NASCAR: A Battle of the Titans
Race track dates and where and when they will be awarded is shaping up as a battle of the titans.
On one side of the battlefield is Bruton Smith’s SMI.
After purchase of Kentucky Motor Speedway immediate speculation was he would move a Sprint Cup date from one of his other tracks. Further speculation insisted it wsn’t happening unless Smith can somehow convince former KMS owner Jerry Carrol dropped the pending anti-trust suit against NASCAR and ISC. That hasn’t occurred as yet, and with the closing date on the track purchase a few days away, reportedly 18 Aug., there is some thought SMI may drop the entire transaction.
Staring at Smith from across the battlefield is none other than ISC owned Kansas Speedway.
“I have made a commitment on behalf of ISC to ask NASCAR to bring a second Cup date to Kansas Speedway,” said Lesa France Kennedy, president of International Speedway Corp.
Other than the familial ties, why would she become involved you ask? Money of course.
And in today’s society it’s cash that can rightfully be called free money — free in the sense there’s a “sucker born every minute” — the cash flow will come from casino profits.
Kennedy and other officials from the speedway and Cordish Corp. have presented plans for a $700 million development including a 300-room Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, which would be located at the Speedway’s turn two. It would feature 3,000 slot machines, 140 gaming tables and 275,000 square feet of retail, dining and entertainment.
It’s all subject for approval by the Kansas Lottery Gaming Facility Review Board of course, and given it’s a government agency that presumably must also gain public support, you’re looking at years of work before the doors of a casino opens in turn two.
On the other hand is that “familial thing,” and we all know how they work.
UPDATE: My speculation stands corrected. If approved a temporary casino can be operating within 9 months and allegedly generate $200 million in annual revenue.
Related articles:
Technorati Tags: Lesa France Kennedy, ISC, NASCART, Kentucky Motor Speedway, Kansas Speedway, Brian France
Your Turn, Leave a Reply