NASCAR: 2009 Schedule Not To Include Sprint Cup Race In Kentucky
May 24, 2008
CIA Stock Photo, Inc.
If you don’t think NASCAR has it in for Kentucky Speedway and its founder and now selling owner, Jerry Carroll, just read the latest from NASCAR regarding the track getting a Sprint Cup race in 2009 after Bruton Smith completes his purchase of it.
It added that Carroll said in a phone interview Friday he is unhappy with the decision and had contacted his attorneys to fight it. “This is what bullies do and it’s been going on too long,” he told ESPN. “They’ve showed their hand again. If they want to break us and want to run us out of business, get more creative.”
Now Smith wants to buy it and move a Cup race there. And how better to keep screwing Kentucky AND remind Smith, ISC’s only rival as a track-owning power, who runs the show. Make Kentucky wait a year. You can bet if it was ISC buying Kentucky, NASCAR would find a way to shoehorn it into the 2009 schedule.
NASCAR’s decision Friday to not have a Sprint Cup race at Kentucky Speedway in 2009, despite a change in ownership to Bruton Smith, has left the track’s founder livid.
NASCAR officials said it’s too late to consider Kentucky for next season’s schedule.
“The 2009 schedule will not include a Sprint Cup race in Kentucky, regardless of ownership,” NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston said. “I don’t see any scenario where there will be a Sprint Cup race there in ‘09.”
“The schedule we are working on for 2009 does not include a stop in Kentucky, regardless of ownership,” said NASCAR spokesman.
“I don’t see any scenario where there will be a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race in Kentucky. There has been no request for realignment and it’s already very late in the sanctioning process.”
Friday evening, Kentucky Speedway released a statement from its chairman, Jerry Carroll.
“Our group is confident that comments made by Bruton Smith,” Carroll said, “and, our agreement, will continue to come to fruition.”
“After looking at the schedule and the fact that 1) close of a sale won’t be for at least 90 days; 2) there still is no request for realignment; and, 3) the area continues to be well served with NASCAR racing, we’ve concluded that there’s not an opportunity for a date in 2009,’’ NASCAR spokesman wrote in an e-mail.
According to filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Speedway Motorsports Inc. has a 90-day window from Wednesday to cancel its deal to purchase Kentucky Speedway. Speedway Motorsports Inc. doesn’t intend to take over the track until August, and it might be too late for NASCAR to adjust the Cup schedule for next year. The Cup schedule typically is released between late August and late September.
