NASCAR Proposed Washington/Oregon Speedway Past News II

July 28, 2005

ISC hold town hall meeting for proposed WA. track: Florida-based racetrack developer International Speedway Corp. representatives mingled with Kitsap County residents last night at a meeting designed to convince them a NASCAR track would be a boon to the Bremerton area. Several hundred residents helped themselves to refreshments and entered a raffle in the commons at South Kitsap High School. Company bigwigs were available to answer questions about the 80,000-seat track they want to build on 900 acres near the Bremerton Airport. They offered assurances International Speedway Corp. (ISC) would work to reduce noise and minimize the track's impact on the environment, but they didn't offer many details. They still have not said how much public money they are expecting for the track, which they estimate will cost more than $250 million. The meeting had been planned for months, ISC officials said, but it came at a good time for the project. The State Patrol is investigating whether a Kitsap County traffic planner may have broken state public-records laws in an effort to keep the NASCAR proposal secret. In addition, a community group recently sued the Kitsap County Commission over meetings they held before ISC chose the Kitsap County site for a racetrack. (Seattle Times)

July 27, 2005

Proposed WA. Speedway Town Meeting Tonight: Ardent supporters of NASCAR and those opposed to a proposed racetrack locating in south Kitsap County can find out more specific information on the project this evening.  Representatives from the International Speedway Corp. will host an open house in the commons area at South Kitsap High, from 5 to 8 p.m. tonight. The high school is located in Port Orchard, 425 Mitchell Ave. ISC officials will have several different stations set up at the high school outlining different aspects of the project. The meeting also will be the public's first opportunity to comment to the speedway officials about the proposal. (Kitsap Sun)

July 25, 2005

NASCAR Lobbying hard for WA. Track:  International Speedway Corp. has intensified its courting of Washington state lawmakers as it gears up for a second attempt to build a NASCAR racetrack in the state.  Between December 2004 and April, three Olympia lobbyists met at least 81 times with lawmakers on behalf of the racetrack company, according to a review of lobbyist expense reports filed with the Public Disclosure Commission. That was more than five times the number of meetings between February and November 2004 during the period when a Northwest location or the Marysville site were being discussed, the reports show. For all its efforts in the state so far, ISC has spent a total of $151,000 on lobbying in Washington, including lobbyist compensation and entertainment expenses. The more recent meetings took place mostly over meals in and around Olympia, at restaurants ranging from Outback Steakhouse to the more highbrow Jean-Pierre's Restaurant in Tumwater, where the dinner menu includes such entrees as New Zealand spring lamb chops and fresh king salmon topped with melted French brie. The lobbyists met with lawmakers individually and in groups, and submitted meal expenses ranging from $6 to $400. The lobbyist expense reports also shed new light on the speedway company's wooing of state officials and legislators last year, when ISC first began looking to build a racetrack in Washington. State lawmakers took trips around the country to some of auto racing's premier events. Lt. Gov. Brad Owen, for instance, had the good fortune of sitting in the owner's box the day President George W. Bush visited the Daytona International Speedway in Florida. (Much More Seattle Business Times/MSNBC.com)

WA. track will create economic boom: If Kitsap County and Washington state decide to invest public funds in a proposed 80,000-seat racetrack, it will be because officials and the public perceive a corresponding benefit to having the track locate here. Both local officials and the public will demand more benefit than simply easy access to watching a NASCAR race live. Stock car racing may be the nation's second-most popular spectator sport, but if the only benefit of the track is to NASCAR fans, local and state taxpayers would never agree to invest millions in public dollars toward the project.  Only if the track offers clear economic benefits will the county be willing to compromise its relatively tranquil lifestyle to welcome such a project. But how much economic impact the track could have has still not been clearly defined. A $25,000 study completed in May 2004 by track proponents suggested that fans would spend between $66 to $98 million in Washington state during two major race weekends, and one weekend with a smaller regional race. ALL Interested WASHINGTON residents a Open House International Speedway Corp. will host an open house to let the public learn more about the proposed South Kitsap speedway project from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday at South Kitsap High School. (Much More at Kitsap Sun)

July 24, 2005

WA. Track face State hurdles: International Speedway Corp. wants state money to help build a proposed $250 million racetrack in Kitsap County. State Treasurer Mike Murphy is opposed. "If one were to list the various priorities that the state should be funding, that one would not make the first page for me," Murphy said. "They are wanting a handout," he told the Kitsap Sun newspaper for Sunday editions. "We have more important things to be spending money on. The budgetary drain on the state for that type of facility basically says we won't be doing something else, because there are a limited amount of dollars." The state had a $1.6 billion budget deficit this year, a shortfall that was covered through about $500 million in new taxes on alcohol, cigarettes and inheritances. The Legislature will likely face another shortfall when it addresses the budget for 2007. Florida-based ISC has hired a veteran team of attorneys and lobbyists to help win over legislators. Among the team are Jay Reich, a bond attorney involved in the Seattle Mariners and Seahawks stadium deals, and Gogerty Stark Marriott, a political strategy firm that helped win support for those projects. (Seattle-Post)

July 22, 2005

Official: Speedway won't shut down Air traffic: A high-level racetrack official has told local pilots that a proposed track south of Bremerton National Airport would not shut down air traffic despite federal rules that seem to indicate otherwise. Pilots are concerned that a proposed 80,000-seat NASCAR track near the airport would trigger federal flight restrictions put in place after September 11th that could close the regional airport during busy summer race days, stopping flights and hindering local businesses.   On the other hand, an airport official said, the track could be a boon to local businesses. Grant Lynch, vice president for International Speedway Corp., which has proposed building the track just south of the airport, met with a few members of the Bremerton Pilot and Tenants Association and airport officials this week in what was described as an informal fact-finding mission. Lynch said records from other airports near racetracks continue to operate during races. "What changes is the safe zone above the facility itself," he said in the interview before the meeting. "But the airport itself goes about its operations." (Kitsap Sun)

July 20, 2005

Speedway and Airport to work together in WA.: While International Speedway Corp. (ISC) keeps the entire county waiting in anticipation of its racetrack proposal, the issues surrounding the Bremerton National Airport could become a key part of the decision. “Since we haven’t seen the proposal, we don’t know whether it will be a good deal or a bad deal,” said Port of Bremerton Commissioner Bill Mahan. “As for the airport, it depends on what the proposal says. If it requires a local business to shut down for a month, then we would take a serious look as to whether we would support it or not.” North Kitsap County Commissioner Chris Endresen also has said that she would not support the NASCAR track if it had a negative effect on the airport’s growth. According to ISC spokesman Stann Tate, it will be several months before the  company submits its proposal.  With respect to the airport, the most important issue is the proximity of the grandstands to the runways. Federal Aviation Administration regulations established after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks required airports within a certain distance of a large public assembly to close down during that event. Fred Salisbury, director of airport and industrial operations, said that two major racing days a year would not cause a great inconvenience. A NASCAR facility also usually increases airport traffic and business considerably — even with the imposition of some blackout times. The practice of establishing Temporary Flight Restrictions existed prior to Sept. 11 but has been refined since then. A TFR represents an area three miles and 3,000 feet from the event, through which no planes are permitted from one hour before to one hour after the event. TFRs are established according to the event’s expected attendance. The FAA does not disclose the level at which it establishes a restriction. (In part from The Reporter)

July 15, 2005

Suit could stop WA track: A Kitsap County citizens group has challenged the Kitsap County Commission's April vote to allow racetracks on property a Florida speedway developer is considering for a NASCAR track. The 100-member group filed a lawsuit in Pierce County Superior Court and an appeal before the Central Puget Sound Growth Management Hearings Board on Wednesday. It wants the April decision overturned and the council's vote ruled illegal. County officials say the commission voted in November 2003 to allow racetracks near the Bremerton National Airport, well before the International Speedway Corporation (ISC) had expressed interest in building an 80,000-seat NASCAR track on the property. But because of a clerical error, racetracks never made it into the county code. The residents who sued — Kitsap Citizens for Responsible Planning — say the county violated state laws requiring a chance for public comment. They say the commission never made it clear in the November 2003 meeting that they were discussing racetracks. "There was no public process whatsoever about this zoning-code amendment," said Charlie Burrow, president of the citizens group. At the April meeting, residents who showed up to testify against allowing racetracks on the land were told their comments were "beyond the scope" of what was being considered that day, said Tom Donnelly, a member of the citizens group. (Seattle Times)

July 13, 2005

WA. Attorney General to start Investigation: The Washington State Attorney General’s office will dispatch two detectives from the State Patrol to investigate charges that a Kitsap County employee violated public records law and failed to retain copies of certain documents while working to recruit the proposed NASCAR track. While Kitsap County Senior Deputy Prosecutor Tim Drury said everything surrounding the case is “complete conjecture,” the investigation could be completed in a few weeks. The investigation results from an alleged incident that occurred 18 months ago, in which county employees purportedly failed to keep a copy of a map that was requested by Kitsap Economic Development Council Executive Director David Porter. Additionally, a record of the request was not properly submitted, violating certain requirements.  At the time, Porter was assembling transportation data for a proposal designed to lure the International Speedway Corp. (ISC) to Kitsap County. The completed proposal was at first unsuccessful, as ISC selected a Snohomish County site over Kitsap. (Tacoma Daily)

July 7, 2005

Kitsap County may of violated laws: Kitsap County officials may have ducked state public-records laws to try to keep negotiations about a proposed NASCAR track secret, county prosecutor Russell Hauge said yesterday. Hauge is asking the state Attorney General's Office to inquire about why some studies and other documents created by county staff were handed over to the private Kitsap Regional Economic Development Council and the International Speedway Corporation (ISC). Taking them out of the county record meant they didn't turn up when a local resident filed a request under the state Public Disclosure Act to see all documents pertaining to the proposed racetrack. "Representatives of the county may have given away work product," Hauge said. "That is a potential law violation." (Seattle Times)

July 5, 2005

WA. Speedway tax on the way? International Speedway Corp. chose a spot outside the greater Seattle area to build a $250 million NASCAR racetrack, but the company apparently is looking to tap Seattle's large population and tax base to help fund the project. The Daytona Beach, Fla.-based company announced last week it has chosen a 950-acre site in rural Kitsap County, near the Bremerton airport, for the Pacific Northwest's first NASCAR track.  ISC is keeping mum about its financing strategy, saying it is still in the early research stages. But Washington state Sen. Tim Sheldon (D-Potlatch), whose district is home to the NASCAR site, said one idea under consideration is to create a public facilities district for the track that includes not only Kitsap County but also King and Pierce counties. The public facilities district would collect a portion of sales tax revenue in all three counties to help finance the track's construction. The thinking behind this, Sheldon said, is that King and Pierce counties would benefit from the influx of out-of-state racing fans, many of them associated with NASCAR corporate sponsors, who are more likely to stay in urban centers such as Seattle and Tacoma than in more sparsely developed Kitsap County on their visits here to attend a race. (Seattle Business Journal)

July 1, 2005

Oregon promoters remain optimistic: Promoters of putting a NASCAR racetrack in this Eastern Oregon town remain optimistic, despite the recent announcement by International Speedway Corp. that a Northwest track will be built in Bremerton, Wash. "The ISC announcement was so generic and filled with lots of ifs," Jim Schilling, a member of a group trying to bring NASCAR to Boardman, told The East Oregonian. "It's subject to legislative approval, the permitting process, and they have no funding." Plans for the Bremerton track call for 80,000 seats, to be built on 950 acres south of the city's airport. (OrgeonLive)

June 25, 2005

Kitsap track certainly daytime racing: If International Speedway Corp. locates a NASCAR track in Kitsap County, the races will almost certainly be during the day, said Sue Santa, public affairs spokeswoman for the ISC. In other parts of the country, searing afternoon heat often means races are held at night.  Here, she said, with long summertime daylight and moderate temperatures, day racing would be more likely, especially since it would result in prime time TV coverage on the East Coast. A night race here would continue past bedtime in New York. Daytime racing would be better for the local economy, she said. ISC has found the average race fan spends eight hours at the track for a day race, and 14 hours for one at night, soaking up the atmosphere and taking advantage of collateral events at the track. Comments from her and other ISC officials about whether a top-line NASCAR event, those sponsored by Nextel, would be assured here ebbed and flowed at the Thursday announcement.  Santa said that, especially in the wake of the Enron scandal, ISC has to maintain an arm's length relationship with NASCAR, its sister company and with the NASCAR officials who could make that guarantee. But privately, she said, "Our corporate board wouldn't let us go this far" toward development of a Kitsap racetrack if there weren't a high likelihood of moving a Nextel date from another of its tracks to the new one. (More at  Kitsap Sun)

Residents wait anxiously about Kitsap details: Kitsap County is still waiting to hear the details of the new proposal announced Thursday. "It's a completely different set of circumstances," said ISC spokesman Stan Tate. Kitsap County residents are wary. "No one's provided folks like me with any good analysis of what it means to the county, so that leaves us all to speculate," said county resident Tom Donnelly, treasurer of Kitsap Citizens for Responsible Planning. He says there aren't enough "hotel and motel rooms, camping sites, tents and wigwams" for 80,000 track fans. "We'll get all the pollution, all the congestion and a lion's share of the cost," Donnelly said. "They'll block access to my house, and at the end of the day, I'll be poorer for it." In Gig Harbor, near Tacoma to the south, author Hank Searls worries about area roads. "Not being a NASCAR fan, I don't really feel much empathy to the project," he said. "But substantially, my objection is that it will overtax an already highly taxed highway system." Says Earl Sande, who owns 10 acres that border the site: "I never have been a NASCAR fan, but I could be." In the community of Belfair in nearby Mason County, the track could add to many "exciting things on the horizon," said Don Atkinson, executive director of the North Mason Chamber of Commerce. (Olympian)

June 24, 2005

Officials want more details on Kitsap Track: A proposed $250 million NASCAR racetrack would be the economic boon that Kitsap County has tried to lure for decades, say proponents, but elected officials are taking a wait-and-see approach before making a decision. That's how several Kitsap movers and shakers reacted Thursday to an announcement by International Speedway Corp. that it intends to build an 80,000-seat track on 950 acres south of Bremerton National airport.  "This will transform the community," said David Porter, executive director of the Kitsap Economic Development Council and part of a group of county business leaders who have worked to woo ISC officials to build a racetrack here. However, local government officials are waiting for more detailed information on ISC's proposal. Specifically, they want to know what type of financing ISC will ask for from local and state agencies to build the stadium and fund local infrastructure needs like transportation and sewer upgrades. "I feel an obligation to make sure that our taxpayer dollars are being used efficiently and effectively," said state Rep. Derek Kilmer, D-Gig Harbor, who represents the 26th District. "And so even though we're not Missouri, we still need to be the 'show-me' state on this. We need to see what the potential benefit will be." (Kitsap Sun)

June 23, 2005

NASCAR NW track in Kitsap county: South Kitsap County is the preferred spot for a NASCAR racetrack, the Kitsap Sun learned Wednesday. Racetrack developer and promoter International Speedway Corp. will announce this morning that it intends to build an 80,000-seat track south of the Bremerton National Airport.  The ISC released some details of the proposal early to the Kitsap Sun on Wednesday afternoon but did not release information on a financing package or naming rights. The proposed track would be 7/8 mile to 1.2 miles, surrounded by parking and camping areas on 950 acres near Lake Flora Road and Highway 3, along the Kitsap-Mason county line. The announcement could mark an end to a nearly two-year Northwest track site search that included the announcement of a preferred spot in Snohomish County last September. That deal fell apart two months later. Today's announcement is the beginning of what is expected to be a long process. The company must gain acceptance from the Legislature and go through the permitting process in Kitsap County before construction can start in 2007 or 2008. And the company will have to answer many questions from the public and commissioners. Today's Announcement Puts Openning in 2010. (Kitsap Sun) (After Snohomish 'Debacle,' Builders Back on Track) The Numbers: Acres: 950 Seats: 80,000,  Length of track: 7/8 mile to 1.2 miles, Buildings expected on site: 40, Proposed first season: Summer 2010, Major race weekends: Three a year, Season ticket price: $190 and up, Out-of-staters expected at racing events: 60 percent (Source: International Speedway Corp.) (image)

May 23, 2005

Kitsap County home of NW NASCAR Track? With Kitsap County back in the headlines as a leading contender for a NASCAR track in the Northwest, new documents are shedding light on how the county proposes to accommodate the thousands of racing fans who might flood the region if a track is built there. A 62-page proposal prepared last spring by the Kitsap Regional Economic Development Council, obtained by Puget Sound Business Journal, details various scenarios about how the area could absorb the huge traffic inflows that a NASCAR race would generate.  The document, which until now has been kept under wraps, also reveals the extent to which local government officials were actively campaigning for the project a year ago. The NASCAR track site is on a wooded, 2,100-acre tract near Bremerton National Airport, about eight miles southwest of Bremerton.  The Kitsap proposal estimates that for a race attended by 90,000 people, the area around the track site could be cleared of fans in approximately three hours. (Sound Business/MSNBC)

May 3, 2005

Oregon Back in the NW Track Running: A new NASCAR track for Oregon isnt dead just yet.  A NASCAR source says International Speedway Corporation is looking at land in Marion, Polk, and Linn counties. It would be for a new one-mile race track to be completed by 2008.  Sources say the track would bring thousands of new jobs to the mid-valley and millions of dollars into the areas economy. Opponents say a drawback in getting a new track in Oregon is Measure 37. (CNNSI)

May 2, 2005

NASCAR Looking at NW Sites: Grant Lynch, who runs Talladega Speedway and is heading NASCAR's Northwest search for land and political support for a new speedway, is putting a full-court press on in the Seattle-Portland area.  "I've been out there 11 or 12 trips, and we're getting a warm reception from the political side," Lynch said. "The one thing I've learned is the tribes are a big part of their community, and they have a lot of land. We've looked at some tribal lands. (Salem-Journal)

April 19, 2005

Oregon Out of Track Race: Plans to build a superspeedway capable of playing host to NASCAR Nextel Cup races in Oregon are on hold as officials with developer International Speedway Corp. pursue opportunities in Washington.  Grant Lynch, president of ISC subsidiary Great Northwest Sports, said Tuesday that previous progress and investments are leading ISC to focus on Washington for a project in the Northwest.  ISC has spent more than $1 million in lobbyists and other efforts to site and build a facility within 30 miles of Seattle.  "We're just kind of in a holding pattern right now to see how things work out in Washington," Lynch said. "I think it's safe to say with all the effort we've put in in Washington, we're focusing up there."  (TheOregonian)

March 8, 2005

More on NASCAR and Native American Tribal Discussions: With a plan to build what would be the state's largest casino already in the works, the Cowlitz Indian Tribe is now setting its sights on bringing a NASCAR speedway to southwest Washington.  "This is all still very preliminary," tribal spokesman Dave Barnett said. "But we hope that one day, we can make a proposal that makes sense to the tribe, the state and to NASCAR."  Although still early in the process, Barnett said, the tribe's idea is to have the Cowlitz help finance an ISC-owned racetrack on non-reservation land upon which local communities and the state could garner tax revenue.  The project also could help to create jobs and draw business to the economically depressed region, he said.  The Cowlitz -- currently a landless tribe -- now has an application to take land into trust for a tribal reservation pending before the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs. The 3,000-member tribe, which gained federal recognition in 2000, expects that approval process to take about 18 months, Barnett said.  Once approved, the tribe could then begin developing its casino -- a project the tribe is undertaking with financial backing from the Mohegan Tribe of Connecticut, which now operates two of the world's largest and most successful casinos. (Seattle Post)

March 4, 2005

Washington Indian Tribe Looking to Land Track: The Cowlitz Indian tribe has met with International Speedway Corp. and proposed a plan to build a track for NASCAR races somewhere in the southern part of the state. Tribal spokesman David Barnett has not publicly discussed possible sites, but any spot in south Cowlitz County would be near the tribe's proposed $400 million casino and resort in the La Center area.  "The goal is to help a distressed county - create some economic development that would allow people to come back to work and also complement our casino in northern Clark County," Barnett, son of Cowlitz tribal chairman John Barnett and the tribe's point man on the casino project, told The Associated Press on Thursday.  Barnett said he met Tuesday with Grant Lynch, vice president of International Speedway Corp., which is considering several potential sites in Washington and Oregon. Lynch could not immediately be reached for comment. Barnett plans to discuss the proposal with the tribal council during a retreat Saturday. He said it's not yet clear how the track would be financed. (ThatsRacin)

March 2, 2005

More on NASCAR Oregon Track: Dozens of NASCAR flags were planted in the sidewalks of downtown Troutdale, along the Old Columbia River Highway. This was in recognition of a tour of a potential track site. Grant Lynch is senior vice president of Great Northwest Sports. It's a subsidiary of International Speedway Corporation, created to develop a Nextel Cup-caliber speedway in the Northwest. Lynch visited the Troutdale site yesterday. And he met with Oregon Speaker of the House of Representatives Karen Minnis and a representative of Governor Kulongoski. Lynch then got an aerial view of the parcel via a helicopter ride with co-chairs of the Cascade Speedway and Sportsplex project. Lynch agreed to meet again soon. (FOX 12 Oregon)

March 1, 2005

Two State Race for NASCAR Site: Talladega Superspeedway President Grant Lynch has been to Washington five times this year in search of a Northwest site for a new NASCAR speedway. Tomorrow, in a sixth Northwest trip, he will head to Oregon. The demise late last year of a plan to build a 75,000-seat NASCAR track in Snohomish County created an opportunity for other sites. Kitsap County is back in the running and now the Portland area is getting another look. Other Washington proposals in Yakima and Moses Lake have been ruled out this year because they were too far from Seattle. The developer, Florida-based International Speedway Corp., or ISC, has made it clear that tax breaks and help covering the infrastructure costs of a track will help them choose their location. Giving Oregon consideration could force the two states' legislatures to compete for the track, though corporation officials say it's not their goal to pit them against each other.  (Seattle Times)

Feb. 21, 2005

No Deal in Washington, Oregon ISC? Names on the list include Troutdale mayor Paul Thalhofer, Wood Village mayor Dave Fuller and Mt. Hood Community College president Bob Silverman, as well as residents of Fairview, Gresham and Troutdale. Such community support is a primary component of any deal to lure a major speedway project to a region, say people familiar with motor sports development projects. "It's pure salesmanship," said Bill Hildick, a Lake Oswego resident who helped bring open-wheel racing to Portland more than 20 years ago and who worked with all levels of auto racing during his 44-year professional career. But just as important as the right community is the right piece of property. International Speedway Corp., a Daytona Beach, Fla., company that has built or bought more than a dozen major racetracks and is a sister company to NASCAR, is scouring the Interstate 5 corridor in the Portland and Seattle metropolitan areas to find a suitable site to build a speedway capable of staging a Nextel Cup stock car race. It has created a subsidiary company, Great Northwest Sports, for this purpose. Now 18 months into their search, ISC representatives travel to Oregon and Washington each month to continue their search for the ideal location. Grant Lynch, a senior vice president for Great Northwest, is scheduled to begin his next visit Tuesday.  (Oregon Live)

NW Track Page 1 - 2

Featured Pages
NEXT Race Checkout the next upcoming NASCAR Nextel races.  Including race, stats, track information and much more! NASCAR Stats Who won?  Who has the most top 5's?  Checkout the NASCAR stats. Includes results, points and more!   for past NASCAR news...[click here]