NASCAR Nextel Cup Racing

Know Your Tracks - New Hampshire International Speedway

2006-07-06T01:47:00.000-07:00

New Hampshire International Speedway

New Hampshire International Speedway is one of the most unusual tracks on the Nextel Cup Series.

How unusual? The track has been described as "Martinsville on steroids."

The Bahre family owns NHIS. Its roots in New England racing go back to 1964 when Bob Bahre acquired a track in Oxford, Maine, which he and his son, Gary, operated until 1986.

The Bahres' efforts to bring a major racing facility took off in 1989 when ground was broken for New Hampshire International Speedway on a site about 10 miles north of New Hampshire's capital city, Concord.

The track opened its gates for the first time in June 1990 and played host to its first NASCAR touring series event, the Budweiser 300 for Busch Series. The Cup Series followed in July 1993, with Rusty Wallace getting the victory.

In July 2000, NHIS became the first facility to draw more than 100,000 sports fans for a single-day event.

Jeff Burton is the career leader with four Cup victories at NHIS. Burtonýs list of victories at New Hampshire International Speedway includes the Dura Lube 300 in 2000 in which Burton led every lap.

In 2004, New Hampshire International Speedway played host to the first race in the inaugural Chase for the Nextel Cup. As it turned out, that race played a big role in how that battle for the championship played out.

Tony Stewart, Ryan Newman and Jeremy Mayfield were involved in a wreck that put an early dent in their championship hopes, while Kurt Busch - who had won the July race at New Hampshire International Speedway as well - completed a season's sweep that propelled him toward the 2004 Nextel Cup championship.

Contact Information

P.O. Box 7888
Loudon, NH 03307
(603) 783-4931

Know Your Tracks - Nazareth Speedway

2006-06-01T01:44:00.000-07:00

Nazareth Speedway

The modern day Nazareth Speedway was originally Nazareth National Speedway, a semi-banked, dirt, D-shaped 1-18 mile oval built in 1966. The track lay dormant for nearly a decade starting in 1971, then hosted special events only before going into backruptcy. Penske Speedway, Inc. purchased the 90-acre facility in 1986 and immediately began an extensive renovation project which included paving the track.

Contact Information

P.O. Drawer F
Nazareth, PA 18064
(888) 629-7223

Know Your Tracks - Nashville Superspeedway

2006-05-23T04:05:00.000-07:00

Nashville Superspeedway

Nashville Superspeedway, built in 2000, is one of only three concrete tracks on the NASCAR circuit. The pavement, consisting of 7,500 cubic yards of concrete, was placed full-width for the entire length of the track by a concrete paving machine that was specially constructed for this project.

Contact Information

4847-F McCrary
Lebanon, TN 37090
(866) 722-3849

Know Your Tracks - The Milwaukee Mile

2006-04-19T01:47:00.000-07:00

The Milwaukee Mile

Since 1903, The Milwaukee Mile has been one of the premier venues in American motorsports. It is the oldest operating motor speedway in the world, as the Indianapolis Motor Speedway began contesting events in 1911.

During the past century, the facility has played an integral role in shaping the face of auto racing. The Milwaukee Mile has hosted a variety of events from turn-of-the-century "speed contests" and 24-hour endurance races to AAA and USAC-sanctioned Indy car and Stock Car events, to NASCAR Busch Series competition.

The roster of past winners at Americaýs Legendary Oval is a veritable "who's-who" of racing history, including names like Barney Oldfield, Rex Mays, Parnelli Jones, A.J. Foyt, the Unsers, the Andrettis and Dale Earnhardt, Jr.

The venerable grand dame of racing has undergone many improvements in just the last few years, including a new all-aluminum bleacher and grandstand seating, a new pit wall, a new scoring pylon, a repaving and retrofit of the infield road course, and the construction of a permanent infield care center building.

The new fan-friendly grandstands seat nearly 40,000 as well as provide significantly enhanced restrooms and concession areas. Competitor areas and paddock space has been enhanced at the state-of-the-art facility.

Contact Information

7722 West Greenfield Ave.
West Allis, WI 53214
(414) 453-8277

Another Round For Everyone...

2006-04-19T01:43:00.000-07:00

Diageo's sponsorship of Jamie McMurray's No. 26 Ford
has grown to race sponsorship. Credit: Autostock

Diageo buys another round of sponsorship

By Ron Lemasters Jr., Special to NASCAR.COM
April 18, 2006
06:33 PM EDT (22:33 GMT)

One has only to look at Diageo's corporate strategy to figure out why, in the last two weeks, the company has announced two new motorsports initiatives.

Last week, during the Samsung/Radio Shack 500 weekend at Texas Motor Speedway, Diageo, which makes Crown Royal among other adult beverages, announced a short-track initiative for Tony Stewart's Eldora Speedway.

On Monday, the company announced it had bought the presenting sponsorship for the spring race at Richmond International Raceway for the next several years.

As you know, the company is the primary sponsor for Roush Racing's No. 26 Ford Fusion driven by Jamie McMurray in the Nextel Cup Series, as well as the Crown Royal International Race of Champions series. Its Crown Royal Special Reserve brand is also the presenting sponsor for the Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series and for that series races at Long Beach and Watkins Glen.

A quick look at the company's broad strategy shows that this recent flurry of activity is just another day at the office for Diageo.

The first strategy pretty much says it all: "We will invest more to take leadership positions in every category, market and consumer occasion in which we choose to compete."

That's word-for-word from the company's Web site, and it matches -- word for word -- what the company has done over the first few months of the 2006 racing season.

Since NASCAR opened the door to spirit sponsorship in late 2004, Crown Royal has been buying rounds for the house, so to speak.

The latest announcement, title sponsorship of Richmond's spring race, is simply the most recent aspect of company strategy.

"We are honored and proud to have such a significant presence during a race at one of NASCAR's most entertaining and popular tracks," said Jim Lorenz, Senior Brand Manager, Crown Royal, in making the announcement.

"Richmond International Raceway will always be special to Crown Royal and our consumers as it was the site of our first-ever victory. The promotional agreement for the race name provides us with yet another platform to advance our 'Be a Champion. Drink Responsibly.' message."

That message is the centerpiece of all of Crown Royal's motorsports endeavors, and it is central to their presence on the midway as well. Crown Royal has one of the most popular displays every week it is on the road, with thousands of fans flocking to the black tents with purple trim.
Crown Royal replaces Chevrolet as sponsor of the spring race, which brings us to another strategy point.

"We will invest more resources behind these ... brands with the best growth prospects."
In other words, Diageo has focused on NASCAR and motorsports as the vehicle it will use to drive sales of Crown Royal, and as long as growth potential remains, it will continue to pump dollars and effort into the marketing of its involvement.

RIR President Doug Fritz is all for that.

"Having Crown Royal on board is a great fit for Richmond International Raceway," said Fritz. "Two top, historic brands are coming together to form a terrific partnership. We are looking forward to an exciting promotional relationship that will benefit race fans for years to come."
Richmond, founded by Paul Sawyer and recently purchased by the International Speedway Corp., has sold out 28 consecutive Cup Series races, will become just the fourth track in NASCAR history to host 100 races on May 6, when the Crown Royal 400 gets the green flag. Only Daytona, (118) Martinsville (115) and Darlington (105) have hosted more races than Richmond.

Crown Royal, according to the company, is the top-selling brand of Canadian whiskey. It was first blended in 1939 to celebrate a grand tour of Canada by King George VI and Queen Elizabeth of Great Britain.

With its expansion into NASCAR racing and motorsports, Diageo is getting about fulfilling another key strategy point: premiumization. That's why the Crown Royal Special Reserve brand is involved in sports car racing with the ISC-controlled Grand American Series building its luxury brands profile.

Diageo, the parent company of Crown Royal, is considered the world's leading premium drinks business, and looking at its lineup, one can understand why. In addition to Crown Royal, Diageo produces Johnnie Walker, Guinness, Smirnoff, J&B, Baileys, Cuervo, Tanqueray, Captain Morgan, Beaulieu Vineyard and Sterling Vineyards wines.

Of those, Johnnie Walker, Smirnoff, Baileys and Guinness are the most global trademarks. Smirnoff, the company announced last week, is the top-selling premium distilled spirit in the world for the second year in a row, surpassing Bacardi in terms of sales volume and value.

The global company is traded in more than 200 countries around the world and is listed on both the New York Stock Exchange (DEO) and the London Stock Exchange (DGE).

Roush shuffles crew chiefs; Osborne to No. 26

2006-04-18T03:54:00.000-07:00

By Marty Smith, NASCAR.COM
April 15, 2006
12:18 PM EDT (16:18 GMT)

Roush Racing announced Thursday that two of its Nextel Cup teams will have new crew chiefs at Phoenix next week.

Bob Osborne will assume crew chief duties for the No. 26 team and driver Jamie McMurray.

Osborne moves from the No. 99 car, where he helped Carl Edwards to a third-place finish in the point standings last year.

Roush Racing's lead engineer, Wally Brown, will take over the No. 99 team.

"Bob Osborne and Wally Brown are both very talented engineers and crew chiefs," owner Jack Roush said in a statement. "Bob has certainly proven his ability to win and I have no doubt that Wally will do the same."

Jimmy Fennig, who was the crew chief for McMurray, now will head Roush's Busch Series program. Fennig was the crew chief for Kurt Busch when he won the 2004 Nextel Cup championship.

"Jimmy Fennig will provide unparalleled knowledge, expertise and leadership for all six of our Busch teams both on and off the track," Roush said. "He will also help to mentor our young drivers."

However, Busch was released from his contract last year to sign with Penske Racing South, opening the door for McMurray to leave Chip Ganassi Racing and join Roush.

After placing five cars in the Chase last year, Roush Racing has endured a rough start through seven races this season. In 35 combined starts, the organization -- which also fields cars for Matt Kenseth, Mark Martin and Greg Biffle -- has one win, seven top-five finishes and 15 top-10s.

Last year the Roush stable totaled 15 wins, 61 top-five finishes and 93 top 10s in 180 starts.
Kenseth, the 2003 Cup champion, currently is second in points, 15 behind Jimmie Johnson. Martin is fourth, 46 points behind.

Kenseth has Roush's only win this year, at Fontana.

McMurray, Edwards and Biffle are 21st-23rd, no closer than 388 points behind; Edwards and Biffle currently are outside the 400-point barrier that is used for the cutoff to determine the field for the season-ending, 10-race Chase for the Cup.

Know Your Tracks - Michigan International Speedway

2006-04-18T03:49:00.000-07:00

Michigan International Speedway

Michigan International Speedway -- home of the state's largest single-day, paid-admission sporting events since 1992 -- is a track rich in racing tradition.

Groundbreaking took place on Sept. 28, 1967. More than 2.5 million yards of dirt were moved to form the D-shaped oval. Charles Moneypenny, who had designed the 2.5-mile Daytona International Speedway, designed the Michigan oval.

The original layout included infield and exterior roads, which could be configured into a 3-mile or two 1.9-mile road courses. The road courses were designed by Formula One great Stirling Moss The last interior road course race was held in 1984, and the last time the exterior road course was used was in 1973.

The prime mover in the venture was Lawrence H. LoPatin, a Detroit-area land developer who built the speedway at an estimated cost of $4 million to $6 million.

Cale Yarborough won the first NASCAR race at the speedway on June 15, 1969, in a thrilling duel with LeeRoy Yarbrough.

Since then, MIS has hosted a number of historic races and many legendary drivers. Richard Petty, Mark Donohue, A.J. Foyt, Mario Andretti, Parnelli Jones, Gordon Johncock, Emerson Fittipaldi, Al Unser, Bobby Allison, Dale Earnhardt, Buddy Baker, Bruce McLaren, Jeff Gordon, Neil Bonnett, Davey Allison, and Rick Mears have all celebrated victories in Winner's Circle at Michigan International Speedway.

In 1973 - when the oil crisis and rising gas prices threatened all of racing - Roger Penske envisioned turning MIS into a premier motorsports facility. After purchasing the deed to Michigan International Speedway off the Lenawee County courthouse steps for an estimated $2 million, Penske went right to work to improve the speedway to his standards.

During Penske's ownership, the grandstands were expanded from 25,000 seats to over 125,000, added several buildings to the property, including three garages, 26 pit terrace suites, the administration building, two ticket offices, a maintenance building, Motorsports International (now Americrown) and CompTire buildings and warehouses, a sign shop and entertainment shop.

Other improvements over the years include building timing and scoring stands, corporate suites, chalets, pavilions, concession stands, restrooms, first aid stations, an infield hospital, pedestrian bridges, roadways, offices, maintenance facilities and garages. Approximately 400 acres have been purchased for additional free parking.

In July of 1999, PMI merged with the country's leading force in motorsports -- International Speedway Corp. ISC was founded by another visionary -- Bill France -- who built the world-famous Daytona International Speedway and founded NASCAR, the country's most popular racing series.

In August of 2000, the Speedway unveiled a new logo and announced it would add the "International" back to its name, which had been changed to Michigan Speedway in 1996 to align itself with the three other Penske-owned facilities (California, Nazareth and North Carolina). The new logo was designed by ISC Creative Supervisor Jerry Stanley. Today, Michigan International Speedway is considered one of the country's premier racing facilities, and yet, it still focuses on constant improvements. In 2000, a new 10,800-plus seat grandstand was built in Turn 3, providing a magnificent view of the entire Speedway and surrounding Irish Hills. In 1995. During the last resurfacing, MIS became the first track to use a polymer-enhanced asphalt especially formulated for high-banked racing -- and harsh Michigan winters. Previous surfaces were milled off and used to pave access roads leading to parking areas.

In 2005, MIS took on the largest renovation in its storied history by adding 870 additional seats with a new Club Level seating area called the Champions Club.

Contact Information

12626 U.S. 12
Brooklyn, MI 49230
(800) 354-1010
Official Web site

Would You Pay To See The Women Of Kurt Busch And Greg Biffle Fight?

2006-04-11T04:16:00.000-07:00

... did NBC get exactly what it wanted this week?

By Mark Spoor, NASCAR.COM
April 10, 2006
10:34 AM EDT (14:34 GMT)

As I listened to Jimmie Johnson and Kasey Kahne express dismay when they were told Friday about Dateline NBC's attempt to generate conflict between Muslim and Arab "spectators" and NASCAR fans at Martinsville, a strange thought came across my admittedly often-misguided brain.

Is this exactly what the news magazine wanted?

Let's face it: Dateline NBC and shows like it are facing an uphill battle. Namely, increasing apathy among Americans across the board. Need proof? Dateline's Friday edition was bumped from NBC's schedule back in March after producing less-than-robust ratings and its current Sunday edition is noticeably floundering.

Meanwhile, American Idol continues to shatter ratings records and kill brain cells, but that's another story.

Dateline received a bit of publicity earlier this year when it aired a series of shows that nabbed pedophiles in the act. While exposing prejudice against Muslims and Arabs is hardly the same thing, the NASCAR community is already talking about the segment -- and it hasn't even been fully produced yet.

Some have said that Dateline's methods were born of ignorance. Maybe. But maybe the show's producers knew how fiercely loyal NASCAR's fan base is and also knew that calling it into question would get folks talking about -- and watching -- the show even before the piece aired.
Bruton Smith will be. He told us so Friday.

"We're going to be very watchful to see that things are done properly," he said.

It's unlikely Smith will be the only one.

... has anyone in the Nextel Cup Series worn a hairpiece?

Ryan Newman accused Sterling Marlin of having a little scientific help with his hairline Sunday after Newman was wrecked out at Texas. The quote -- which you'll certainly see again at the end of the year in our top-10 countdown -- got us thinking what drivers -- past or present -- did the same.

Talk amongst yourselves.

... can we please get Kurt Busch a victory celebration coach?

If you missed Saturday's Busch Series event, you missed one of the great unintentionally comedic performances of our time. Kurt Busch, a winner in his first career Busch Series start, kissed the hood of his car -- with his helmet on -- ran out on to the Texas Motor Speedway infield, promptly tripped over his own feet and did a face plant.

Now, the more reserved of us would just laugh it off and move on, but not our boy Kurt. He followed it up with a snow angel.

In Texas, where it was in the 70s and sunny.

Couple this with his other bizarre celebrations -- like kissing the start-finish line at Richmond -- not Indianapolis, but Richmond -- and Busch making "what the ...?" his own personal phrase.
As FOX was waiting for the green-white-checkered finish for the race, Larry McReynolds announced that Busch and fiancée Eva Bryan are to be married in July.

Can't you just picture Busch doing the ol' Tom Willis at the reception?

Speaking of the future bride ...

... who would win in a fight between Eva Bryan (Busch's fiancée) and Nicole Lunders (Biffle's girlfriend)?

I smell a big pay-per-view buy here. Someone get Vince McMahon on the phone. You can almost here Jim Ross screaming, "Oh my God!" after Lunders hits Bryan with the dreaded steel chair after throwing her over the top rope.

Good times, indeed.

... is the Nextel Cup schedule robbing the series of its best drivers?

When Rusty Wallace left NASCAR's top series last season, he made no bones about the fact that he was leaving because he couldn't take the schedule, (some would argue his schedule is pretty busy now, but that's beside the point). Mark Martin has said the same thing for the past 18 months.

Neither of these guys were -- or are -- just turning laps. They both made the Chase last season and Martin is poised to do so again this season. Both have fiercely loyal fan bases and sponsors lining up for their services.

At the same time, the Cup Series roster is looking more and more like roll call for a freshman-level English class and we're forced to endure stories about how younger drivers -- who are better equipped to handle sponsor commitments -- aren't going about things the right way on the racetrack.

The sport may not be approaching any sort of watershed moment, but true change never happens all at once. It happens in little, vague situations just like this one.

... wait a minute, Cooter was a congressman?

Last week I asked if Carl Edwards would make a good congressman. I mentioned other celebrities that have been elected. Over the past seven days, I received an alarming number of e-mails alerting me that I had omitted Ben Jones, aka Cooter on The Dukes of Hazzard.

Turns out, Cooter was a Georgia congressman from 1989-93. What's more, he once ran against Newt Gingrich -- and lost -- in Georgia 6th District in 1994.

When I was a kid, Daisy Duke was certainly the first lady.

Know Your Tracks - Memphis Motorsports Park

2006-04-11T04:08:00.000-07:00

Memphis Motorsports Park

Memphis International Motorsports Park was founded in 1986 by Ed Gatlin who, along with a group of investors, bought a 400-acre tract of land in northeast Shelby County, Tenn., and built a drag strip with an adjacent road course, a dirt track and go-kart track.

The drag strip drew the attention of the NHRA and was awarded a sanction in 1988 as the host site of the Mid-South Nationals. While the NHRA has 140 member tracks, Memphis is one of only 23 to host a national event, and one of only two to host night racing.

The entire facility was purchased by the Grand Prix Association of Long Beach in 1996, and in 1997, a .75-mile paved tri-oval was added on the site of the old dirt track, while a new dirt track was built on the site of the former go-kart track. The name of the facility was also changed -- to Memphis Motorsports Park -- and the tri-oval opened on June 5, 1998.

The following month, the Grand Prix Association of Long Beach was acquired by Dover Downs Entertainment, Inc. On Sept. 13, 1998 before a sold-out crowd and a national television audience, the facility hosted its first NASCAR event -- the Craftsman Truck Series Memphis 200.

From those humble beginnings, Memphis Motorsports Park has established itself as one of the most popular and versatile racing facilities in the country, playing host to more than 215 events a year, including the best that the NHRA and NASCAR have to offer.

Contact Information

5500 Taylor Forge Drive
Memphis, TN 38053
(866) 407-7333

Know Your Tracks - Martinsville Speedway

2006-03-31T03:55:00.000-08:00

Martinsville Speedway

As NASCAR has grown, so has Martinsville Speedway.

Martinsville Speedway ran its first NASCAR race on July 4, 1948. In 1949, Martinsville ran the sixth race in the series that eventually became the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series.

Martinsville Speedway opened in 1947 with 750 seats and has grown continuously over the years. But, other than being paved in 1955, the track configuration has not changed since Red Byron won the inaugural event.

Martinsville Speedway, located three miles south of Martinsville, Va., is the only original NASCAR-sanctioned track still running NEXTEL Cup events.

Richard Petty, now a car owner, remains the track's leading winner with 15 victories.

The speedway's founder, the late H. Clay Earles and track President W. Clay Campbell have always insisted on beautification. "We like to think of our track as a family-type facility," Earles said. "We like to see a man bring his wife and children to our events and be comfortable."

Campbell became track President in 1988 and, since that time, the speedway has more than doubled its seating capacity. Under Campbell's leadership, the track has constructed 25 corporate suites, a chalet village for hospitality entertainment, high-rise grandstands, and twice as much free parking.

Some of the other improvements, in the past several years, include a new entrance for race day traffic off the U.S. 58 Bypass, all pits are now on one pit road, an overhead walkway from the grandstand to the parking area, an infield media center, new scoreboard, infield tunnel and competitors' garage.

"Martinsville Speedway is constantly growing and we expect to continue that trend for many years to come," Campbell said.

Contact Information

P.O. Box 3311
Martinsville, VA 24115
(276) 956-3151
Official Web site

Know Your Tracks - Mansfield Motorsports Speedway

2006-03-29T04:19:00.000-08:00

Mansfield Motorsports Speedway

Mansfield Raceway, a 3/8ths-mile dirt oval, opened in the spring of 1959 and was stretched to a half-mile in 1972.

Several changes in ownership took place between the mid 70's and early 90ýs with the track finally laying dormant in the mid 90's. Much deterioration and vandalism took place during this time.

In 1998 a group of Cleveland area men rescued the track from its demise at a Sheriff's auction. In the spring of 1999 the dirt track received a blacktop surface and re-opened as Mansfield Motorsports Speedway.

After two years of financial struggles and many improvements still needed property developer Michael Dzurilla stepped into the mix.

More than $17 million in improvements have been made since 2002. Those include new safety fencing, concrete walls, ticket office, deluxe grandstands that include luxury suites, restrooms, and concession stands.

The track was added to the Craftsman Truck Series schedule in 2004, with Jack Sprague winning from the pole in a race that saw 13 caution flags and 94 caution laps.

Contact Information

400 Crall Road
Mansfield, Ohio 44903
(419) 525-7223

A Costly Two-Handed Shove...

2006-03-29T04:13:00.000-08:00

Jeff Gordon says missing the Chase last season may

have contributed to his change in attitude. Credit: Autostock

Gordon fined $10K for incident with Kenseth

Veteran says he's through worrying about what people think of him

By David Newton, NASCAR.COM
March 28, 2006
05:08 PM EST (22:08 GMT)

Jeff Gordon says the person that NASCAR fined $10,000 on Tuesday for shoving Matt Kenseth after Sunday's race at Bristol Motor Speedway is closer to who he is than what fans have seen.

Gordon, also placed on probation until Aug. 30, 2006, took a two-handed jab at Kenseth on pit road when Kenseth approached him to explain the bump that sent the four-time Nextel Cup champion from third place to 21st on the final lap.

It was the first time in Gordon's 14-year Cup career that he has been fined for conduct. His team was fined in 2000 for an equipment violation and he was fined twice as an owner for violations on Jimmie Johnson's car involving crew chief Chad Knaus.

"For many, many years I've been so reserved from controversy,'' Gordon said. "For years, I was so concern with, 'What is this person going to think? What is that person going to think?' I was more caught up in that than being true to myself.

"What you see today is a truer Jeff Gordon and who I really am.''

Gordon said he chose to avoid controversy early in his career because he came from an open wheel background and didn't grow up in the Southeast where many drivers came from at the time.

"I felt I had to do extra things to be accepted,'' he said. "Now that I've established myself, I'm older and I understand life a little more, really the way to enjoy life and enjoy racing more is to be me.''

That doesn't mean Gordon condones shoving Kenseth, who like himself has a reputation for racing clean. He placed part of the blame on NASCAR, saying he was told to park on pit road near Kenseth's car instead of driving to his hauler as normally is the case for those outside the top five.

"[Matt] said it best, that it probably wasn't the best time to walk over to me,'' said Gordon, referring to a comment by Kenseth after the incident. "I told NASCAR had I been thinking more clearly at the time without being so angry, I'm sure I wouldn't have shoved him.''

Gordon added there appears to be more incidents off the track lately because NASCAR isn't doing enough to temper aggressive driving on the track.

"If somebody intentionally runs into somebody on the track, it seems it has to be so obvious for NASCAR to take action that it usually doesn't happen,'' he said. "Yet off the track, they're easy to jump at it.''

Gordon took offense to a comment by Jeff Burton that he made a conscious decision to wreck Martin Truex Jr. -- an incident in which Burton was caught in -- earlier in the race and that he expects special treatment on the track.

"We have drivers who think it's OK for them to do something, but it's not OK for somebody to do it to them,'' Burton told reporters during a Monday Car of Tomorrow test at Bristol. "Jeff Gordon's a perfect example.''

Gordon said there was no conscious effort to wreck Truex Jr.

"Martin completely checked up in front of me,'' he said. "The problem is I was an inch off his rear bumper when it happened. He did not have any time for error.

"Jeff Burton is mad because he got caught up in the wreck. I didn't see it being any different than when he got into [Scott Riggs]. He didn't mean to get into [Riggs], but people checked up in front of him.''

NASCAR spokesman Jim Hunter said Gordon's fine was consistent with past violations of the same nature, reminding Tony Stewart was fined no more than $10,000 for his first three incidents,

"A lot of people are going to say it should have been more, saying we fined Tony $50,000 [in 2004],'' Hunter said. "But Tony had a string of fines leading up to the $50,000.''

Gordon also admitted missing the Chase for the Nextel Cup last season has somewhat changed his approach to driving.

"I kind of heard a lot last year that maybe I wasn't being aggressive enough on the racetrack,'' said Gordon, who is seventh in points heading into Sunday's race at Martinsville [Va.].

" . . . I'm looking at last year and what as a driver I could have done differently or better at times to get us in the Chase or be in position to win more races. I felt like there were times when I could have been more aggressive.''

Gordon said sometimes that aggression carries over off the track like it did at Bristol.

"I guess that's maybe the Jeff Gordon that has evolved over the years,'' he said. "In the past I've reserved a lot of my emotions. I'm not afraid to show them these days. I'm just being me.''

Well, Jeff we'll see what happens next.....It's your grave.

"You get out of life what you put into it."

Know Your Tracks - Lowe's Motor Speedway

2006-03-28T03:51:00.000-08:00

Lowe's Motor Speedway

Race promoter/car dealer Burton Smith and driver Curtis Turner formed a partnership to build a 1.5-mile oval north of Charlotte in 1959.

On June 19, 1960, the first World 600 was run at the new facility. A year later, like many superspeedways of the era, the track fell into Chapter 11 reorganization from which it eventually emerged despite lagging ticket sales.

Smith left in 1962 to pursue other business interests but returned in 1975 as majority stockholder and regained control of the day-to-day operations, hiring Humpy Wheeler as general manager.

Lowe's Motor Speedway has the distinction of being the first sports facility in America to offer year-round condominiums overlooking the speedway in 1984.

Eight years later, Smith and Wheeler added a $1.7 million permanent reflective lighting system, making Lowe's the first modern superspeedway to host night racing. The revolutionary lighting process uses mirrors to simulate daylight without glare, shadows or obtrusive light poles.

Three NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series events, two NASCAR Busch Series races and a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event are among the major events held on the 1.5-mile superspeedway. The Richard Petty Driving Experience and the Fast Track High Performance Driving School and the also use the track extensively throughout the year.

Other events on the various tracks include a weekly, nationally televised short-track series for Legends Cars, Bandoleros and Thunder Roadsters; World Karting Association regional, national and international races.

In May 2000, a state-of-the-art four-tenths-mile clay oval The Dirt Track @ Lowe's Motor Speedway was completed across Highway 29 from the speedway. The stadium-style facility has nearly 15,000 seats and plays host to the Dirt Late Model, Modifieds, Sprint Cars, Monster Truck and more.

Corporations such as Lowe's Home Improvement, Coca-Cola, Miller Brewing, Pfizer Pharmaceuticals and DuPont have rented the speedway to film television commercials or to entertain employees and clients with food, music and race car rides.

Motion pictures such as "Days of Thunder," "Speedway" and "Stroker Ace" and even music videos like Tracy Lawrence's "If the Good Die Young" have been filmed at the speedway. Adding to rental dates are race team testing and automobile manufacturer research.

Lowe's Motor Speedway also annually presents two of the nation's largest car shows and swap meetsýthe Food Lion AutoFairs in April and September. With track rentals and track events, the speedway is used more than 300 days per year.

Contact Information

5555 Concord Parkway
SouthConcord, NC 28027
(800) 455-FANS

Busch Bumps Past Kenseth...

2006-03-28T03:44:00.000-08:00

Kurt Busch knows Victory Lane at Bristol very well. Credit: CIA Stock Photo

Busch bumps past Kenseth to win at Bristol

New No. 2 Dodge driver gets fifth BMS win in nine starts

By Jenna Fryer, The Associated Press
March 27, 20060
4:35 PM EST (21:35 GMT)

BRISTOL, Tenn. (AP) -- BRISTOL, Tenn. -- Kurt Busch's friend and former teammate was in his way. So Busch banged Matt Kenseth aside -- the first of two hard shoves Kenseth received -- to win yet another race at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Opinions differed after if Busch's brash bump with four laps to go Sunday in the Food City 500 was out of line.

"We had to muscle past Matt Kenseth," Busch shrugged. "He's a good friend of mine, but he'll be OK with it.

Uhh, not really.

"He knocked me out of the way," Kenseth said. "I thought if he had a run on me, had me beat, that would have been OK. But he drove extra hard and knocked me out of the way. I thought it was a cheap shot."

Busch disagreed, believing the move was perfectly legal.

Kenseth was leading, but had slowed because he couldn't get past Dale Jarrett, who was fighting to stay on the lead lap. Tired of being held up, Busch rammed Kenseth's back bumper to send him into a slide. That allowed Busch to scoot on by for his fifth victory in the past nine Bristol races.

"I bumped into him a little bit and that was my window to get the lead," Busch said. "If I was still a teammate of his, maybe I would have let him live. But I was hungry."

Indeed, it was Busch's first victory since joining Roger Penske's team at the start of the season and taking over the famed No. 2 Dodge that nine-time Bristol winner Rusty Wallace drove. Busch celebrated his victory by jumping from his car, grabbing the checkered flag and doing "snow angels" on the finish line as a nod to the wintry weather that plagued the track all weekend.

"This is unreal," Busch said. "I'm just so happy to be able to have this car and have Roger's privilege to do so."

Wallace, who missed his first Bristol race in 23 years because he was in his new job as an analyst for the Indy Racing League, called Busch in Victory Lane. During the call, Busch told him he was naming the winning car "Rusty."

"It was very emotional to drive his car," Busch said. "I mentioned to him I am going to name the car, and you could almost see that he had a tear in his eye."

Kevin Harvick was second and seemed disappointed with his best finish of the season.
"Good day for us, but I hate to see Kurt Busch win," Harvick said. "He's a big whiner. But what do I know?"

Kenseth wound up third, but had to fight for it. He faded after Busch's pass, worked his way back up but drew the ire of Jeff Gordon along the way. The two made contact in the closing laps that sent Gordon spinning all the way back to a 21st-place finish.

Still wearing his helmet and HANS device, Gordon stalked Kenseth on pit road. When Kenseth approached in what looked to be an apologetic way, Gordon gave him a hard shove that knocked him back several feet.

The two were quickly separated by NASCAR officials.

"I'm sure he didn't mean to do it and all that stuff, but I wasn't happy about it," Gordon fumed. "I showed it to him after the race. I like racing with Matt ... that stuff rarely happens with him. But I'm going to give it back what he gives to me."

Kenseth took full responsibility for the on-track altercation.

"That was my fault, it was an accident and I didn't mean to do it," Kenseth said. "I would be hot, too. He raced hard all day long for his third-place finish and it got taken away from him. I probably should have known better than to go over him."

Carl Edwards finished fourth and Bobby Labonte was fifth to continue the resurgence of Petty Enterprises. It was the first top-five finish for a Petty car since John Andretti was second here in 2001.

Mark Martin and Greg Biffle were sixth and seventh to put four of Roush Racing's five drivers in the top seven.

Kyle Busch, who won Saturday's Busch race, was eighth. Ryan Newman was ninth and Kasey Kahne, last week's winner, rounded out the top 10.

Tony Stewart, who led a race-high 245 laps, faded at the end and wound up 12th.

"I am really disappointed," Stewart said. "We had an awesome car, I felt like I ran the most patient race I have ever run at Bristol. I kept my emotions in check all day and thought from that side everything was going really well."

Bristol is always a race of attrition, with drivers hoping to avoid the numerous accidents while keeping their tempers intact. This one was no different, except that the usual temper tantrums weren't in play until very late in the race.

The many accidents led to many torn up race cars -- at one point, a piece of sheet metal from Jarrett's car flew into the stands and was quickly snatched up as a souvenir -- and only 21 of the 43 cars finishing on the lead lap.

Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Know Your Tracks - Las Vegas Motor Speedway

2006-03-24T03:44:00.000-08:00

Las Vegas Motor Speedway

Just a few miles north of "The Strip," Las Vegas Motor Speedway sits like a diamond in the desert. One of the most complete racing complexes in the world, its 1,600 acres include road courses, a three-eighths mile oval, a dirt track and a state-of-the-art drag racing facility.

At its heart, however, is the 1.5-mile Las Vegas Motor Speedway, home for the UAW-Daimler Chrysler 400 on the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series.

Construction of the $200 million complex began in 1995.

Nearly 2,000 tons of concrete were originally used to build more than 100,000 seats. Shortly after Speedway Motorsports Inc. bought the track in 1998, it announced plans to add 22,000 seats in the Dale Earnhardt Tower overlooking the frontstretch.

Construction of the Richard Petty Terrace in Turn 1 was completed in 2006, allowing fans a shot at 14,000 additional tickets and pushing the trackýs seating capacity to nearly 150,000.

The first NASCAR race held at Las Vegas Motor Speedway was a Busch Series event in 1996. Two years later, the Cup series made its first visit with Mark Martin picking up the victory.

Jeff Burton and Matt Kenseth have both won two Cup races there. Jeff Gordon, Sterling Marlin and Jimmie Johnson also have visited Victory Lane at the 1.5-mile track.

Contact Information

7000 Las Vegas Blvd.
NorthLas Vegas, NV 89115
800-644-4444

Celebrate NASCAR Day - Friday May 19th, 2006

2006-03-21T03:50:00.000-08:00

We believe our greatest asset is the power and passion of our NASCAR fans; passion both for the sport and for giving back. NASCAR Day is an annual celebration of this NASCAR spirit.

NASCAR Day 2006 will be held on Friday, May 19th.

NASCAR fans, corporations, schools and organizations across the country are encouraged to donate $5 and all participants will receive a collectible 2006 NASCAR Day lapel pin for their donation.

Get your pins here:
http://foundation.nascar.com/NetCommunity/Page.aspx?&pid=275&srcid=279

Watch for special events:
http://foundation.nascar.com/NetCommunity/Page.aspx?&pid=285&srcid=275

Gillette Young Guns

2006-03-17T03:46:00.000-08:00

Six Nascar drivers make up the Gillette Young Guns:

Jimmie Johnson
Kurt Busch
Carl Edwards
Jamie McMurray
Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
Ryan Newman

With a showing like that, no wonder Nascar is what it is today - filled with competition, firece car handling, speedway action-filled, audience-excitement and winning pleasure!

*****

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See you at the races!

Know Your Tracks - Kentucky Speedway

2006-03-17T03:42:00.000-08:00

Kentucky Speedway

Opened in 2000, the 1.5-mile tri-oval Kentucky Speedway hosts four race weekends a year, including the Busch Series and Craftsman Trucks.

Carl Edwards became the first driver to win races at Kentucky in both series when he won the 2005 Busch Series Meijer 300. He had previously been to Victory Lane in the Truck Series in 2003.

Kentucky Speedway filed a lawsuit in July 2005 against NASCAR and International Speedway Corp., alleging the companies have violated federal antitrust laws by illegally restricting the awarding of Nextel Cup races.

The lawsuit seeks to force NASCAR to award the track a Nextel Cup race.

Contact Information

Hwy. 35, Rte. 1, Box 15
Sparta, KY 41086
(888) 652-7223

Know Your Tracks - Kansas Speedway

2006-03-16T04:15:00.000-08:00

Kansas Speedway

In 1996, International Speedway Corporation began exploring the idea of building a track in the Midwest. Bonds were sold in 1998 and construction on the 1.5-mile tri-oval began a year later.

Tickets for the 2001 season went on sale on Aug. 17, 2000 -- and within a week, nearly 80 percent of the season tickets had been sold. Paving on the track begin in September of that year and construction was completed in the spring of 2001.

Jeff Gordon won the first two Cup events there, starting with the inaugural race on Sept. 29, 2001.

Contact Information

400 Speedway Blvd.
Kansas City, KS 66111
(913) 328-7223

Know Your Tracks - Infineon Raceway

2006-03-14T04:22:00.000-08:00

Infineon Raceway

In 1968, the 2.52-mile road-racing course was constructed on 720 acres by Marin County owners Robert Marshall Jr., an attorney from Point Reyes, and land developer Jim Coleman of Kentfield. The two conceived of the idea of a racetrack while on a hunting trip. Ground was broken in August and paving of the race surface was completed in November. The first official event at Infineon Raceway was an SCCA Enduro, held on Dec. 1, 1968.

A year later, the track was sold to Filmways Corp., a Los Angeles-based entertainment company for $4.5 million. From 1969 through early 1970, Infineon Raceway hosted a variety of events, including USAC IndyCar races, NASCAR stock car races, SCCA races, and drag races. In May of 1970, the track closed and became a tax shelter for Filmways after losses of $300,000 were reported.

In 1973, Hugh Harm of Belvedere and Parker Archer of Napa arranged to lease the track through Filmways vice president Lee Moselle for $1 million. Bob Bondurant, owner and operator of the Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving, announced that he would move his school from Ontario Speedway in Southern California to Infineon Raceway. The Pacific Region of the Sports Club Car of America announced it would hold a driver's school and series of non-spectator races at the track.

In 1975, a group calling itself Black Mountain Inc., which included Bondurant, William J. Kolb of Del Mar and Howard Meister of Newport Beach, purchased the track from Filmways for a reported $1.5 million. Five years later, The Black Mountain Group took on an additional partner -- the Long Beach Grand Prix Association -- in hopes of improving marketing and public relations.

In 1986, Harvey "Skip" Berg, president of a real estate acquisition and management firm headquartered in Seattle, took control of the track and became major stockholder in Brenda Raceway Corp.

NASCAR debuted at the track in 1989, with Ricky Rudd taking the inaugural victory. The Craftsman Truck Series was added to the schedule in 1995.

In 1998, The Chute, a new high-speed straightaway that connects existing Turns 4 and 7 was officially opened during a press conference on May 5. The re-design of the road course shortened the circuit from 2.52 miles to 1.949 and increased the distance from 300 to 350 kilometers. The re-designed course will be used strictly for NASCAR events.

A $60 million modernization plan kicked off in 2001. Improvements completed thus far include the construction of hillside terrace seats above Turns 2-4, 40 garages for competitors, dramatically expanded entrance and access roads to reduce traffic congestion into and around the raceway, and increased run-off on the road course at turns 1, 2, 3, 3a, 4, 6 and 7.

A new permanent grandstand at start/finish, underground pedestrian tunnels, enlargement of pit road to accommodate a 43-car field, new system of shuttle roads and the separation of the road course form the drag strip happened in 2002. Improvements continued in 2003 as the final portions of the road course were repaved (Turns 1-3, 6-8 and 11).

Turns 4-5, 9-10, 12 and the Chute were repaved prior to the 2003 season. Additional runoff was also created at Turns 1 and 6, and the bridge at Turn 1 was replaced, while the Turn 6 bridge was removed permanently.

Contact Information

Highways 37 and 121
Sonoma, CA 95476
(800) 870-7223

Johnson Wins At Vegas...

2006-03-14T04:19:00.000-08:00

Jimmie Johnson outraced Matt Kenseth on the final lap to win
the UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 at Las Vegas. Credit: Autostock

Johnson passes Kenseth for last-lap win at Vegas

By Mike Harris, The Associated Press
March 13, 2006
12:44 PM EST (17:44 GMT)

LAS VEGAS -- It took Jimmie Johnson 270 laps to get to the front Sunday, but that was soon enough.

Johnson took advantage of a late-race caution flag Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, catching and passing Matt Kenseth in a two-lap overtime sprint to the finish in the UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400.

Johnson's No. 48 Chevrolet surged past Kenseth's No. 17 Ford on the outside after the two sped side-by-side through the third and fourth turns on the 1.5-mile oval for the final time. The winner crossed by finish line 0.115 seconds -- about half a car-length -- ahead as he led a lap for the only time in the 271-lap event.

Johnson said he sympathized with Kenseth for getting beat that way, noting he lost to Carl Edwards on the same kind of move last spring in Atlanta and then edged Bobby Labonte with an outside pass on the last lap in May at Charlotte.

"I was slowly catching Matt before that last caution," Johnson said. "I think we could have got up there to race with him but, if it stayed green, I believe Matt had it in the bag. Then we got that last yellow.

"I thought long and hard about what I would do if I was protecting the lead. I knew I wanted to be on the outside. I faked kind of to the bottom and he kind of bought it."

Asked if he thought about trying to block Johnson's move to the outside, Kenseth said, "I was running in the groove where my car was the fastest. If I had to redo it right now, I don't think there was anything I could have done different."

Johnson is off to a great start in 2006, winning the Daytona 500 and finishing second two weeks ago in California before taking his 20th career win on Sunday. And he's doing it without crew chief Chad Knaus, banned by NASCAR for the first four races of the season after making unapproved modifications to Johnson's car in Daytona qualifying.

With lead engineer Darian Grubb stepping in for Knaus, Johnson will head to Atlanta Motor Speedway next week with a 52-point lead on Kenseth in the standings.

It was Johnson's second consecutive victory at Vegas, but this one was a lot harder than 2005 when he led 107 laps.

It appeared through most of the race that Kenseth was going to get an easy win after being handed a victory two weeks ago in California when front-runners Greg Biffle and Tony Stewart encountered late-race engine problems.

Kenseth, who won at Vegas in 2003 and 2004, led a race-high 146 laps and was out front and almost assured of victory before a collision between rookie Denny Hamlin and Kenny Wallace brought out the last of seven caution flags on Lap 264 of the race scheduled to go 267 laps.

A dejected Kenseth told his crew by radio his engine didn't feel strong for the restart, but he was able to hold off Johnson for a lap-and-a-half after the green flag waved for the final time on Lap 270.

"Sorry, you guys won a race and I lost it," Kenseth said to his crew. "Can't do no more, I don't know."

All three Cup races this season have gone into overtime because of late-race cautions.
After getting out of the car, Kenseth said, "Nobody likes to run second. We led all day. ... If I tried any harder, we were going to wreck. I just got beat."

Local boy Kyle Busch, who ran second to Johnson last year, finished third, followed by Kasey Kahne, Jeff Gordon and Mark Martin.

Two-time and reigning Cup champion Stewart had his second consecutive disappointing finish after running fifth in Daytona. He led 54 laps Sunday and stayed in the top five until the last few laps when he had a tire rubbing and fell back into the pack, finishing 21st.

Stewart became angry at Busch late in the race, reaching out the window and shaking his fist at the younger driver and bumping the rear of Busch's car at one point. The defending champ is 19th in the standings, already 236 points behind Johnson.

The 20-year-old Busch, who was criticized by Stewart at Daytona for being too aggressive on the racetrack, said he didn't feel he was doing anything wrong but would be glad to talk with Stewart about it.

"With about 40 laps to go, it's time to race and time to get after it and that's what I was doing," said Busch, last year's top rookie. "If I did something and aggravated Stewart, well, I'm sorry."

Know Your Tracks - Indianapolis Raceway Park

2006-03-10T04:01:00.000-08:00

Indianapolis Raceway Park

While Indianapolis Motor Speedway is the most popular racetrack in the Hoosier State, the vast majority of motorsports events held in Indianapolis are held at Indianapolis Raceway Park, including a Craftsman Truck Series race and a Busch Series event.

Drag racing, road racing, sprint car races and other events suited to a shorter track fall to IRP. You can also usually find a large racing program there on the night before the Indianapolis 500.

The annual NHRA U.S. Nationals are traditionally held there on Labor Day weekend and SCCA events are held on the park's road course.

Contact Information

10267 East U.S. Hwy 136
Indianapolis, IN 46234
(800) 884-6472

Know Your Tracks - Indianapolis Motor Speedway

2006-03-09T04:04:00.000-08:00

Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Built in 1909 as an automobile proving ground, the speedway was built as a 2.5-mile rectangle by its four founders because that was the largest track that could be constructed on the land available.

The first event was a hot-air balloon race, followed by three days of racing in August of 1909. However, the crushed stone and tar track was so dangerous, work began immediately on repaving the entire surface with more than three million bricks.

The first 500-Mile International Sweepstakes was held on May 30, 1911 -- and with the exception of two world wars, remains a Memorial Day fixture.

Ray Harroun took nearly seven hours to complete the 500-mile distance in 1911, while Arie Luyendyk won the 1990 edition in a record two hours and 41 minutes.

The track and grounds deteriorated badly during World War II -- and plans were made to replace it with residential housing. But Terre Haute businessman Tony Hulman stepped in and purchased the speedway and began a series of improvements to the facility that continue to this day.

Several NASCAR teams were invited to a one-day test session at the speedway by track president Tony George in 1993 -- and the inaugural Brickyard 400 was held one year later. Jeff Gordon has won four of the 12 races held there.

The track hosted three separate race weekends in 1910, but poor attendance forced management to re-think its plans for 1911, choosing to run one large event instead.

Contact Information

4790 W. 16th Street
Speedway, IN 46222
(317) 481-8500

NASCAR Hall Of Fame Location Winner Announced!

2006-03-08T04:17:00.000-08:00

Charlotte celebrated when the announcement

was made official on Monday. Credit: AP

Charlotte's Hall of Fame bid a true team effort

Money wasn't only factor in deciding on location of sport's venue

By Marty Smith,
NASCAR.COM
March 6, 2006
07:37 PM EST (00:37 GMT)

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The slogan used in Charlotte's platform to lure the NASCAR Hall of Fame to the Queen City is now official creed:

Racing was built here. Racing belongs here.

As expected, NASCAR on Monday announced its Hall of Fame will reside in Charlotte, N.C., a conclusion one key decision maker on the project called "the tipping point for Charlotte being the Hollywood of NASCAR."

"The one thing Charlotte has been lacking is a real tourism magnet," said Mark Dyer, NASCAR vice president of licensing and a lead negotiator on NASCAR's behalf throughout the site-selection process. "This provides it. This is the tipping point for Charlotte being the Hollywood of NASCAR."

Dyer said Charlotte won out over Atlanta and Daytona Beach mainly due to NASCAR's stability in the market and importance in the community's overall economic structure.

In short, Charlotte will tout the facility as the focal destination point for NASCAR fans to coincide with the numerous race shops and museums in and around the area, as well as a centerpiece in the rapidly expanding downtown infrastructure.

"This is home to the drivers, and there's no place like home," said Charlotte mayor Pat McCrory.

North Carolina Governor Mike Easley added, "Charlotte, start your economic engines. This thing's gonna be big."

"Add all that up, and fans can spend a whole week in Charlotte and really experience the sport and its history," Dyer said. "It puts an exclamation point on the experience."

Dyer said plans are in the works to organize a coordinated touring business to simplify seeing all Charlotte-area racing attractions.

"Charlotte sees the Hall of Fame as a catalyst for economic development downtown -- and there is a lot of momentum downtown already with office and residential and restaurants in place and on the move," Dyer said.

"Charlotte worked very hard to put themselves in this position. They had a terrific proposal, and did a great job when we visited in the summer. They were very resilient as we questioned them and requested more information.

"Their core team hung in there on this thing and represented their side extremely well over hours and hours of negotiations. They got the best deal representing the city against our viewpoints, and we ended up being very close on everything."

Pooling resources

Dyer cited a collaboration of resources by Charlotte-based banking giants Bank of America and Wachovia as key in the Queen City's triumph.

"They're really strong rivals, headquartered in the same city just a few blocks apart, and deserve a ton of credit for working together to make this happen," Dyer said.

"We had a firm commitment from both companies from the very beginning to do what it took to secure the Hall of Fame in Charlotte.

"This is a huge economic development opportunity for downtown Charlotte, and they realized that immediately and joined arms and acted really as one voice. That's extraordinary."

Extraordinary, yes. But far from the lone determining factor, Dyer said. Charlotte's local government had to prove its mettle to the selection committee, as well.

"The state of North Carolina and Charlotte, in the metropolitan area, at a governmental level has done a lot of work to study and recognize the importance of motorsports in the area, and because of that they stepped up with a great financial package that was geared towards long-term security for the facility," Dyer said.

"Those were two very big factors that weighed heavily into the decision."

Easley said NASCAR's approach was so straightforward, the Charlotte committee almost didn't know how to react.

"It was unlike anything I've ever dealt with in economic development," Easley said. "They walked in and said here's what we need. I appreciate them showing the confidence in Charlotte and in North Carolina."

Late push raises questions

Atlanta officials said last week they'd increased the city's planned investment from $5 million to $77 million. The State of Georgia had already pledged $25 million.

News of Atlanta's proposal left many with an impression that NASCAR was playing a bidding game with its candidates to increase NASCAR's payday.

Dyer said that isn't the case, rather that intricate contractual details held up the finalization of the project.

"The toughest part of a situation like this is you don't know you absolutely have a final deal until the last day or two, because there are so many loose ends," Dyer said. "And you owe it to other cities to keep the communication lines open. So it starts to take the look of a big sweepstakes.

"We didn't run it that way. We really tried hard to address the concerns of the long-term security of the project. The discussions and things you saw in the media weren't predicated on NASCAR getting paid, more the arrangements of financing the facility and giving the facility the best long-term financial future."

The Hall of Fame project is important enough to NASCAR that its royalty package isn't guaranteed. If the Hall of Fame suffers a financial loss in any given year, NASCAR forgoes a portion of its royalty guarantee.

"It's important to note that we placed no financial guarantees on the facility," Dyer said. "If the facility ran a deficit in a year we wouldn't get paid our full royalties. We won't let our royalties take the facility into a deficit in any given year.

"The facility is a non-profit, and while everybody thinks we're doing this thing for money -- and yes, we'll make royalties off of the use of our name -- but the negotiations in the past few weeks weren't predicated on us trying to up the bidding on what we'd be paid. It was about ensuring the financial future of the facility."

Not just NASCAR

One of Atlanta's greatest assets was its standing among destination cities for corporate conventions -- second only to Las Vegas. The Hall of Fame is expected to greatly improve Charlotte's allure.

"This will be a tremendous boon to tourism, not just in Charlotte, but this entire region," McCrory said.

The budget for the entire project is $150 million, with $43 million of that set aside for a banquet hall/ballroom that should assist Charlotte's growth as a destination for corporate conventions.

"The ballroom is a terrific feature," Dyer said. "Induction banquets will be held there, as well as other NASCAR official events. The banquet hall is owned by the city and run by the city, so lots of non-NASCAR events will be held in banquet hall, too. They really need a facility of this size."
Dyer said organizers and developers will need another year to finalize the building's design, and namely the interior design. He estimates construction will begin next spring, and a grand opening in 2010.

NASCAR has the option to build an office building on the Hall of Fame site, for which the City of Charlotte bears no financial responsibility. Instead, NASCAR would be required to foot the bill for the office building.

What makes a NASCAR Hall of Famer?

To date, NASCAR's sole focus has been location, location, location.

Little thought has been given to induction criteria, or what individuals will make up the first official class.

"By the time this building opens, we'll have 61 or 62 years of racing in our history, so how many people do you induct in your charter class? Too many wouldn't be meaningful," Dyer said. "How high is the bar for induction?"

Presumably, quite lofty.

"I do know one thing we've already talked about -- the induction process has to have the highest integrity among fans, drivers, teams, sponsors. Everybody in the sport has to view this as highly credible," Dyer said.

"I think the bar will be pretty high. I don't think I'll have a vote but I think the bar will be high."
In the end, NASCAR projects it will have the finest professional sports hall of fame in the country.

"Absolutely. The advantage we have over Cooperstown or Canton is we're able to build a brand new building with all the technological know-how of the years 2006 through 2010, so this will be the finest professional sports hall of fame ever built in America at the time it opens," Dyer said.

"And because we're in Charlotte, with the industry around us and willing to embrace us, we can create that same heart and soul connection for inductees that inductees in Cooperstown and Canton have.

"I'd like to think we can have the best of both worlds -- a state-of-the-art facility that also captures the heart and soul of the sport."

Know Your Tracks - Homestead-Miami Speedway

2006-03-08T04:13:00.000-08:00

Homestead-Miami Speedway

For a racetrack that has only been around since 1995, Homestead-Miami Speedway has undergone more than its share of changes.

Homestead-Miami Speedway actually started as an idea to help Dade County recover after Hurricane Andrew in 1992. Ralph Sanchez, a longtime motorsports promoter in South Florida, struck a deal to build the track.

When it opened in 1995, the track's original configuration was a flat oval with short "chute" straightaways between Turns 1 and 2 and Turns 3 and 4. Five years later, an $8 million renovation turned the track into a more conventional oval with 6 degrees of banking in its turns.

Then, in 2003, Homestead-Miami Speedway took on its current shape. The track's turns were rebuilt with variable banking from 18 degrees in the bottom groove to 20 degrees near the outside wall.

That project cost another $12 million and set Homestead-Miami Speedway up to host to Ford Championship Weekend, a climactic tripleheader featuring the season finales in all three of NASCAR's top national series Nextel Cup, Busch and Craftsman Truck.

Since it opened, Homestead-Miami Speedway has doubled its seating capacity to 80,000.

Contact Information

1 Speedway Blvd.
Homestead, FL 33035
(305) 230-7223
Official Web site