold the "world's fastest one-third-mile oval." Efforts to contact track officials on Wednesday were unsuccessful and the telephone number at Atomic Motor Speedway has been temporarily disconnected.(more at Knoxville News Sentinel)(11-14-2002)

Flemington Fairgrounds Fire - Speedway ok UPDATE but still closed: Police arrested three area juveniles for arson hours after a fire nearly destroyed the Flemington Fairgrounds and Speedway in Flemington NJ on Monday. The deliberately set blaze consumed and incinerated the 100-foot by 30-foot frame office structure, according to Lt. Mike Mangin of the Raritan Township Fire Department. "The firefighters were able to keep it from spreading to the raceway grandstand, its bleachers and four other buildings used for fair exhibits," said Raritan Township Fire Marshall John Smith. "There was some minor fire exposure to some of those buildings, but they put it out."(Trentonian)(1-29-2002)
UPDATE: Another piece of our collective past disappeared Monday when a fire destroyed the main offices and main concession stands at the Flemington Fairgrounds. The fairgrounds, once a sparkling gem emblematic of New Jersey agriculture and New Jersey auto racing, had already fallen on hard times before the fire, reportedly set by juveniles. Despite the exciting racing, the once-huge crowds, which had been declining, fell off sharply after the paving took place and the track became a financial burden to its owners. The Kuhl family -- principal owners of the property -- got tired of losing money on the fair and the speedway and threw in the towel. The property has been up for sale for some time, and the Kuhls are working to get a zoning change that might help them sell it.(NJ Online)(1-30-2002)

Tucson up for sale: ISC has put Tucson Raceway Park up for sale. "With the growth of ISC and its larger tracks, operating a short track is not the focus of the corporation anymore," said Lee Baumgarten, director of operations at PIR and a former general manager at the Tucson racetrack. The 3/8-mile asphalt oval has been the site of the NASCAR Weekly Racing Series for several years, dating back to before the dirt track was paved in 1993. It also was home to the defunct NASCAR Winter Heat Series, a circuit that helped drivers such as Greg Biffle, Ron Hornaday and Kurt Busch land big-time NASCAR rides. TRP vice president/general manager David Deery said losing Winter Heat made a financial dent in the track's profits and ultimately may have made ISC's decision easier. Deery wants to purchase TRP and said an agreement has been reached on a price. Before a contract can be consummated, the Deerys must negotiate a lease agreement with the Southwestern Fair Commission and receive approval from Pima County, which owns the land. If approved, Deery's plan is to construct a 1/8-mile oval inside the existing racetrack.(Arizona Republic)(1-21-2002)

Portland Speedway to close? Portland Speedway will not reopen for the 2002 season, and one of the nation's oldest stock car tracks probably is closed for good. Craig Armstrong, president of Western Speedways, which operates the 77-year-old track, said last-ditch efforts to keep the twin ovals open failed Wednesday. Armstrong said one other potential operator has an interest in running the track, but would be faced with the same financial limitations Armstrong's company couldn't overcome. The track's lease is a year-to-year, with the owners able to cancel it for any reason with less than six months notice, making it almost impossible to borrow money to improve track facilities. Armstrong had a Tuesday deadline to decide whether to pursue or give up his August race dates with the World of Outlaws, the fast-growing open-wheel series that was the centerpiece of his decision two years ago to convert the track from pavement to a clay surface.(The Oregonian)(1-19-2002)

Blaney buys track in Ohio: #77 Jasper Engines Ford driver, Dave Blaney, has become the owner of historic Sharon (OH) Speedway, the hometown track for the racing family and one of the oldest continuously running weekly racetracks in the United States. Blaney purchased the track, which began competition in 1929, with father, Lou and a group of local investors last month. Built as a home for the Central State Racing Association's (CSRA) open-cockpit dirt cars, original owners Homer McCracken and and Bill Pourbaugh began promoting midget, roadsters and the Ohio Speedway Association stock cars after World War II. Most recently, Sharon Speedway has hosted four divisions (sprint cars, dirt modifieds, e-modifieds, street stocks) on it's half-mile dirt surface every Friday night between late April and Labor Day. The Blaneys, who head the group that bought the track, have begun work on a wide-range of improvements to the track, including a change in track length (to 3/8-mile) and width (90') as well as an upgraded racing surface, plus a new 5,000-seat grandstand/concourse on the facility's backstretch.(PR)(1-14-2002)

Hickory returns to the NASCAR fold: NASCAR-sanctioned racing is coming back to Hickory Motor Speedway, where officials say they will increase emphasis on safety. The previous track owner in Hickory dropped the NASCAR affiliation two years ago, a move that led to declining fan interest. The auto racing body said Tuesday it again will sanction the track. Sherry Houston Clifton is a co-manager of the speedway and sister-in-law of the late NASCAR star Dale Earnhardt, who was killed in a crash last February at Daytona International Speedway. The 0.363-mile asphalt oval has been a training ground for NASCAR greats such as Earnhardt and Dale and Ned Jarrett. Clifton's management team began running the track in August and will put one employee in charge of safety to make sure all drivers have approved, up-to-date safety equipment. The track also has a new rule to keep children younger than 14 out of the pits. The track also will recommend that drivers wear head restraints not commonly used on short tracks. The track is where Earnhardt won his first race on asphalt and where he met his wife, Teresa.(News and Record/AP)(1-10-2002)

Louisville Track Gone: Louisville Motor Speedway will not reopen next year, and the property will be developed for industrial purposes, Jerry Carroll, managing partner of the auto track, said yesterday. ''We had all intentions of keeping that racetrack open as long as we could -- and we probably kept it open a year longer than it should,'' Carroll said in an interview, adding that it was his decision to close the facility. He said the property, off Outer Loop in southern Jefferson County, has become very attractive as an industrial site. The track has held BGN and CTS races in the past. The last racing event at Louisville Motor Speedway took place in September with the World 300 for figure8 racing.(Courier-Journal)(1-3-2002)

Wisconsin Track Denied: A “multimillion dollar” proposal transforming Winnebago County’s idling racetrack into a 30,000-to-40,000 seat, half-mile NASCAR-friendly facility is now one of two shot down by officials. Either Universal or Mark Hennessy of Baraboo was to be the new promoter of the publicly funded $1.5 million Sunnyview Speedzone Raceway, coming off of three years of sluggish financial finishes. They were the only two companies to float proposals the county’s way after former promoter Odyssey Productions Inc. folded this summer. If no one else comes forward with an 11th hour proposal to operate the racetrack, it would leave a void in what county officials hoped to be a full 2002 racing schedule. It also will likely leave the county behind on its effort to resolve the racetrack’s debt, at roughly $200,000 through 2008. Little was known about the new proposals since they were discussed behind closed doors with county officials.(Green Bay Press-Gazette)(12-3-2001)

The 'Gate' being used in Victory Lane UPDATE 2 - No More Gate: many readers noticed the while 'gate or fence' Winston Cup Officials held above Jeff Gordon so he couldn't get on the roof of the car in the winners circle/victory lane. On CNN/SI's NASCAR Plus, Benny Parsons was asked about the 'gate' and said he wasn't sure why, but that it was probably to keep the driver off the top of the car so a proper insepction could be done. Last year at California, the #12 Team was penalized for having a car that was too low and it was caused by Mayfield jumping on the roof of the car, denting the spot that the inspectors measure. Otherwise have seen nothing official on the reason for the gate(10-2-2001)
UPDATE: sources have confirmed that NASCAR doesnt want the drivers on the roof tops after the race for saftey and technical reasons(10-3/8-2001)
UPDATE 2: Benny Parsons confirmed on CNN/SI's NASCAR Plus that NASCAR took so much heat from everyone about the PVC Pipe fence they decided not to use it anymore. Ironic they stop using it and the #8 is too low, the thing they were trying to avoid, but Earnhardt Jr did not get on top of the car, so it is a moot point, but the 'gate' is gone(10-23-2001)

Aircraft Ban at Stadiums UPDATE: Effective as of noon yesterday (9-20-01) the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) has banned all aircraft from flying within 3 miles of major professional and college sporting events and any other large open air gathering. This protected "no-fly zone'' extends up to an altitude of 3,000 feet above such facilities, which by definition, include race tracks. FAA spokeswoman Laura Brown, said the regulation applies to all types of aircraft including small planes, blimps, balloons and gliders. "We issued this to cover everything,'' Brown said. ``It's a blanket order so that it would include a state fair, a high school football game.'' This ban could change how we view races on TV if the helicopter that relays in-car camera signals would be out of effective signal range above the 3000-foot ceiling or prevented from remaining in the air space at that height by conflicts with scheduled air traffic. It appears blimps will also be prevented from providing their normal overhead views as well. Radio traffic between NASCAR, teams, track officials, spotters and drivers is direct and will not be impacted.(Speedway Illustrated)(9-21-2001)
UPDATE: Dover Track president Denis McGlynn said a no-fly zone will be in effect for today's race, no aircraft within 3,000 feet or three miles laterally, but said NBC's in-car camera relays should be fine as long as its helicopter stays at least 3,000 feet above the speedway(AJC)(9-23-2001)

Expansion: From 1972 to 1987, only one new track was added to the Winston Cup schedule, the Pocono Raceway in 1974. Since 1987, 10 tracks have been added, starting with Phoenix on Nov. 6, 1988. The Sears Point road course replaced Riverside in 1989, and New Hampshire was added in 1993(FoxSports)(9-28-2001)

New Alabama Track: BTK Motor sports of Decatur, AL wants to turn a former WWII Air force training base into a place for NASCAR. The 900 acres known as Air park in Courtland is the proposed site location for a multimillion dollar motor sports park. Right now the county owned land is used as cotton fields by farmers who lease the land. The proposal is still in the early stages now. But if major corporate investors could be secured, the motor sports park could someday be a pit stop for Nascar drivers. Here's the plan as introduced to the Lawrence County Commission this week. Initially about 500 acres would be converted into a small racetrack. Then developers would like to expand the park into a 150 million dollar park with all the bells and whistles. That of course would only happen if corporate sponsors buy the idea. Lawrence County leaders are supporting the idea. They have agreed to hold off on re-leasing the land until a formal proposal is presented to the commission.(WHNT Online) AND BTK Motor Sports, a branch of the McCall Group, wants to construct a multimillion-dollar motor sport facility in the industrial park. Representatives of the group met with the Lawrence County Commission on Monday morning(Aug 13th). The commissioners did not vote, but they unanimously agreed to support the project. The county owns approximately 900 acres in the AirPark. Industrial Development Board Executive Director Evon Zills said the 500 acres on the southwest side of the AirPark are probably best suited for the project. IDB leases the land to cotton farmers. BTK's Terrance McCall said the group is looking at constructing a facility that will cost between $150 million and $200 million. "We will start with a drag strip because we can do that very quickly, but we need a more formalized business plan so we can talk with potential corporate investors," he said. BTK has been looking several years for a good location to build a motor sport facility. He said Courtland is the perfect location because almost 4 million people reside within 150 miles of the AirPark. BTK currently operates a small motor sport facility at 708 State Docks Road in Decatur. McCrispin said motor sports are one of the fastest growing sports. He said BTK also plans to build a road course and courses where just about any racing can take place. "We're not going to bring NASCAR in immediately, but that's something we will be looking at," McCrispin said.(Decatur Daily)(8-23-2001)

Cleveland Track? Developers seeking to bring national car racing to Ohio by expanding a small race course here announced yesterday they would withdraw their request for land use variances. But Joseph Badger of Peninsula, a partner with his brother Geoffrey of Strongsville in Western Reserve Management Group, said that plans to vastly expand