Daytona International Speedway News & Rumors Page 2

Nov. 22, 2005:

Daytona International Speedway “Favorite Place to Attend a Motorsports Event”: Daytona International Speedway, the site of NASCAR’s most prestigious race since 1959 – the Daytona 500® – has been recognized by race fans nationwide as their “Favorite Place to Attend a Motorsports Event.” The fan poll is part of Street & Smith’s SportsBusiness Journal’s and SportsBusiness Daily’s Readers Survey which currently appear on the publication’s website: www.sportsbusinessjournal.com. “It’s no wonder thousands of race fans come to Daytona International Speedway each year…,” said Speedway President Robin Braig. “…great racing, great fan amenities and a great tradition. Thanks to the fans who voted for DIS. We look forward to having them join us again to kick off the 2006 season with NASCAR’s premier event – the Daytona 500.” The results of the survey were compiled via polling on both the SportsBusiness Journal Web site and the site of SportsBusiness Daily. Results were collected between Sept. 12 and Oct. 2, 2005. In the survey, respondents were asked, among other motorsports questions, about favorite tracks to attend a motorsports event. DIS was rated the favorite by 29.1 percent of the respondents, easily beating Indianapolis Motor Speedway (20.8 percent) and Bristol Motor Speedway (9.5 percent). Other Motorsports poll questions included: Most Effective NASCAR Team owner? Which NASCAR TV partner has the best race presentation? In 12 months, Danica Patrick will be? What do you think about the new NASCAR “Chase” system? Most-marketable driver in Motorsports? Which open-wheel circuit do you prefer, as a business platform? Why has open-wheel racing yet to achieve NASCAR-like popularity? In addition to motorsports, the poll included questions on: teams and leagues, football, baseball, basketball, media, sponsorship, hockey and colleges. (Daytona International Speedway PR)

Nov. 12, 2005:

NASCAR Preseason Thunder Fan Fests set:  Throughout the month of January, the historic infield of Daytona International Speedway will serve as the exciting backdrop to the high-energy NASCAR Preseason Thunder Fan Fest. Fans will be able to get a sneak peek on NASCAR teams as they prepare for Speedweeks 2006 with inquisitive fan forums with many of their favorite drivers as well as enjoying all the state-of-the-art amenities in the popular NEXTEL FANZONE. Also included in NASCAR Preseason Thunder Fan Fests will be bands, show cars, pit stop demonstrations, displays and a silent auction. "Once again we're proud to host NASCAR Preseason Thunder Fan Fests and give our anxious race fans a sneak peek on the new season," Daytona International Speedway President Robin Braig said. "From the on-track testing to the enlightening fan forums in the popular NEXTEL FANZONE, the NASCAR Preseason Thunder Fan Fests will be a must-see event for any NASCAR fan." NASCAR Preseason Thunder Fan Fest dates, which will coincide with January's NASCAR Nextel Cup Series, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and NASCAR Busch Series testing sessions at the "World Center of Racing," will be held on the following days:
- Jan. 10: NASCAR Nextel Cup Fan Fest
- Jan. 13: NASCAR Craftsman Truck Fan Fest
- Jan. 17: NASCAR Nextel Cup Fan Fest
- Jan. 21: NASCAR Busch Fan Fest

The Fan Fest events start at 5 p.m. but fans will be able to enter the NEXTEL FANZONE beginning at 9 a.m. to watch all of the exciting testing action. Admissions for the NEXTEL Cup Fan Fest dates are $15 while Busch and Craftsman Truck Series admissions are $10. To purchase NASCAR Preseason Thunder Fan Fests or for more information, call 1-800-PITSHOP.

Oct. 3, 2005:

More on Dodge sponsoring the Daytona 500:  Despite denials from Daytona about any possible sponsorship name change being added to the Daytona 500, Detroit sources confirm that DaimlerChrysler officials have indeed been in talks with executives from the International Speedway Corp. about Dodge sponsorship of some sort of the season's biggest race. Daytona officials will say only that they have been talking with Dodge about sponsoring the Daytona Truck race and insist they have no plans to pin sponsorship to the Daytona 500 itself. However, Detroit sources said that there have indeed been discussions between Dodge and Daytona about sponsoring the Daytona 500, but that Dodge executives have ruled out any such sponsorship because they say the ISC price tag is too high. (Salem-Journal)

Sep. 30, 2005:

Daytona officials say no plans to add Daytona 500 sponsor: Daytona officials confirmed talking with DaimlerChrysler about naming rights for the Daytona Craftsman Truck Series race, but they say that there are no plans to add a sponsorship name to the Daytona 500. The season's first race hasn't been sponsored since STP dropped its marketing of it in 1993 after sponsoring it as "The Daytona 500 by STP" for several years. (Salem-Journal)

Sep. 26, 2005:

What's in a Name? Money$$ Dodge Daytona 500? NASCAR-ISC executives are trying to persuade Daimler-Chrysler's Dodge division to become the name sponsor of the Daytona 500, but the German car company has not been willing to pay the price, according to sources close to the situation. (Salem-Journal/Mulhern)

July 20, 2005

ISC extends Daytona lease: International Speedway Corp. has rented the grounds of its premiere track here from the public since 1957 for $10,000 a year. Tuesday, the Speedway's official landlord -- the Daytona Beach Racing & Recreational Facilities District -- was presented with an offer from its tenant that may be hard to refuse. In exchange for extending its lease through 2054, ISC proposes to increase the yearly rent it pays for 447 acres of public land beneath its track, stands and buildings to $500,000. It's also requesting two 25-year extensions beyond 2054, at a rate to be determined later. (News-Journal)

July 2, 2005

Extra Daytona Security:  Anyone planning to enter the Daytona International Speedway infield today should expect delays. With Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld serving as grand marshal, each car will be checked for weapons and bombs as they enter through both tunnels. The shakedown includes bomb-sniffing dogs. Fans will have all bags checked as they enter the grandstands. "It is only fitting to have Secretary Rumsfeld serve as grand marshal for an Independence Day weekend tradition like the 47th Pepsi 400," said speedway president Robin Braig. (Jacksonville.com)

July 1, 2005

Don't attempt handicap in Daytona: About 20 people were caught trying to sneak into handicapped parking sections during a crackdown on people looking for the best parking spots at the Daytona International Speedway, according to FLORIDA TODAY news partner WKMG Local 6 News. This year, the Florida Highway Patrol and NASCAR are cracking down on scams to illegally use handicapped parking spaces at the speedway during July 4 holiday races that end with Saturday night's Pepsi 400, Local 6 News reported. Thursday, racing fans were caught faking that they were handicapped by using another person's car sticker and even making homemade handicap signs to fool officials, Local 6 News reported. (Florida Today)

Rumsfeld named Pepsi 400 Grand Marshall: U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld has been named Grand Marshal for the 47th running of the Pepsi 400 on Saturday, July 2. Mr. Rumsfeld will give the command "Drivers, start your engines" in NASCAR's star-spangled holiday weekend event set to begin under the lights at 8 p.m. at the "World Center of Racing." His Grand Marshal duties also include leading the 43-car field in the pace laps from the Grand Marshal pace car. "It is only fitting to have Secretary Rumsfeld serve as Grand Marshal for an Independence Day weekend tradition like the 47th Pepsi 400," said DIS President Robin Braig. "We are honored and privileged that Mr. Rumsfeld will be on hand to witness one of NASCAR's grandest nighttime spectacles." Secretary Rumsfeld was sworn in as the 21st Secretary of Defense on January 20, 2001. Before assuming his present post, the former Navy pilot had also served as the 13th Secretary of Defense, White House Chief of Staff, U.S. Ambassador to NATO, U.S. Congressman and chief executive officer of two Fortune 500 companies. Secretary Rumsfeld highlights the Holiday Weekend full of side-by-side racing, thrills and excitement culminating with a 10-minute fireworks extravaganza. (Daytona International Speedway)

June 29, 2005

ISC offers affordable Daytona Package Special: Need a room for the races? International Speedway Corp. will be glad to put you up -- as long as you don't mind a bus ride to and from Orlando.  A travel-package business that ISC began operating two years ago will book nearly 1,000 room nights for this year's Pepsi 400 weekend, which starts Thursday, said David Dzanis, ISC director of business development. For the bigger Speed Weeks period next February, the company expects to book nearly 5,000 room nights.  "We started this business after listening to our fan base," Dzanis said. "For international visitors, or people from other parts of the country who don't know the Central Florida area, these packages are a simple way to handle their accommodations. We tell them 'Pack your bags and leave the rest to us.' " The packages are advertised on an ISC web site, 1-800-PitShop.com, the same site the company uses for selling race tickets and souvenirs. Packages are sold only by telephone, not at any walk-up counter at the track or Daytona USA.  For the Pepsi 400, the Daytona International Speedway owner is offering a choice of four, three-night packages at three different Orlando-area properties -- the Marriott at Lake Mary, the DoubleTree Hotel at Universal Orlando and the Florida Mall Hotel.  Besides the room, the packages include a bus ride to the Speedway on Friday and Saturday, tickets to the Busch Grand National and Nextel Cup races and admission to Daytona USA. A pre-race pit pass, a souvenir program and a bag of welcome gifts also are thrown in.  "Our whole goal here is to provide affordably-priced, quality lodging," Dzanis said. Prices range from $515 a person or $790 per couple to $1,095 per person of $1,790 per couple, depending on the hotel and the location of the race seats. (News-Journal)

June 15, 2005

Lisa Marie Presley To Perform at Pepsi 400: Capitol Records recording artist Lisa Marie Presley, who's recent album "Now What" debuted at No. 9 on the Billboard Charts, will perform a pre-race concert prior to the 47th annual Pepsi 400 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race on Saturday, July 2 at historic Daytona International Speedway. Presley will perform a 30-minute pre-race concert in front of thousands of race guests on the legendary tri-oval of "The World Center of Racing" and millions more watching live on NBC Sports. "We're excited to welcome Lisa Marie Presley to the 'World Center of Racing' for the Pepsi 400," Daytona International Speedway President Robin Braig said. "Presley's unique sound will provide an electric atmosphere for the most exciting night race on the NASCAR circuit." "Although the Pepsi 400 will be the first NASCAR race that I've attended in person, I'm familiar with the exciting NASCAR culture," Presley said. "I'm honored to be able to perform at a storied venue such as Daytona International Speedway." Presley's second album "Now What," has produced hits such as "Dirty Laundry" and "Idiot." Presley's debut album "To Whom It May Concern" was released in 2003 and reached Gold with hits such as "Sinking In" and "Lights Out." In addition to her singing career, Presley also participates in numerous charitable activities including Presley Place, a housing community named after late entertainer Elvis Presley and his family. The organization provides homeless families with shelter and a nurturing environment where residents can learn the skills and get the education they need to be independent and productive members of society. (Daytona Int'l Speedway PR)

June 9 2005

Speedweeks Schedule Changes: The Rolex 24 At Daytona is moving up -- to a new date on the calendar. And the focus of next year's Speed Weeks will be different.  The Rolex 24 At Daytona is being moved from its normal first weekend of February one week earlier to Jan. 28-29. The move is believed to be permanent, and is designed to end a longstanding first-Sunday-in-February schedule conflict between the race and the NFL's Super Bowl. Daytona International Speedway and Rolex Series officials will announce the move today. The move breaks the Rolex 24's longstanding tradition of being DIS' opening act in a three-week glut of car racing to follow. The NASCAR portion of the schedule remains unchanged, although the switch may affect testing dates.  By slating the race's 44th edition for an off-weekend falling between the NFL's conference championships and ultimate game, those connected with the event say the move will allow fans to participate in both, instead of having to choose one over the other. (News-Journal)

April 20, 2005

Racing will be in Daytona till 2032: Racing will continue here for a long time. International Speedway Corp. renewed a lease of the Daytona International Speedway grounds on Tuesday for another 25 years.  Members of the Daytona Beach Racing and Recreational Facilities Commission unanimously agreed to renew the original 50-year lease signed in 1957, which expires in November 2007.  The renewal extends the lease through 2032.  As outlined in the original agreement, lease payments by the Speedway to the Daytona Beach Racing and Recreational Facilities District will double to $20,000 a year starting in November 2008.  State officials set up the racing district in 1955 to serve as landlord for the public site where the racetrack was built. (News-Journal)

March 27, 2005

Daytona Speedway Pepsi 400 Schedule Change: Daytona International Speedway has changed some of its starting times for this summer's Pepsi 400 racing weekend.  The starting times for Winn-Dixie 250 Busch Series time trials and Pepsi 400 pole qualifying will be early afternoon on Friday, July 1. The Busch cars will take to the 2.5-mile tri-oval first at 1:45 p.m., followed by Nextel Cup Series competitors at 4:40 p.m.  It will be a busy day of racing with the fourth annual Winn-Dixie 250 rounding out the action. The 100-lap race will start at 8 p.m. on July 1. (News-Journal)

Feb. 19, 2005

Fan Injured after race Friday Night: A race fan was injured late Friday night when a transporter ran over him as it was leaving the track.  The truck was leaving the infield after Friday night's race at Daytona International Speedway when a golf cart cut in front of it. The driver of the cart lost control, hit a bump and a passenger was ejected. The truck then ran over the male fan, Matthew Jensen of St. Petersburg, Daytona spokesman David Talley said.  Jensen was transported to Halifax Medical Center, where he underwent surgery Friday night and was in intensive care Saturday, Talley said.  Also, another unidentified male fan died of a heart attack in an offsite parking lot, Talley said. (JacksonSun)

Feb. 17, 2005

Daytona May not Receive Tax Break: Gov. Jeb Bush said Wednesday he's not sure whether Florida's sports teams or enterprises should receive tax breaks from the state. The Florida Marlins want $60 million to help build a new baseball stadium near downtown Miami, the Orlando Magic are looking for similar assistance to renovate their arena or build a new one and Daytona Beach is asking for $75 million for a NASCAR Hall of Fame complex. Bush said the requests create a dilemma because the teams spur economic development, but he wonders if they deserve tax dollars. (Polk Online)

Feb. 14, 2005

Small Crowd on Hand for Sunday: Qualifying for NASCAR's premier event drew a lackluster crowd of maybe 15,000 yesterday, but it didn't surprise pole-sitter Dale Jarrett. "Unless I missed something, watching those cars go around two laps at a time wasn't that exciting," he said. "As Speedweeks go on, we'll have plenty of people here. Just saying we'll have qualifying, there's a lot of other things people would rather do than just sit there, what, six or eight hours. I watched three basketball games and a golf tournament while it was going on." Jarrett was kidding; the pole session took about three hours to complete. (TimesDispatch)

Feb. 11, 2005

Hotels Unlikely to Reopen In Time: Few people will be more upset during the Daytona 500 than Stacy Martin. Hurricane Frances parked for 23 hours over the Daytona Beach hotel she manages and ripped off the roof, tore out windows and turned the inside into a soggy mess. The Shores Resort & Spa's 212 rooms will be closed for the race, leaving Martin in the middle of a $20 million renovation project with little to do except total her losses. ``When I think about all the people in town, I cry,'' Martin said Thursday, as workers repaired the roof. ``I don't know how much we've lost, but I know it's in the millions.'' Martin is among a dozen hotel managers across Daytona Beach who haven't recovered from last year's hurricanes. Officials estimate that 1,700 - about 13 percent - of the 13,000 rooms in the Daytona Beach area are out of commission, and a large portion are the most desirable and expensive waterfront rooms. (Tampa Tribune)

Daytona 500 Could be Biggest Ever: Fox drops the green flag at the Daytona 500 on Sunday, and the bet here is that its broadcast will top NBC's 10.6 national rating for last year's race. The 2004 Daytona 500 was seen by 33.5 million viewers, the second-highest TV rating since live broadcasts of the race began in 1979. Such impressive numbers reinforce NASCAR's emergence as one of the nation's Big Four sports. The last time a hockey game drew similar ratings in the States was Canada's victory over the U.S. in the Olympic gold-medal game at Salt Lake City in 2002. That game drew a 10.7 national rating on NBC, making it the highest-rated hockey game on American television since the 1980 Lake Placid Games. (CNNSI)

Mickey and Disney Kicks off Season: Mickey and his friends will help NASCAR kick-off the Daytona 500 on Sunday, February 20, 2005 at the Daytona International Speedway in Florida. "Race Across America" is this year's theme, as Disney Consumer Products -- for the second year in a row -- will create a comprehensive racing-themed merchandising program to be showcased at several upcoming NASCAR events. Merchandise ranging from apparel to die-cast replica cars will feature Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald, Daisy, Goofy and Big Bad Wolf, and the merchandise will be sold at special Disney-themed stores throughout NASCAR events.  "After witnessing the frenzy over Disney merchandise at last year's Daytona 500, we knew we wanted to share the Disney magic across multiple NASCAR events this year," said Andy Mooney, chairman of Disney Consumer Products Worldwide. "We developed merchandise that not only showcased Disney's wonderful characters, but also truly connected with racing fans."  (BusinessWire)

Feb. 8, 2005::

Checkers Joins ISC as Official Driver-Thru Burger of ISC tracks: Checkers Drive-In Restaurants, Inc. (Nasdaq: CHKR), the nation's largest double drive-thru chain, today announced that it has signed on as the Official Drive-Thru and Official Burger of NASCAR®. The double drive-thru chain also announced today that it is the Official Drive-Thru and Official Burger of several International Speedway Corporation (Nasdaq: ISCA)("ISC") facilities, including Daytona International Speedway, home to the Daytona 500, and other motor sports venues that host the most popular NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series races. ..."Checkers Drive-In Restaurants is proud to announce our partnerships with NASCAR and International Speedway Corporation," said Mr. Sirois. "We expect NASCAR and our overall motor sports relationship to elevate the brand in such a way as to promote unit growth, sales growth and interest with other critical stakeholders in our business. It is clear to us that NASCAR, along with our many track sponsorships, will provide the platform we need to grow our brand, as it deserves to be grown, in the years ahead." He continued: "Our current franchise community overwhelmingly supported and approved the funding for this exciting initiative. We value this support and look forward to expanding our community over the next several years."  (ISC PR)

American Iraqi War Soldiers part of pre-race:  When driver John Andretti traveled to the Middle East for seven days in December, he met and spent time with sailors from a number of different U.S. Navy vessels.  Now, they are returning the favor. Over 50 crew and their families from the U.S.S. Hue-City will take part in holding American flags during pre-race ceremonies Sunday in the Daytona 500. Their attendance was arranged by Andretti through Daytona International Speedway and with the cooperation of Victory Brand, whose VB brand sponsors Andretti's #14 VB/APlus At Sunoco Ford. "I think it's great that these guys and their families will be with us Sunday," Andretti said. "They have given so much to us, I'm glad we can celebrate their return." (DIS PR)

Daytona Grandstands Sold-out, Infield still available: Grandstand seats for the 47th annual Daytona 500 on Sunday, Feb. 20 at historic Daytona International Speedway are sold out, Speedway officials announced today. While the grandstand seats have been sold, fans can still purchase infield tickets for "The Great American Race" - the kickoff to the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series season. "We're happy to announce that the Daytona 500 is sold out," Speedway President Robin Braig said. "The fans, those in attendance and the millions more watching on FOX or listening on MRN Radio Network, continue to validate the Daytona 500 as the premier motorsports event in the world." The Daytona 500, which boasts a purse of more than $17 million, is the biggest, richest and most prestigious race in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series.

Daytona 500 Purse Reaches 17 Million:  The 47th annual Daytona 500 on Sunday, Feb. 20, NASCAR's biggest and most prestigious event of the year, will carry the biggest purse in the history of stock car racing at more than $17 million.  The post awards for the "The Great American Race" on Sunday, Feb. 20 will be $17,623,980, an increase of nearly $2 million. The posted awards for the 2004 Daytona 500, which was won by Dale Earnhardt Jr., was $15,972,313.  The winner of this year's Daytona 500 will collect a minimum of $1,430,030. The second, third, fourth and fifth-place finishers in the Daytona 500 will receive a minimum of $1,029,425, $736,625, $584,750 and $456,875 respectively.  Even the last-place finisher in the Daytona 500 will be rewarded with a minimum of $219,931. (DIS PR)

Feb. 3, 2005: