Full Throttle

A little over six weeks ago Pikes Peak International Raceway was sent to the speedway mortuary. Gone. History, snapped up by the Rocky Mountain Speedway Corp., a “wholly owned subsidiary of International Speedway Corp.” Yes, you’re not shocked. Neither was I at the time.

Speculation was the tracks Busch Series date would be given to Martinsville, another ISC venue. That has since become official and the Series will make it’s first appearance on the half mile since 1994.

The original story noted an odd condition of the sale to ISC. ISC said they would honor all commitments held by the former owners until Oct 31^st. After that date it would close the facility and begin to market the approximate 1,200-acre site for sale, “with the requirement it not be used for motor sports-related events.”

Strange yes? If they bailed out of the market, I questioned at the time, why were they so concerned about racing related events at any potential new facility operated by a new owner?

Playing the role of questioning skeptic pays off on occasion. While PPIR isn’t being resurrected, ISC hasn’t lost sight of the area at the foot of the Rocky Mountains. They just want to be closer to the larger population center of Denver.

“Denver is definitely a very important market for us,” Santiago [Lenny Santiago, senior investment relations analyst for ISC] said Monday. “ISC tried to do some projects there many, many years ago, but it still remains a priority in our forward growth. Right now, we have our (Nextel Cup) projects out near Seattle and Staten Island (N.Y.). Over the long term, we believe there is a potential in the Denver market for some NASCAR racing, whether it be Cup or Busch. We would definitely explore that opportunity.

“I’m just looking at something here for our TV stats for the Nextel Cup through the year, and the Denver market is up over double digits in terms of households in and ratings.”

Why do I envision a “Foothills 500 Presented by Coors Light” somewhere about 2012?

Of course that would follow the “Puget Sound 400 Presented by Luhr Jensen & Sons Salmon Lures” and the “Staten Island 500 Presented by the International Speedway Corporation.” (It all ends with self promotion doesn’t it?)

NASCAR, ISC, Auto Racing, sports