NYC Track News
Proposed New York City NASCAR Track
June 13, 2007
NASCAR eyeing speedway site in New Jersey? Executives for International Speedway Corp. -- the leading NASCAR track builder -- held "informal preliminary discussions" recently with New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority Chairman Carl Goldberg, according to three sources familiar with the discussions. Goldberg and an ISC spokesman would not comment about the talks Tuesday. But details of the proposal already have begun to emerge: a 1.25-mile oval speedway to be constructed in a concentric ring around The Meadowlands Racetrack, the complex's horse racing facility. The sources said the track would fit into the site, even with the just-started construction of a $1.4 billion Giants/Jets football stadium between Giants Stadium and the racetrack. (NorthJersey.com)
July 18, 2006
ISC helps repair little league field: NASCAR is riding to the rescue of the Staten Island Little League, after venerable Hy Turkin Field was torn up from home plate to the outfield in a sickening episode of vehicular vandalism earlier this week. Michael Printup of International Speedway Corp., which seeks to build an 80,000-seat racetrack in Bloomfield, arranged a corporate donation of 500 square feet of sod and some 18 cubic yards of clean fill to make the Dongan Hills field playable again. The work will be done today and tomorrow. Printup, who coaches in the South Shore Little League, said he wanted to help as soon as he read the distressing details in Wednesday's Advance. (Staten Island Advance
July 8, 2006
Earliest possible NW & NYC race 2011: International Speedway Corp. Chief Operating Officer John Saunders said Thursday that the earliest a track could open in New York City or Seattle likely will be 2011. Talking with financial analysts to discuss the company's earnings, Saunders said the slow-moving process in trying to get the political backing necessary to earn governmental approvals have delayed the projects. (SceneDaily)
June 30, 2006
B. France says, WA. and NYC has yet to realize impact of sport: "This is the most undercovered sport in the country," France said. "Week in and week out until the fall, we're usually the largest sporting event in the country. You just wouldn't know it by looking at a lot of media outlets. "We're really going to look at ways to get this sport the proper coverage and to change some hearts and minds." (NASCAR)
May 12, 2006:
ISC's France ask SI to keep it a democratic process: International Speedway Corp. has asked New York City Council members from Staten Island to avoid a "rush to judgment" over its proposed three-quarter mile race track in the borough. Staten Island representatives James Oddo and Andrew Lanza sent a letter May 8 to ISC board members that emphasized their strong opposition to the Proposal, and ISC President Lesa France Kennedy responded in a May 11 letter, stating that ISC wants to continue the public hearing process. The first public hearing was halted because of an unruly crowd April 27. "Despite strong rhetoric in your letter, the process remains alive, and there is a long way to go before anything is decided," Kennedy wrote. "Any attempt to sever the democratic process would be unfair and send a chilling signal to any company seeking to do business on Staten Island." (NASCAR Scene Daily)
May 11, 2006:
All three S.I. Councilmember's against ISC proposal: All three Staten Island Council members banded yesterday against a plan to build a NASCAR track on a former oil tank farm near the Goethals Bridge. Their united front could signal a flag of doom for the project, which would require City Council approval. Generally, the rest of the Council heeds the wishes of the affected borough's delegation. Democrat Michael McMahon announced yesterday that he wouldn't vote for the track and called it "finished." His two Republican colleagues - James Oddo and Andrew Lanza - also oppose the project. Meanwhile, Council Speaker Christine Quinn (D-Manhattan) sent Mayor Bloomberg a letter urging him to take a closer look at the controversial NASCAR track proposal. But the project's lobbyist, Guy Molinari, insisted the $500 million plan to build a NASCAR track and a shopping plaza will move forward. "We want to take our case to the people," said Molinari, Staten Island's Republican kingmaker during long stints as borough president and a congressman. (New York Daily)
May 7, 2006:
NASCAR NYC Speedway operation shuffle: A shakeup is expected in NASCAR's New York City Speedway operation, in the wake of last week's brouhaha at a Staten Island town-hall meeting. Some New York media are already writing off NASCAR's Staten Island track plans. Certainly the contentious - and televised - meeting dealt a major setback to NASCAR's New York City plans. (Salem-Journal)
April 28, 2006:
NYC NASCAR track meeting canceled after police break up unruly residents: A public hearing Thursday night about bringing NASCAR racing to Staten Island erupted into an all out shouting match. Some residents started shoving and yelling during the meeting. The debate surrounds whether to build an 82,000 seat racetrack near the Goethals Bridge. When supporters of the plan and critics clashed in the aisles of the auditorium at the Patrides Educational Complex. City Councilman Andrew Lanza drew the jeers of NASCAR supporters. He's concerned about the planned racetrack drawing a traffic nightmare to Staten Island. Lanza: "As soon as I voiced that concern, it got ugly in there." The meeting was shut down just about 40 minutes in and the raucous crowd of about 900 were forced police to bring in reinforcements. And members of the Department of City Planning gave up. "We've been informed by police that there is a public safety issue in the auditorium," a spokesperson said. (WABC.com)
April 26, 2006:
Battle lines drawn, meeting set for NYC Speedway Proposal: Tomorrow's public NASCAR hearing could be the most contentious meeting on Staten Island in decades, Borough President James Molinaro said yesterday. Speaking after the Staten Island Economic Development Corp.'s annual business conference, Molinaro urged Islanders attending the hearing on the proposed racetrack to treat each other with restraint and respect. The Department of City Planning is seeking public response to International Speedway Corp.'s bid to put an 80,000-seat complex in Bloomfield. The NASCAR plan is faulted by foes as a potential traffic nightmare and a hazard to the environment. This will be the most controversial meeting that ever took place since South Richmond, Molinaro said, referring to a failed plan in the 1960s and 1970s to create a new city of South Richmond, with 200,000 to 400,000 people living south of Bay Terrace. Conduct yourselves like Staten Islanders, Molinaro urged about the NASCAR hearing. Let's show all of New York City that we're special people on Staten Island. We respect other persons' rights to have an opinion. Tomorrow's public meeting -- which is being held at 6 p.m. in the Petrides Educational Complex in Sunnyside -- is expected to last for several hours. City officials announced yesterday that they're planning a second public hearing sometime in June. (Staten Island Advance)
March 24, 2006:
More opposition to NYC track: A proposed Nascar racetrack on Staten Island has split New York's smallest borough and is the dominant topic of discussion at community board meetings. At the monthly meeting of the pro-Nascar Mariners Harbor Civic Association, Mayor Bloomberg was asked for his opinion. Although he said he agrees that the racetrack would boost business, Mr. Bloomberg said that before signing on, he would have to know how the traffic situation would be handled. "That's a very big problem," he said. Earlier in the week, the South Beach Civic Association voted unanimously to oppose the track after hearing from the president of Staten Island Citizens Against the Track, Ronald Lauria. "There's 457,000 people on Staten Island and 267,000 cars. That's a higher concentration than any other borough," he said. Additional opposition to the Nascar project, which would be the largest stadium in the city, is coming from residents concerned about the environmental impact on Staten Island, which has a number of protected wetlands in the surrounding area. The expected noise levels of track events are also an issue. (New York Sun)
March 10, 2006:
NYC Mayor Bloomberg supports NASCAR track over other businesses: Mayor Michael Bloomberg yesterday spoke favorably of NASCAR as a potential economic boost for the city and for the first time expressed concern about what type of business might move onto its proposed site in Bloomfield if the racetrack is not built there. "There are other uses for that land which may create worse traffic jams than the three weekends a year NASCAR wants to do," Bloomberg told reporters yesterday after marching in the Staten Island St. Patrick's Parade. In some of his most expansive comments yet on the proposed 80,000-seat track, Bloomberg called NASCAR "one of the most popular sports in this country." But the mayor said he has yet to be convinced that the Island's roads could accommodate the traffic that the racetrack would generate. "I like the idea that someone is willing to invest in New York City. (Staten Island Advance)
Feb. 24, 2006:
NASCAR addresses NYC Staten Island traffic concerns: International Speedway has been addressing fears of residents who see the track as an unwelcome burden to their already traffic-laden roadways. Project manager Michael Printup, who bought a house in the island's Tottenville neighborhood when he took over the job, gives as many as three presentations a day to local groups. `Mistruths' ``There are a lot of mistruths out there, like eight race weekends a year or 80,000 people driving their cars,'' says Printup. ``We're not doing that.'' The proposed plan would allow 8,400 cars to park at the site. The bulk of fans would arrive via 643 buses or 83 ferries, all rented from private companies for use on race weekends, from remote park-and-ride and park-and-sail sites. Some officials say such plans don't go far enough. ``There's no thought or concern about how Staten Islanders will get around,'' says Michael McMahon, one of three members of the New York City Council from the borough who have expressed skepticism about the plan. Council approval is needed for zoning changes required to build the speedway. City Council Speaker Christine Quinn said last month it was ``too early at this point to say whether the project will or won't happen,'' the Staten Island Advance reported. ``Obviously, in the council we are very respectful of the local members' feelings on issues,'' she was quoted as saying. ``That said, it's not a litmus test.'' (Bloomberg)
Oct. 18, 2005:
Group gets behind NASCAR NYC track: The Mariners Harbor Civic Association threw its support behind the proposed NASCAR track on Staten Island last night at a meeting attended by about one-fifth of its membership. After hearing a presentation from track developer International Speedway Corp., the group voted 17-5, with one abstention, to support the raceway plan. With the vote, the group -- which numbers 121 members in total -- became the first major civic association to give its public backing to ISC's plan to build an 80,000-seat track in Bloomfield, on the Island's West Shore. "We've said from the beginning of this project that we believe we have a thoughtful, workable plan and that we are simply asking for the opportunity to share the details with the community," said ISC lobbyist and former borough president Guy Molinari in a statement. "We are proud to have earned the backing of such key civic leaders -- especially those who live in the neighborhood closest to the proposed track -- and look forward to continuing to keep them and their neighbors informed." But one dissenting member, Mariners Harbor resident Betty Price, questioned whether the low turnout could possibly be decisive on such a crucial proposal. (Staten Island Advance)
Oct. 5, 2005:
Speedway tax could help improve roads: The backers of a NASCAR track on Staten Island want a new state law requiring that part of the taxes from its proposed speedway be spent on improving the borough's stuffed-to-the-gills roadways. International Speedway Corp., which wants to build an 80,000-seat NASCAR stadium in Bloomfield, has suggested creating what it calls a "transportation improvement district" for the race track -- essentially locking part of the tax money the site would generate into a fund for Island transportation and infrastructure projects. The idea is still in its infancy, though, and the company is still exploring if it's legally possible, said Michael Printup, ISC director of corporate development and the proposed track's project manager. Printup sent a letter to borough elected officials on Monday, explaining the district and how it might work, that it would have to be proposed as a law, and approved by the state legislature, the governor, the City Council and the mayor. (Staten Island Advance)
Aug 16, 2005
N.Y. Senator supports NYC track only if Watkins Glen stay on NEXTEL Cup schedule: Sen. Charles Schumer may be looking for a little NASCAR quid pro quo. At a forum in upstate Montour Falls, the Democrat talked tough about a proposed NASCAR track on Staten Island, saying he would support a track here only if the racing league promises not to mess with the schedule at the Watkins Glen International Speedway in the Finger Lakes area. "They won't get it, unless they sign in blood that the Watkins Glen track stays open and stays in the Nextel circuit," Schumer said at the Friday forum, as reported by The Corning Leader newspaper. But Schumer's staff tried to soften that impression yesterday, with his press secretary saying Schumer's comments remained "pretty consistent" with his wait-and-see approach to the Staten Island track. Meanwhile, track supporters here said the senator's Watkins Glen condition is somewhat perplexing. "I'm surprised he would make that statement, because it's unreasonable," said Guy Molinari, the former borough president and a paid lobbyist for track developer International Speedway Corp. "I don't think [NASCAR's] prepared to say which track or tracks would be adversely affected." (Staten Island Advance)
Aug 8, 2005
ISC hires NYC contractor: Bovis Lend Lease -- which was the prime contractor for the Richmond County Bank Ballpark in St. George -- has been hired by developer International Speedway Corp. to help with environmental cleanup on the site of the proposed raceway, according to Michael Printup, ISC's project manager. But Bovis will likely end up doing more than that. "Eventually -- and I'm going to be positive -- when we get approvals, they will most likely be the company working on the ultimate big project," Printup said. Bovis likely will assist ISC's architects when they design the proposed 80,000-seat racetrack in Bloomfield, Printup said. "What we have to do, no matter what, is we have to design the place," Printup said. "We've got to be ready." Bovis, a New York-based subsidiary of Australia real estate giant Lend Lease Corp., has worked with both ISC and its development partner, The Related Companies, on past projects. (SI Live)
Aug 2, 2005
NY State Attorney General favors NASCAR NYC Track: State Attorney Gen. Eliot Spitzer, a longtime NASCAR fan, is "absolutely" open to supporting a racetrack on Staten Island's West Shore. Spitzer, a Manhattan Democrat widely seen as the favorite in next year's gubernatorial election, revealed his affinity for racing during a roundtable interview with reporters in the state Capitol yesterday. "Trying to put aside the fact that I've been a NASCAR fan for 20 years, I'm by and large predisposed to see it as an opportunity for economic growth -- not only in Staten Island but the city -- and to draw a major fan base of the sport to the city," Spitzer told reporters. But Spitzer said the proposed 85,000-seat stadium must be approached with "regard to the environmental and economic impact on Staten Island." He has met with some Island leaders, he said, to learn "what the concerns are and what could be done to make sure the economic benefits are not just limited to the track but actually go further out into the community." Asked what turned him on to the sport, Spitzer noted that his wife, Silda Wall, hails from North Carolina, a NASCAR hotbed. It turns out that her brother works for Hedrick Motorsports, the team that provides engineering and pit-crew assistance services for NASCAR star Jeff Gordon. (SILive)
July 31, 2005
NYC Speedway Site still contaminated: Petroleum cleanup work has wrapped up at the proposed NASCAR site in Bloomfield, but the track's developers now have to deal with more contaminants discovered on the property. Recent soil samples at the former GATX oil tank farm -- where International Speedway Corp. hopes to build an 80,000-seat auto race track -- have revealed lead and "volatile organic compounds" typically found in petroleum products, according to state officials. Other tests reveal potentially explosive levels of methane trapped in the soil in some locations on the property, according to an environmental consultant for ISC. The areas contaminated with lead and BTEX will be excavated by the current property owner and removed from the site, then disposed of at a state-approved hazardous waste disposal facility, Ms. Wren said. Regarding the methane on the property, Rockaway-based EcolSciences, Inc., a consultant for ISC, identified high levels of the gas trapped in the soil in 10 separate spots on the site in a March report filed with the state. That includes four locations on the property's eastern tankfield where the levels far exceeded what's called "lower explosive limit" of the gas. (Staten Island Advance)
July 17, 2005
Speedway will have positive effect on property value: The developers of a proposed NASCAR track on Staten Island yesterday challenged claims made last week by New Jersey real estate agent Tom Adkins that a speedway would tank borough property values. "He's absolutely incorrect," said Michael Printup, Staten Island project manager for International Speedway Corp. Houses across from the California Speedway in the Los Angeles area doubled in value after that speedway was built in 1997, Printup said, while in Kansas, retail and residential development have thrived around ISC's track. "You've got this great appreciation of these housing tracts, and then the housing that was built up around California Speedway after it was built was just amazing," Printup said. (Staten Island Advance)
July 13, 2005
More on NASCAR NYC Ferry Controversy: That's the message Staten Island officials are sending to NASCAR, which wants to develop an 80,000-seat racing track on the West Shore - and use the Staten Island ferry to shuttle people there. "This is not the love boat and it's not a cruise ship," fumed City Councilman Andrew Lanza (R-Staten Island) who accused NASCAR of trying to "hijack" the boats. "This is the boat that people depend on to get to work ... get your own ferries," he said. To keep cars off the clogged roadways, NASCAR is talking to city Transportation Department officials about shuttling in 30,000 ticketholders on the Staten Island ferry from Manhattan to a new stop the developers would build near the racetrack. The boats would only be used on the three racing weekends per year. "We thought it would be a great way to move a mass amount of people," said International Speedway Corp. project manager Michael Printup, who added the idea was Mayor Bloomberg's. "Bloomberg suggested, 'Why don't you look at the ferries?' We didn't think about it until they mentioned it," he said. That news came as a slap in the face to some elected officials. "I think [the mayor's] out of touch with reality and what's involved with the ferry," charged Councilman Michael McMahon (D-North Shore). (NY Newsday)
July 11, 2005
NYC Council members say No to Ferry Shuttling Fans: Two of the borough's three councilmen say the city should spurn overtures by NASCAR track developers to use Staten Island ferryboats as mega-shuttles to the proposed speedway here. The third is uncertain about the idea. International Speedway Corp. -- which wants to build an 85,000-seat NASCAR track on nearly 700 acres of industrial land on the West Shore -- has started talking with the city Department of Transportation to see if it can charter out-of-service Staten Island ferryboats on race weekends to handle fans. "At this point, it's an absolute insult that, after all this time, they're going to suggest borrowing the Staten Island Ferry. No way!" said Councilman Andrew Lanza (R-South Shore). (Staten Island Advance)
May 26 2005
NYC Lobbyist Makes the Money, Including NASCAR Lobbyist: New York City's registered lobbyists raked in $33.6 million last year, roughly a third more than what they took in the year before. City records released yesterday further solidify the notion that both not-for-profit organizations and mega corporations are driving the cottage industry of lobbying powerbrokers in the five boroughs to new heights. (According to GNEXT Records NYC NASCAR lobbyist Guy Molinari's earning an estimated $15,000 a month) (TheSun)
May 21, 2005
Indian Burial Ground at NYC NASCAR Site: A group of anthropologists have discovered artifacts possibly dating back to 10,000 B.C. at the site of a planned NASCAR track on Staten Island. The International Speedway Corporation was hoping to build an 80,000-seat race track on land in Bloomfield that has been used as an above-ground oil tank farm for more than 70 years. The City Council has yet to vote on the proposal. The president of the New York Institute of Anthropology says the site was once a village and home to Lenape Indian burial grounds. "What we are opposed to is the destruction of the evidence," said Edward J. Platt of the New York Institute of Anthropology. "We want the evidence retrieved and preserved -- not for us, but for future generations -- to learn from and appreciate." The ISC has reportedly told anthropologists that they are concerned about preserving the site and that they are willing to cooperate. The two groups are expected to meet in the next couple of weeks.(NY1)
May 8, 2005
Environmental Group, NYC NASCAR Track: The backers of a proposed NASCAR track here say they only plan to use a dozen of the nearly 250 acres of wetlands sitting on their West Shore property, leaving the rest as a nature preserve and bird-watching area. Even so, city environmental groups aren't ready to give the track plan a green light -- or a red one. "We're cautiously negative, but we would be willing and eager to explore how to make the project have less of an environmental impact," said David Burg, president of the Manhattan-based WildMetro. Burg said he'd like to see even less of an impact on the property than International Speedway Corp. (ISC) predicts. Two other groups -- the New York City Audubon Society and the Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance -- saw a presentation about the track by ISC officials last month, but they're not ready to take a position. (SILive)
March 23, 2005
ISC Plans in NYC: NASCAR's New York speedway plans are becoming clearer. The France family's International Speedway Corp., is planning a three-quarter-mile track, similar in style to Richmond's, on Staten Island. ISC said that it would bring the expected 95,000 race-day fans to the track on a fleet of 950 buses and 100 ferries, from 16 parking lots around the city. (Winston Salem-Journal)
