CONCORD, N.C. (Sept. 22, 2008) – One lucky fan is guaranteed to have
an unforgettable experience on Friday night, Oct. 10, at Lowe’s Motor
Speedway when they drive away in a brand new 2008 Toyota Tundra following
the Dollar General 300 NASCAR Nationwide Series race.
       “This is just another way Lowe’s Motor Speedway is setting the
standard in putting fans first,” said Marcus Smith, president and general
manager of Lowe’s Motor Speedway. “The Dollar General 300 is a great event
and for one lucky fan, that evening is going to be even more memorable.”
       The contest winner will be presented the keys to the Tundra prior to
the start of the Dollar General 300 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. The truck,
donated by Braun Racing and Great Clips, is a red, 2008 Toyota Tundra
regular cab with a 5.7-liter V8 and 18-inch steel wheels.
       Fans can enter the contest in one of three ways before 11:59 p.m. on
Oct. 7 by purchasing or having purchased a ticket to the Dollar General 300;
by completing an entry form available at the Lowe’s Motor Speedway ticket
office; or by completing an entry form online at www.lowesmotorspeedway.com.
Contestants must be present on Oct. 10 to win. Contest details are available
at www.lowesmotorspeedway.com.
       Tickets for the Dollar General 300 on Friday evening, Oct. 10, start
at $17. Tickets can be purchased online at www.lowesmotorspeedway.com or by
calling the speedway ticket office at 1-800-455-FANS.

I just received an interesting, albeit very short, release from Kentucky Speedway.  According to the release, Kentucky Speedway chairman, Jerry Carroll commented on the speedway hosting a Sprint Cup event in 2009.  “Our group is confident that comments made by Bruton Smith, and, our agreement, will continue to come to fruition.”

I can only guess that given SMI’s reputation of buying tracks for dates, Carroll has been getting some questions about the logic behind the deal.

Now, this poses a problem.  There are currently 36 dates on the calendar and, numerous times, drivers have commented that they would like to have more time off, not less.  This all but eliminates the possibility of adding an additional date to the calendar.  So, this means that one of the current dates would need to be moved.

It makes sense that only the SMI tracks are candidates for losing a date.  Looking at the list, I can’t see one that would be a good candidate to drop a date.  Now, the last time the Bruton Smith needed a Cup date, he bought Rockingham and he and Bob Bahre each took a date from the track effectively killing it.  That is, until Andy Hillenburg bought it last year and brought ARCA racing back to the track.  In case you’re keeping score at home, Texas Motor Speedway and New Hampshire were the tracks that benefited from the Rocks death.  New Hampshire was purchased last year by SMI.

I can’t help but wonder how Bruton Smith will pull this one off or if he even will.  As I mentioned yesterday, I’m not quite sure if this is good or bad for Kentucky Speedway.  Only time will tell.

Well, I haven’t decided if this one’s good or bad yet.  This is especially close to my heart as I live in Kentucky so, this is my home track in essence.  Man, oh man….  Humpy retired yesterday and this was announced today, coincidence?  I can’t help but to think of North Wilkesboro and Rockingham when SMI purchased both of them.  We all know how well that one worked out for the pair of NC tracks.  North Wilkesboro sits in ruin and Rockingham was saved only last year from the dozers.  In the interest of being fair, I’ll reserve judgement until more info is known.  I’ll post the full press release below for your review. 

jc

Courtesy: Kentucky Speedway Media

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (May 22, 2008) – Speedway Motorsports, Inc. (NYSE:TRK) has agreed to purchase Kentucky Speedway from Kentucky Speedway, LLC. The agreement was announced today by O. Bruton Smith, founder, chairman and chief executive officer of Speedway Motorsports, Inc.  The acquisition is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2008.

Kentucky Speedway, which opened in 2000, hosts one NASCAR Nationwide Series event, one NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event, one IndyCar Series event and other racing events each year.  The speedway is located in Sparta, Ky., approximately one-half hour south of Cincinnati, Ohio. The speedway is easily accessible via modern highways.

Located on approximately 820 acres, Kentucky Speedway features a 1.5-mile tri-oval speedway, with chair-back grandstand seating for 66,089 spectators, 50 luxury suites with seats for approximately 2,000, 100 private RV spaces, 200 reserved camping spaces and 1,000 unreserved camping spaces. Kentucky Speedway regularly hosts near capacity crowds for its Nationwide Series events.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for our company to grow into a new market in a modern speedway facility. We continue to be committed to investing in the motorsports industry,” said Smith.

Smith added that he has offered Jerry Carroll, who was instrumental in the development of Kentucky Speedway, the opportunity to remain involved in its future operations.

Kentucky Speedway will join an outstanding lineup of SMI facilities. The company also owns and operates Atlanta Motor Speedway; Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tenn.; Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif.; Las Vegas Motor Speedway; Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C.; New Hampshire Motor Speedway, in Loudon, N.H.; and Texas Motor Speedway in Ft. Worth, Texas.

With this acquisition, the company will own race tracks in the West, Northeast, Midwest, Southeast and Southwest, including four of the nation’s top-10 metropolitan markets.

The breakdown includes: the sixth-largest market (Infineon/San Francisco); the fifth-largest market (Texas/Dallas-Ft. Worth); the seventh-largest market (New Hampshire/Boston); the ninth-largest market (Atlanta); the 24^th-largest market (Cincinnati); the 25^th-largest market (Lowe’s/Charlotte); the 41^st-largest market (Las Vegas); and the 92^nd-largest market (Bristol/Tri-Cities).

Courtesy: Anderson Speedway

ANDERSON, Ind. (May 3, 2008) – The World’s Fastest High Banked Quarter Mile heated up a chilly Saturday night as Josh Poore won the Ed Martin Chevrolet SuperTrucks feature, Jeremy Johnson captured the Newco Metals Legends main event, Jeff Saxon earned the Quick Auto Front Wheel Drive Pro and Ranny Hinton scored the ImmediaDent Figure 8’s 25-lap feature.
 
Josh Poore won the Ed Martin Chevrolet SuperTruck feature, being the first event on the bill. Jerry Faucet led the first 25 laps with Ronnie Rose, Poore, and Smokin’ Joe Beaver running nose to tail as the top four. Poore took the lead five laps later and opened up a sizable lead on his way to the win. Beaver made his way up to second, Jerry Faucet wound up third, Ronnie Rose finished fourth and Mark Livesay took fifth.
 
The Newco Metals Legends feature was the next event with Jeremy Johnson winning. Adam Roberts led early on in the race but never could get away from the field. Johnson found a way around Roberts on lap 17 and never looked back on his way to his first win of the 2008 season. Roberts ran second, Bryan Knuckles finished third, John Robbins was fourth and Mark Dietzen rounded out the top five.
 
Jeff Saxon ran away from the field on his way to winning his first Quick Auto Front Wheel Drive Pro Division feature. Saxon assumed the lead after Andy Keller caused a caution on the first lap, and never looked back. Keller finished a distant second, Jared Keller wound up third, Randy Owen took fourth, and Harry LaShure capped the top five.
 
The ImmediaDent Figure 8’s put on a grand show for the Anderson Speedway faithful as Ranny Hinton went wire to wire for the win. Hinton was challenged early by Mike Riddle, Jr., but Riddle was unable to finish after his hood flew up during the middle of the 25-lap event. After a caution that ended the racing for Joe Hart, Anderson’s Rob Allman had a chance to grab the lead away from Hinton, but Ranny kept the nose clean and the finders in good shape on his way to the win. Allman finished second, Ronnie Rose ran third, Shawn Cullen was fourth and Herb Rose came in fifth.
 
Anderson Speedway returns to action on Saturday, May 10 with Ed Martin Chevrolet SuperTrucks, ImmediaDent Figure 8’s, Street Stocks and Quick Auto Front Wheel Drive Pro division.
 
For additional information, visit Anderson Speedway at andersonspeedway.com or contact at (765) 642-0206.
 
- www.andersonspeedway.com –

Courtesy: Track Enterprises

BY: PETE DAVIS
Macon – Macon Speedway was proud to hold the Cinco de Mayo Festival Saturday night. Festivities included a sombrero giveaways and a jalapeno eating contest. Chad Justice took home a pair of Macon Speedway tickets for eating the most peppers in 15 seconds.

The consummate pros Kyle Logue and Steve Sheppard Jr. finished first and second in race number three of the MidWest Big Ten Series for the Chevrolet Late Models. After his third place finish on Friday at Morgan County Speedway in Jacksonville, Logue now holds a commanding lead in the series point standings.

Blue Mound’s Cory Daugherty racked up a few points of his own by finishing in third place. He’s well on his way to winning a nice share of the series prize. Jason Unzicker won the second ace of the series on Friday at Morgan County Speedway in Jacksonville.

Jim Leka from Buffalo worked his way around Steve Ewing for a win in the BARBECK Communications Modified feature. Former Street Stock champion Ewing posted his best ever finish in the Modified class.

“It feels like a win. If you’re losing to (Leka), you’re doing alright.” Ewing said.

In the Hornet feature, Bruce Dulgar brought Joe Reed’s three-race winning streak to end. Tyler Blankenship from St. Elmo held off Steve Ewing to win his second street stock feature of the season.

All the way from Avon, Ind., 14 year old Zac Bunten won the first race of his very young career. His first visit to Macon Speedway, Bunten drove away from local youth racer Justin Leka in the AFCO Kid Modz feature race.

Macon Speedway is located 9 miles south of Decatur, IL on US 51 then .6 miles west on Andrews Street, then south on Wiles.  For information, call 217-764-3000 (track), 217-764-3220 (information hotline), or contact Dave Reed via email at dave.maconspeedway@yahoo.com.  Also visit www.maconracing.com or www.trackenterprises.com for additional information.

Courtesy: Texas Motor Speedway

IndyCar Series star Danica Patrick recommended on Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s XM Satellite Radio show Thursday evening that if the NASCAR superstar ever wanted to swap cars and run an Indy car that Texas Motor Speedway would be the place to give it a shot.

Texas Motor Speedway President Eddie Gossage is wholeheartedly backing that recommendation by Patrick and giving Earnhardt Jr. 100,000 reasons why “The Great American Speedway!” is indeed the ideal choice. Gossage is offering $100,000 to Earnhardt Jr. if he would pay the IndyCar Series a visit and compete June 7 in the Bombardier Learjet 550k at Texas Motor Speedway. Gossage is open to presenting Earnhardt Jr. $100,000 in cash or a check to his favorite charity for that amount if that is more to his liking.

Courtesy: Anderson Speedway

ANDERSON, Ind. (May 1, 2008) – Regular divisions return to Anderson Speedway on Saturday, May 3 with appearances from Ed Martin Chevrolet SuperTrucks, ImmediaDent Figure 8’s, Newco Metals Legends and just added Quick Auto Front Wheel Drive Pro division. 
 
The Ed Martin Chevrolet SuperTrucks will compete on the World’s Fastest Quarter Mile Oval for the second occasion this season. Noblesville’s Joe Beaver won the opening event in early April, finishing ahead of Brian Lemmer and former division champion Ronnie Rose.
 
In the ImmediaDent Figure 8’s, Rob Allman sits atop the point standings after winning the feature on April 5. He finished ahead of Ronnie Rose and Anderson’s Ranny Hinton.
 
David Moyes lll has dominated the early portion of the Newco Metals Legends season, winning the first two events in the division.
 
The Quick Auto Front Wheel Drive Pro division will also appear on Saturday night in a non-points event. Markleville’s Randy Hoppes won earlier this month over Nick Warner and Trevor Abbott.
On Saturday Night, spectator gates open at 4 p.m. with the thrills beginning at 7. Admission is $10 for adults and $4 for kids ages 6-12. Children five and under get in free.
 
For additional information on Anderson Speedway, visit www.andersonspeedway.com or contact Anderson Speedway at (765) 642-0206.
 
- www.andersonspeedway.com -

Courtesy: Las Vegas Motor Speedway

Program includes double Bomber features and free grandstand admission for fans age 65 and over
 
Saturday, May 3 – NASCAR Whelen All-American Series, Legends Cars National Qualifier Night
1 p.m. – Credential sales and pit gates open.
3 p.m. – Bandolero practice (8 laps each group).
3:10 p.m. – Full-size car practice (concludes at 4:30 p.m.)
4:30 p.m. – Second Bandolero practice (8 laps each group).
4:50 p.m. – Drivers’ meeting.
5 p.m. – Spectator gates open.
5:15 p.m.
USAC Focus Midget group qualifying (4 cars, 4 laps).
Baby Grand group qualifying (4 cars, 4 laps).
Legends Cars qualifying (8 cars, 4 laps).
Bandolero Bandits heat race (6 laps or 6 minutes).
Bandolero Young Guns heat race (6 laps or 6 minutes).
Thunder Roadsters heat race (   8 laps or 8 minutes).
Baby Grand heat race (10 laps or 10 minutes).
USAC Focus Midget heat races (10 laps or 10 minutes).
Vintage Midget exhibition heats (8 laps).
Vintage Sprint Car exhibition heat races (8 laps).
Bandolero Bandits feature (20 laps or 15 minutes).
PRA Jr. Focus exhibition (laps TBA).
7 p.m.
National Anthem.
USAC Focus Midget heat races (8 laps).
Legends Cars Pro/Master National Qualifier feature      (25 laps or 20 minutes).
Thunder Roadster feature (20 laps or 10 minutes).
Bandolero Young Guns feature (20 laps or 15 minutes).
Budweiser USAC Focus Midget Dash (8 laps).
Vintage Midget feature (12 laps).
Vintage Sprint Car feature (12 laps).
First Bomber feature (  20 laps, no cautions).
Baby Grand feature (25 laps or 20 minutes).
PRA Jr. Focus Midget exhibition (laps TBA).
USAC Focus Midget feature (30 laps or 30 minutes).
Second Bomber feature (20 laps, no cautions).
Legends Cars Semi-Pro National Qualifier feature (25 laps or 20 minutes).
 
Race fans age 65 and over will be admitted free.
The Bullring’s concession stand offers a family-friendly dollar menu, featuring $1 hot dogs, $1 soda and $1 beer.
Nevada State Law prohibits smoking in the grandstands.
For more information, please contact the Bullring office at (702) 632-8231 or visit www.LVMS.com.
###

Courtesy: Gateway International Raceway

MADISON, Ill. – Last weekend in Atlanta, Ashley Force, who entered the event as the first-ever female to lead the NHRA POWERade Series Funny Car standings, made history when she won her first-ever funny car final. The win, the first by a woman in that class, took on added significance as it came against her father, legendary 14-time Funny Car champion John Force.

But that was last week. Now, it’s time to get back to work.

Ashley Force and the rest of the NHRA POWERade Series are at Gateway International Raceway this weekend for the O’Reilly Midwest Nationals Presented by Castrol. The 25-year-old sophomore driver is prepared for this weekend’s race, despite all the hoopla surrounding last week’s final and its outcome.

"We left Atlanta with a win, but we want to go into St. Louis and, first things first, we want to get qualified," she said. "That’s all that’s important to us. From there, we want to go rounds and, hopefully, win again. But you can’t get that win until you do all the stuff before that. We’re trying to keep calm and focused and not let one win take us from our focus, which is our car and doing well."

Force, the 2007 Funny Car rookie of the year, went to one final last year and struggled at times with consistency. That hasn’t been a problem for her this season, especially now as her team is on a streak of three-consecutive finals appearances.

"The car has been very consistent and that’s the key in drag racing," she said. "If you can have consistency, it’s going to pay off. We’re just trying to stay focused and not get caught up in everything. It’s so easy to want to look at the points after every round, seeing where you’re at, and it changes so quickly. We’re trying not to get into that."

Had John Force won last weekend instead of his daughter, the history books still would have been re-written as that finals win would have been the 125-time event winner his 1,000th-career round win, a plateau never achieved within the NHRA. He now has the opportunity to earn that milestone this Sunday, which also happens to be his 59th birthday.

Given the fact that her father is not only the owner of her team, but arguably one of the greatest racers in the sport’s history, it would be assumed that Ashley would be on the receiving end of a treasure chest of invaluable advice. While that may have been true once, the younger Force says that is no longer the case.

"He actually said, ‘You know, you don’t need any of my advice, just keep doing what you’re doing.’" She said. "He didn’t want to change our routine. We have our own way of doing things in our camp. He taught me when I started and now he’s letting me find my own way."

The O’Reilly Midwest Nationals Presented by Castrol kicks off Friday morning at 8 when the spectator gates open at Gateway International Raceway. For the full weekend schedule, check out GatewayRaceway.com.

Tickets for the NHRA POWERade Series’ return to the St. Louis area are still available. Fans are reminded their tickets not only get them into the grandstands, but into the pit area as well, granted them the kind of access to their favorite athletes that no other sport can guarantee. To get tickets, call 866-35-SPEED or visit GatewayRaceway.com, where fans can print their tickets at home for added convenience.

Courtesy: New Jersey Motorsports Park

Millville, NJ – April 30, 2008 – With less than 80 days remaining to the official opening of New Jersey Motorsports Park, dust is flying, buildings are nearing completion and major developments are being finalized.  Here’s an update on numerous fronts:

Race Track Paving

Spring brings ideal conditions to complete the paving.  The Lightning Road Course is nearing completion, as is the F1 New Jersey Karting complex.  Paving is underway on the marquee Thunderbolt Raceway, and is on schedule for mid-May completion.  Trackside safety features, such as impact walls and tire barriers, are taking shape.
 
Building & Facility Update

Several buildings are nearing completion, including the signature Clubhouse, Driving and Karting facility race control buildings, Shadetree garages, Event garages and the trackside medical building.  Construction has started on the remaining buildings, including the Chris Economaki Media Tower, Concession Building and VIP suites.  The construction is on schedule.
 
Ticket Sales

April 1 marked a major milestone in NJMP’s development, as tickets for this summer’s spectator events went on sale at http://njmp.com through ComcastTIX.  The schedule for the inaugural season of racing at NJMP has added several notable racing series, including the Ferrari Challenge, the Cooper Tires Atlantic Championship Powered by Mazda, The Star Mazda Championship, the Speed World Challenge GT Championship, The Playboy MX-5 Cup and the recently formed Volkswagen TDI Challenge.  The most current schedule includes:
 

NJMP Principal and Development Project Manager Joe Savaro said, “It’s hard to believe we’re so close to the opening of New Jersey Motorsports Park.  We’ve got a small army of contractors and pavers working hard to get our facilities ready for opening.  As the weather has improved here in South Jersey, it’s been a big help for our construction efforts.  Dry weather has enabled us to restart paving, which is critical both for infrastructure as well as for the racing surfaces.  Everything from corporate partnerships to the completion of key structures at the facility are taking shape, so we are getting closer to making some exciting partnership announcements.”
For the most recent aerial and construction pictures, please visit http://njmp.com/
 
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