2005
Tim Bray, Mike Schmaltz,
PR Department
VISIT THEIR WEBSITE !!!
http://www.kentuckyspeedway.com
859.647.4309

 

COLEMAN LEADS ARCA RE/MAX SERIES KENTUCKY PRACTICE
Sparta, Kentucky - July 7, 2006

By: Tim Bray, Mike Schmaltz
       Kentucky Speedway PR

Quick 177.055 mph Lap Threatens Series Track Qualifying Record

    An all-time track record 55 ARCA RE/MAX Series drivers opened the third of four 2006 race weekends at Kentucky Speedway today with a two-hour-and-15-minute practice session for tonight’s “WLWT-TV Channel 5 150.”
    Brewco Motorsports driver Brad Coleman, who finished second in the series May 13 race at the speedway, picked up where he left off by pacing the session with a quick 177.055 mph (30.499 seconds) in his No. 62 Federated Car Care-Brewco Motorsports Ford. His best of 16 laps was just off the series track pole record of 177.509 mph (33.443 seconds) set by May race winner Steve Wallace.
    Coleman has finished in the top five in each of his four series starts this season and hopes to break through with his first series win tonight.
    “We’ve been so close (to winning) so many times this year that I really have to thank Sean Parker, my crew chief, for setting us up with a great car,” Coleman said. “We’re destined to win one of these, and I really feel like it is going to be here in Kentucky . This is the same car that we ran in the May race. We’re good in traffic and really good by ourselves. I’m excited to qualify.”
    Veteran Matt Hagans (No. 9 Eagle Creek Aviation / 1st Aircraft Management Dodge) was second fastest in the session with a 176.574-  mph (30.582 seconds) lap, Evernham Motorsports developmental driver Erin Crocker (No. 98 Hamburger Helper Dodge) was third quickest in the session with a 175.827- mph (30.712 seconds) lap, defending and seven-time series champion Frank Kimmel was fourth with a 175.593-mph (30.753 seconds) lap and Dawayne Brian (No. 72 Hi Tech Construction Service Dodge) was fifth on the speed chart with a 175.342- mph ( 30.797 seconds) lap.
    The 25-year-old Crocker is one of three women to win a Kentucky Speedway pole award. She topped the speed charts for the July 8, 2005 series race here with a 173.723 mph (31.084 seconds) lap before finishing second and posting the best finish by a female driver at the track.
    “The car is better than last year, but the competition is better also. I think we have a shot at the pole, but I really want to concentrate on the race.  I want to get my first ARCA RE/MAX series win,” she said.
    Hagans will make his fourth Kentucky Speedway start and first at the track since 2004. He took his Kentucky-best third-place finish after starting second in a 205-mile race in 2003.
    “I just want to talk about our team because I didn’t have to make any changes,” Hagans said. “The car is just the way we want it and it is very racy. I’m sure Coleman will drive it hard to get the pole, but I probably won’t chance hurting the car that I think can win. I can start fifth and win a race. When I was 16, I wanted to win poles. I turned 50 last Friday, now I want to win races.”
    Kimmel, a five-time Kentucky pole award winner, will gun for his fifth Kentucky Speedway victory tonight and his first at the track since May 2005. He will attempt to improve on his 25th-place May 2006 finish tonight when drivers take the green flag for the “WLWT-TV Channel 5 150” at 9:00 p.m.
    NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series drivers open their two-day run at Kentucky Speedway at 3:00 p.m. with a one-hour, fifteen-minute practice session. ARCA RE/MAX Series qualifying follows at 5:00 p.m.
    Tickets for tonight’s race are still available and on sale at Kentucky Speedway ticket booths.

MEIJER, KENTUCKY SPEEDWAY TO HOLD AMBER ALERT CHILD ID EVENT SEPTEMBER 8
First 250 Families To Visit Louisville Meijer Store To Receive A Free Digital AMBER Alert Child ID
Sparta, Kentucky - Wednesday, September 7, 2005

By: Tim Bray, Mike Schmaltz
       Kentucky Speedway PR

    Meijer, the Kentucky State Police and Kentucky Speedway will host an AMBER Alert Child ID event at the Meijer store at 4500 S. Hurstbourne Parkway in Louisville, Ky., on Thursday, September 8, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
    The first 250 families to visit the store will receive a free USB Flash Drive key chain containing their child’s digital photo and vital identification information courtesy of Meijer. Key chains can hold information for more than one child. To ensure privacy and protection of the child’s data, information is stored directly onto the key chain, never on the administering computer.
    “The AMBER Alert event is part of our ongoing commitment to the community,” said Cathy Cooper, Director of Marketing Promotions for Meijer. “Most of us can’t imagine the horror that comes with looking for a missing child. It’s obvious this project will be a tremendous help in finding children. It’s what we really want to do, help find the children.”
    In the event of abduction, parents can give the Child ID to police officers who can upload information into the AMBER Alert Portal from their squad cars. The portal enhances current AMBER Alert systems to allow real-time data, including pictures and text, to be broadcast via cell phones, beepers, e-mail, Web sites, desktop computers and other outlets. The system is currently active in seven states and is rolling out nationwide.
    “The Kentucky State Police appreciates Meijer’s generous gesture and its interest in helping keep our children safe,” Major Mitchell Bailey, commander of the Kentucky State Police East Troop, said. “Time is of the essence when a child is abducted, and technologies such as the USB cards will help law enforcement expedite AMBER alerts.”
    Gov. Ernie Fletcher officially launched the Kentucky AMBER Alert Portal System at the speedway during prerace ceremonies for the Indy Racing League IndyCar Series “AMBER Alert Portal Indy 300 Presented by GPS Industries” on Sunday, August 14.
    Visit the store locator section of www.meijer.com for driving directions to the location.
    The speedway will open its fifth and final event weekend of the 2005 season at noon with NASCAR AutoZone Elite Division Southeast and Midwest Series practice. The full day of race action continues at 1:30 p.m., on the paved quarter-mile track with USAC Ford Focus Midget Series practice, qualifying heats and feature races. The Charlie Daniels Band will take the B-105 Country Sound Stage at 6:00 p.m., and “Bluegrass 150” prerace ceremony commences at 7:30 p.m.
    Event tickets are on sale now and can be reserved and printed at home through www.kentuckyspeedway.com or www.tickets.com. Tickets also are available by phone at 888-652-RACE (7223) and through Tickets.com outlets including Meijer stores. Fans also can visit the Kentucky Speedway ticket offices at 2216 Dixie Hwy., Suite 200, in Ft. Mitchell, Ky., or the speedway Fan Center off of Interstate 71 and Exit 57 in Sparta, Ky.

 

 

Ford to Debut '06 NASCAR Nextel Cup and Busch Racecar at Kentucky Speedway this Saturday
Sparta, Kentucky - Thursday, July 14, 2005

By: Tim Bray, Mike Schmaltz
       Kentucky Speedway PR

    Some 3,500 local race fans will get the world’s first public look at the new Ford Fusion racecar this Saturday at Kentucky Speedway.
    The 2006 Ford Fusion race car, based on the production model that will hit showrooms this fall, will be driven by eight Ford-sponsored NASCAR drivers next year, including reigning Nextel Cup champion Kurt Busch.

    The Fusion is officially being named Ford Racing’s new racecar for NASCAR competition today at a press conference in Charlotte, N.C., and will be immediately transported to the Kentucky Speedway where it will be on display at Saturday’s Ford Innovation Drive. A big crowd of racing fans and the general public will be the first public test drivers in the world to take the production model Fusion for a spin, playing out their 'Walter Mitty' fantasies on the Speedway track.

    The Kentucky Speedway test drive is the first of nine Ford Racing Innovation Drives for consumers nationwide. In addition to the production Fusion, consumers will also be able to take the hot new Mustang GT and other Ford vehicles through their paces.
    The 2006 NASCAR Ford Fusion will make its competition debut at the 2006 Daytona 500 in February, and Ford teams will use it in next year’s NASCAR Nextel Cup Chase for the Championship, as well as Busch Series competition.

    “We’re thrilled to be unveiling the new Fusion,” said Burt Diamond, global marketing manager, Ford Racing Technology. “The Fusion production car represents a fresh, new attitude for Ford in the mid-size sedan lineup. This Fusion race car has the same bold look, and it represents an all-new era in our Ford NASCAR racing program.” 
    The 2006 Fusion will become Ford’s first all-new nameplate car for NASCAR racing in 38 years, since the 1968 Ford Torino made its debut in both the showroom and on the racetrack.
    “The Fusion represents the new face of Ford cars,” added Poore. “And racing it in NASCAR competition allows us to get that new face in front of the millions of race fans who follow NASCAR racing in person and on television.
    “Racing involvement will play a key role in the launch and the marketing of the Fusion throughout the rest of this year and into 2006. The great interest in NASCAR racing will help us tie the Fusion name to the Ford brand, and it’s only right that we race Ford’s newest car in America’s flagship racing series.”
    The NASCAR Fusion will replace the Ford Taurus, which has captured four NASCAR championships (three Nextel Cup, one Busch), and 100 Nextel Cup victories since it made its competition debut in 1998.
    “We’d like to send the Taurus out with one more championship,” said Diamond, noting six Ford drivers are currently in contention to qualify for the final, 10-race Nextel Chase for the Championship. “But the time is right to move on to Fusion.”
    Ford submitted the Fusion to NASCAR officials several weeks ago, and is awaiting a final, on-track test before the car is officially certified for competition.
    “We’ve worked hand-in-hand with NASCAR on the development of this car, and we can’t thank them enough for helping us bring the Fusion forward,” said Diamond.
    Ford took a different approach with the development of this racecar than it had done with previous models in the past.  This time, Ford engineers did the early development with a scale model testing program that in previous new model efforts had been done by race teams.
    The engineers consulted with Ford race teams and took input on the new Fusion race car, but the duo did most of the development work over the past eight months while Ford teams competed week-in and week-out in NASCAR competition.\
    “Our guys did a terrific job of getting the NASCAR Fusion to where it needed to be, and we actually were ahead of schedule in getting it to NASCAR,” said Diamond. “The goal of any new car is to take the lessons learned from the previous model and, working within the NASCAR guidelines, bring forth a slightly better product.
    “I think we accomplished that, and with the Fusion’s dynamic new look, I think we have a car that NASCAR fans will easily recognize out on the track, in victory lane, and in their own driveway. We’re excited and I know our teams are as well.”

 

 

KENTUCKY SPEEDWAY FILES SUIT
Sparta, Kentucky - Wednesday, July 13, 2005

By Tim Bray,
Mike Schmaltz,
Kentucky  Speedway - PR

    Today, Kentucky Speedway, LLC filed suit against NASCAR and International Speedway Corporation (ISC), alleging that these defendants have violated federal antitrust laws in that they have illegally restricted the award of NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series races, and have illegally awarded NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series races to the International Speedway Corporation.  Kentucky Speedway, LLC also alleges antitrust violations relating to various restraints of trade involving the NASCAR Busch Series races and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races.  The lawsuit has been filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky at Covington, Kentucky.
    Attorneys representing Kentucky Speedway, LLC include Cincinnati, Ohio attorney Stanley Chesley of Waite, Schneider, Bayless & Chesley and Houston, Texas attorney Steve Susman of Susman Godfrey.
    “We have alleged that NASCAR and ISC have violated the federal antitrust laws,” said Stan Chesley.  “In my opinion, the facts clearly support a conclusion that NASCAR and ISC have colluded to exclude competition in order to financially benefit themselves.  By doing so, they have harmed not only Kentucky Speedway but also all stock car racing fans nationwide.  Stock car racing is the most popular spectator sport in the United States and we intend to do our best to see that fair play and fair racing is re-established.”
    “NASCAR and ISC’s  activities have harmed race fans in Ohio and Kentucky,” stated Steve Susman.  “NASCAR’s treatment of Kentucky Speedway makes the most egregious tactics of drivers fighting for position on the track look like a Sunday afternoon drive in the country.”

 

 

DEI, PETTY ENTERPRISES, MORGAN MCCLURE SEARCH FOR COMPETITIVE EDGE DURING KENTUCKY SPEEDWAY TEST
Sparta, Kentucky - Tuesday, April 5, 2005

By Tim Bray,
Mike Schmaltz,
Kentucky  Speedway - PR

    NASCAR NEXTEL Series Cup teams from Dale Earnhardt, Inc., Petty Enterprises and Morgan-McClure Motorsports visited Kentucky Speedway today to help drivers Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Martin Truex, Jr., Kyle Petty, Jeff Green and Mike Wallace develop a competitive edge for upcoming races on intermediate tracks.
    Earnhardt, Jr., who was second in the series standings after the fifth race of 2004, used a fourth-place finish at Bristol to move to 17th in the current standings. After generating an average finish of 21st through the first five series races this season, the No. 8 team is intent on building stronger racecars.
    “We weren’t that good at intermediate tracks last year and we haven’t really been that strong this year,” Earnhardt, Jr., said. “That’s why we’re here testing. Hopefully, we can learn something. We’re working on a lot of different things all across the board with our engineering department, trying to build a better racecar for the rest of the season.
    “This track has a similar configuration to California or Vegas. You can learn a little bit about corners, what helps the cars turn and what gives them grip in the rear. I think we have to work on the bodies a little bit and get a little more grip.
    “We have good down force numbers, but the car isn’t providing us with enough grip. It’s all numbers and figures, but you have to get out on the racetrack to see what does what, what feels this way and what feels that way to improve the car.
    “This boils down to what kind of racecar we’re taking to the racetrack. If we improve the car we’re building at the shop, we’ll have a faster, more competitive team.
    Truex, Jr., used his time on the track to gain knowledge for his remaining NEXTEL Cup Series starts this season and to mentally regroup from a tough start to his NASCAR Busch Series season.
    “This is a good mile-and-a-half track to test because aerodynamics come into play real big here,” Truex, Jr., said. “With the new Cup spoiler rule, the Cup and Busch cars are a good bit different. The Cup cars feel a bit different getting into the corners, that’s the biggest part. We’re trying to get both cars to feel the same. If we do that, we’ll have some good stuff.
    “We have six more races in the Cup series this year and we’re looking forward to it. We’re real excited about it and trying to learn as much as we can.”
    The defending Busch Series champion will enter the next week’s race at Texas Motor Speedway fifth in the series standings, but has not cracked the top 10 in his last four starts. He owns a win and a total of two top-five finishes this season.
    “It’s been a tough season so far to be honest. We had a good run at Daytona and obviously the win in Mexico was big for us, but we’ve had some bad luck and tough races since then,” he said. “I’m kind of glad to have a week off to regroup as a team before we get back after it at Texas.”
    Improving competition levels also was on the mind of Petty Enterprises. Petty was all smiles following his eighth-place performance at Bristol. It was his first top-10 Cup Series finish since April 21, 2002 at Talladega Superspeedway.
    “Last weekend was really good for Petty Enterprises,” Petty said. “We kind of stuck it out all day long, stayed out of trouble, stayed out of everybody’s way and when everything happened towards the end, we knew we had a good shot at moving up. We started like 12th or 13th, passed a few guys and got in the top 10. It was a good run for us.
    “Jeff Green and the Cheerios Dodge qualified sixth and had some bad luck in the race, but he was going to have a good top-five, top-10 car."
    Petty owns an average finish of 20.8 through the first five races of the season and is motivated by the results of his team’s new engine alliance with Evernham Motorsports.
    “Our engine program has been the motivator,” he added. “We were looking at the No. 9 and No. 19 and saying, ‘these guys can run up front and win races.’ If we use their engines, we ought to be able to. If we can’t we have to look at our cars and all the other aspects of Petty Enterprises. We’re trying to improve on our car and our chassis stuff because we know what we’re comparing ourselves to. They build some good stuff at Evernham Motorsports.”
    Kentucky Speedway opens its first of five event weekends on May 14 with the ARCA RE/MAX Series “Harley-Davidson of Cincinnati 150.” Season and single event tickets are on sale now. Fans can reserve tickets online at http://www.kentuckyspeedway.com or http://www.tickets.com, by phone at 1-888-652-RACE (7223), through Tickets.com outlets including Meijer stores and through the Kentucky Speedway ticket offices located at 2216 Dixie Hwy., Ste. 200, in Ft. Mitchell, Ky., and track Fan Center in Sparta, Ky.

 

 

KENTUCKY SPEEDWAY TO INSTALL SAFER BARRIER SYSTEM
One Million Dollar Project To Begin In May 2005
Sparta. Kentucky - Thursday, April 21, 2005

By Tim Bray,
Mike Schmaltz,
Kentucky  Speedway - PR

    Kentucky Speedway will invest $1,000,000 to install the second generation of the Steel And Foam Energy Reduction (SAFER™) Barrier System inside the concrete retaining wall that spans Turns 1 through 2 and Turns 3 through 4 of the 1.5-mile tri-oval track at the facility.
    The system is designed to minimize injuries under race conditions. The speedway chose to install the system following a thorough analysis of all on-track incidents throughout the five-year history of the 66,089-seat facility. When a racecar collides with the barrier, square steel tubes buffered with polystyrene blocks dissipate impact energy before it reaches a driver. On-board collision data recorders have shown a 75 percent reduction in g-force felt by drivers as the system spreads impact energy over an extended distance along a retaining wall.
    Installation will begin after the season-opening ARCA RE/MAX Series “Harley-Davidson of Cincinnati 150” race on May 14 and will be complete before the June 18 NASCAR Busch Series “Meijer 300 Presented by Oreo” event. Installation will take place at night and will not interrupt frequent race team testing at the speedway.
    “Our investor board has delivered again. This investment further demonstrates the board’s commitment to the success of our independently-owned facility,” Kentucky Speedway Executive Vice President and General Manager Mark F. Cassis said. “Our team has always been driven to provide competitors with the latest safety technology and we’ve followed all aspects of the SAFER Barrier System - installation methods, impact studies, repair procedure and overall effectiveness – since it’s inception. Clearly, the system will ensure Kentucky Speedway remains among the best motorsports facilities in America.”
    During installation, five 28-foot sections of eight-inch square tubing are stacked and welded together. Two-inch thick sections of polystyrene are then stacked behind the welded sections in a pyramid shape at five-foot intervals. Finally, cables and nylon straps are attached to the tubing sections and concrete retaining wall at 14-foot intervals.
    The second generation of the system differs from the original version by utilizing:
    *New steel tubes which help the system react to and recover from impact more quickly than before:
    *Slightly curved barrier sections to provide a smoother impact surface;
    *A five-tube exterior to replace the previous four-tube design;
    *A universal polystyrene shape that is more compatible with stock and open-wheel cars;
    *Improved anchors to attach the barrier to the retaining wall.
The Kentucky Speedway project will require an estimated 241.5 tons of steel tubing, 161 welded panels  weighing 3,000 pounds each, 805 custom polystyrene blocks and 322 straps. Elrod Corp., of Mooresville, Ind., will manufacture the barrier.
    The SAFER Barrier System first was installed on the outside retaining walls of the 2.5-mile oval track at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) in May 2002. IMS also was first to install the second generation of the system in February 2005.
    Researchers from the Midwest Roadside Safety Group at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Elrod Corp., engineers worked with IMS and the Indy Racing League during a four-year period to the develop the system. NASCAR joined the development effort in September 2000. The system is in use at all facilities that host NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series events.
    Kentucky Speedway season and single event race tickets are on sale now and can be reserved by phone at 888-652-RACE (7223), online at http://www.kentuckyspeedway.com and http://www.tickets.com, through Tickets.com outlets including Meijer stores and at Kentucky Speedway ticket offices at 2216 Dixie Hwy., Ste. 200, in Ft. Mitchell, Ky., and the speedway Fan Center outside the track in Sparta, Ky. Visit the track Web site for the complete schedule.

 

 

MAYFIELD CRACKS NEW DODGE AERO CODE DURING KENTUCKY TEST
Sparta, Kentucky - Thursday, March 24, 2005

By Tim Bray,
Mike Schmaltz,
Kentucky  Speedway - PR

    Aerodynamic changes that helped Jeremy Mayfield to a season-best 13th-place NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series finish in Atlanta last week led to a possible season-changing breakthrough during a test at Kentucky Speedway today.
    After closing out last season 10th in the 10-race Chase for the NEXTEL Cup, the No. 19 team averaged a 23rd –place finish through the first three races of the season while working with the new Dodge Charger body and adjusted spoiler height mandated by NASCAR. When changes made for the Atlanta race led to improved results, Mayfield and his team made a commitment to further explore those changes by testing during the series off week.
    “We started the season with a lot of new Chargers and, with the new rules, we got a couple of races into it and thought, whoa, we need to rethink this whole thing,” Mayfield said. “We were trying to do something a little bit different.
    “We went in the direction we thought we needed to go because we only had a few days to get ready for Atlanta. When we improved, we said we were going to test our butts off here this week and really figure it out. We hit on something today that’s going to be huge for us the rest of the year. It will get the aero balance back where it needs to be. This is definitely going to be the turning point of our season.”
    He also hopes today’s discovery helps to bring a long-awaited close to the adjustment period with the Dodge Charger.
    “A lot of teams just had to cut their spoiler off and go racing,” Mayfield said. “We had a new nose and a new spoiler, basically, a whole new car. That sets you back a little bit. It hurt us for a couple weeks, but it only took us two weeks to figure out that we had a lot of work to do. A lot teams might fight it all year long.
    “If you don’t get back what you had, somebody else will. When that happens, it looks like you can’t drive because you have less downforce and less forward (bite). The balance numbers aren’t where you need them. These guys driving well at the beginning of the year look like heroes. It’s just that they hit on a different path.”
    Joe Gibbs Racing Driver Bobby Labonte also tested today in an attempt to rebound from the poor luck that has plagued him in three of the four series races.
    After losing an engine in the Daytona 500, Labonte rebounded with a 12th-place finish in the second race of the season in California. His resurgence was stopped cold when his involvement in early-race accidents in Las Vegas and Atlanta caused his plummet to 37th in the series standings.
    The series returns to action in Bristol, Tenn., on April 3.

    Kentucky Speedway opens its first of five event weekends on May 14 with the ARCA RE/MAX Series “Harley-Davidson of Cincinnati 150.” Season and single event tickets are on sale now. Fans can reserve tickets online at http://www.kentuckyspeedway.com or http://www.tickets.com, by phone at 1-888-652-RACE (7223), through Tickets.com outlets including Meijer stores and through the Kentucky Speedway ticket offices located at 2216 Dixie Hwy., Ste. 200, in Ft. Mitchell, Ky., and track Fan Center in Sparta, Ky.

 

 

KENTUCKY SPEEDWAY NEWS & NOTES
MARCH 7, 2005

By Tim Bray,
Mike Schmaltz,
Kentucky  Speedway - PR

JOE GIBBS RACING SET FOR KENTUCKY TESTS

    Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Tony Stewart and Jason Leffler are scheduled to test at Kentucky Speedway on Tuesday, March 8. Fans can view testing out side Turn 3 at no charge. Tests begin at approximately 9:00 a.m. and end at approximately 5:00 p.m. The test schedule is subject to change.

WHELDON WHEELS TO IRL INDYCAR SERIES WIN IN SEASON OPENER

    Andretti Green Racing driver Dan Wheldon, who took a career-best Kentucky Speedway finish of third in 2004, opened the Indy Racing League IndyCar Series season with a dominating win at Homestead-Miami Speedway on March 6. Wheldon, who closed out 2004 second to teammate Tony Kanaan in the championship points race, led 158 of 200 race laps to score his fourth career win. He has now posted two wins and two third-place finishes in his past four series starts dating back to last season. He holds a 13-point advantage over former Kentucky Speedway race winner Sam Hornish, Jr., in the current points race. Hornish, Jr., won the season opening race last season and finished second at Homestead-Miami. Kanaan, Rahal Letterman driver Vitor Meira and Penske Racing driver Helio Castroneves rounded out the top five in the race and hold the same positions in the current series standings. The series returns to action on March 19 at Phoenix International Raceway. Coverage begins on ABC at 3:00 p.m. (Eastern).

GREGG GRABS MIPS WIN AT HOMESTEAD-MIAMI

    Sam Schmidt Racing driver and former Menards Infiniti Pro Series Kentucky Speedway pole winner Travis Gregg opened his season with a win at Homestead-Miami Speedway on March 6. He started from the pole position and led all 67 race laps while beating out Sam Schmidt Racing teammate Jaime Camara. Gregg, a Camden, Ohio native, enters the series next race on March 19 in Phoenix with 13 point lead over Camara in the standings.

TRUEX, JR.  TRIUMPHANT IN NBS MEXICO DEBUT

    Defending NASCAR Busch Series Champion and Kentucky Speedway pole sitter Martin Truex, Jr., raced to a win in the series debut on the road course at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City, Mexico on March 6. Truex, Jr., takes his second top-five finish of the season after finishing fourth at Daytona Beach, Fla., in the season opening race. The win also helps him ascend four positions in the series standings to fourth. He trails series leader and former Kentucky Speedway NBS race winner Kevin Harvick by 23 points. Harvick earned his third consecutive second-place finish of the season and holds a 61-point lead over new second-place driver Carl Edwards entering the March 12 race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Edwards, who earned his first NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series win at Kentucky Speedway in 2003, rebounded from a practice crash to take a third-place finish in Mexico City. The top-five drive marked his first career top-five finish in the NBS and his third straight top-10 finish this season. Shane Hmiel finished fourth in Mexico City to post his second straight top-five finish. He advances four spots to seventh in the series standings and trails Harvick by 61. Boris Said rounded out the top-five in the race. It was his first top-five NBS finish since 2001, when he drove to a ­fourth-place finish at Watkins Glen International. Clint Bowyer (-82) enters the Las Vegas event third in standings and Reed Sorenson (-101) enters the race fifth in the standings. Race coverage begins on the FX Network at 3:30 p.m. (Eastern).

 

 

HARLEY-DAVIDSON OF CINCINNATI TO SPONSOR KENTUCKY SPEEDWAY ARCA RE/MAX SERIES RACE
The “Harley-Davidson of Cincinnati 150” Takes To The Track May 14
Sparta, Kentucky 0 Friday, March 4, 2005

By Tim Bray,
Mike Schmaltz,
Kentucky  Speedway - PR

    Kentucky Speedway announces Harley-Davidson of Cincinnati as the new title sponsor of the annual May ARCA RE/MAX Series race at the $152-million motorsports facility. The “Harley-Davidson of Cincinnati 150” will open the 2005 speedway race season on May 14 at 3:00 p.m.
    “This partnership certainly opens a new category for our facility,” Kentucky Speedway Executive Vice President and General Manager Mark F. Cassis said. “We’re pleased to be associated with the legendary Harley-Davidson name and look forward to introducing riders to our facility and even larger events in the future.”
    Financial terms of the one-year partnership were not disclosed. Harley-Davidson of Cincinnati will receive facility signage, advertising, a luxury suite, grandstand tickets and other promotional considerations for the event under the terms of the agreement.

    Harley-Davidson of Cincinnati will offer a $10 discount to those who purchase a race ticket through the dealership. Five dollars from each ticket purchased through the dealership will be donated to the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA). Harley-Davidson of Cincinnati will produce event-specific apparel including a hat, tee shirt and die-cast models bearing the Kentucky Speedway and Harley-Davidson logos.
    “The race weekend will highlight the relationship with Harley-Davidson of Cincinnati, the Kentucky Speedway and the 25th Anniversary of the Muscular Dystrophy Association and the humanitarian partnership with Harley-Davidson,” said Harley-Davidson of Cincinnati President Robert Nolan.
    Cincinnati’s oldest and largest Harley-Davidson dealership is located at 1799 Tennessee Ave. in Cincinnati and has been assisting riders with motorcycle service, parts, accessories and Motorclothes for more than 85 years. New and experienced riders can contact the dealership at 513-641-1188 or through http://www.harley-davidsonofcinncinnati.com.
    “We will celebrate this historic occasion with an entire MDA weekend, which includes a blow-out Carburetion Night at the dealership on Friday May 13th, a ride to the race and all its festivities on May 14th and grand finale with a Harley-Davidson of Cincinnati HOG Chapter/MDA pledge ride the next day,” said Harley-Davidson of Cincinnati General Manager Greg Stith.
    The opening weekend also includes a pre-race concert with Kentucky Headhunters and the ARCA Lincoln Welders Truck Series “Bluegrass 100” race on the paved quarter-mile track.
    The season continues June 17-18 with the NASCAR AutoZone Elite Division Southeast Series (NAEDSS) “Insight Communications 150” on Friday and the NASCAR Busch Series “Meijer 300 Presented by Oreo” on Saturday. Travis Tritt will provide the pre-race entertainment. The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series returns July 8-9 for the “Built Ford Tough 225 Presented by the Greater Cincinnati Ford Dealers.” The Saturday race will be preceded by a Billy Ray Cyrus concert. The ARCA RE/MAX Series “Channel 5 150” opens the July weekend on Friday. The Indy Racing League IndyCar Series and Menards Infiniti Pro Series will be on the track for the August 13-14 weekend. The weekend opens with the Menards Infiniti Pro Series “Louisville Courier-Journal 100” on Saturday. Country music favorite SHeDAISY will perform on Sunday before the IRL IndyCar Series “Bluegrass Indy 300.” The season will conclude with the “Charlie Daniels Band Fall Classic” on September 10. In addition to the pre-race concert with the title sponsor, the full day of activity will feature a 150-mile NAEDSS race on the 1.5-mile tri-oval and USAC Ford Focus Midget Series on the quarter-mile track.
    Tickets for all speedway events, including the July 30 “Jammin’ in the Bluegrass Presented by Meijer concert featuring Tim McGraw, Trick Pony and Billy Dean,” are on sale now. Tickets are available online at http://www.kentuckyspeedway.com or http://tickets.com, by phone at 888-652-RACE (7223) and through Tickets.com outlets including Meijer locations. Fans also can reserve tickets at the Kentucky Speedway ticket office at 2216 Dixie Hwy. Ste. 200, in Ft. Mitchell, Ky., and at the speedway Fan Center located outside Turn 3 at the track in Sparta, Ky.

 

 

KENTUCKY SPEEDWAY NEWS & NOTES
Sparta, Kentucky - Monday February 28, 2005

By Tim Bray,
Mike Schmaltz,
Kentucky  Speedway - PR

JAMMIN’ IN THE BLUEGRASS TICKETS ON SALE NOW
    Tickets for the July 30 “Jammin’ in the Bluegrass presented by Meijer” featuring multiple Grammy Award winner Tim McGraw, Trick Pony and Billy Dean went on sale Saturday, February 26. Choice grandstand and on-track, standing-room, VIP area tickets are available online through http://www.kentuckyspeedway.com or http://www.tickets.com, by phone at 888-652-RACE (7223) and through Tickets.com outlets including Meijer Stores. Fans who purchase on-track VIP area will be closest to the artists during their performances and have access to private concessions and restrooms, designated grandstand “pit stop” areas and the speedway concourse throughout the day. Kentucky Speedway will convert it’s 66,089-seat motorsports facility into a 17,000-seat concert venue for Jammin’ in the Bluegrass presented by Meijer. The speedway will utilize 14,000 reserved seats in the Tower and Lower Grandstand sections nearest the start/finish line. An 80-foot wide stage equipped with a t-shaped catwalk will feature two 30-foot video screens and two 30-foot speaker banks. The stage area will cover a total of 200 feet and will be positioned between the paved quarter-mile track and apron of the 1.5-mile tri-oval.

KENTUCKY SPEEDWAY FIRE AND SAFETY TEAM MEMBERS VENTURE TO MEXICO FOR NBS DUTY
    Several members of the Kentucky Speedway Fire and Safety Team (F.A.S.T.) will be among a multi-track contingent of workers invited to Mexico City, Mexico to provide safety services for the inaugural NASCAR Busch Series Mexico 200 at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez on March 6. F.A.S.T. Director Charles Williams and Superintendent Mike Claywell will be among a group of 18 representing Kentucky Speedway.

PAST KENTUCKY SPEEDWAY RACE WINNERS DOT NNCS TOP FIVE IN CALIFORNIA 
    Roush Racing drivers and past NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Kentucky Speedway race winners Greg Biffle and Carl Edwards captured top-five NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series finishes at California Speedway on February 27. Biffle, winner of the inaugural NCTS Kentucky race, advanced 19 positions in the series standings to fifth following his second series win in his past three starts dating back to the final race of last season at Homestead-Miami Speedway. He will trail new series leader, defending champion and teammate Kurt Busch by 67 points entering the next race in Las Vegas on March 13. Edwards, who earned his first career NCTS win at Kentucky Speedway in 2003, gained nine positions in the standings after driving to a fifth-place California finish. He took hold of the fourth spot in the standings and will begin the Las Vegas race trailing Busch by 53 points. Busch took over the series lead from Daytona 500 champion Jeff Gordon with a third-place finish in California. Including his second place finish last week in Daytona, Busch has posted three consecutive top-five and four consecutive top-10 finishes dating back to the November 14, 2004 series outing in Darlington, S.C. Busch earned his last series win on September 19, 2004 at New Hampshire International Speedway. Including that win, Busch has earned a total of eight top-five and 11 top-10 finishes in his past 12 races. Roush Racing owns four of the top five positions in the series standings. Veteran Mark Martin closed out the California race seventh to snare his second consecutive top-10 finish. That performance helped him advance four positions in the series standings to third. He trails Busch by 39. Hendrick Motorsports driver Jimmie Johnson moved up three positions in the series standings with a second-place California finish. He earned his second consecutive top-five finish of the season. Dating back to his October 16, 2004 win at Lowe’s Motor Speedway, Johnson has posted four wins and a total of seven top-five and eight top-10 finishes in his past eight series starts. He trails Busch by five points. FOX’s coverage of the Las Vegas race begins at 2:00 p.m. (Eastern).

EDWARDS EARNS SECOND STRAIGHT NBS TOP-10 IN CALIFORNIA
    Roush Racing driver Carl Edwards drove to a sixth-place finish in the 300-mile NASCAR Busch Series event at California Speedway on February 26 and moved to third in the series standings. Edwards posted his second consecutive top-10 finish and best career series finish. He trails new series leader and inaugural NBS Kentucky Speedway champion Kevin Harvick by 51 points. Harvick finished second to Roush driver Mark Martin and brought home his second straight second-place finish. Ganassi Racing rookie Reed Sorenson, who delivered third- and eighth-place finishes in two American Speed Association National Tour events at Kentucky Speedway last season, finished fifth in California and ascended eight spots in the series standings to second. He trails Harvick by 47 points. Richard Childress Racing driver Clint Bowyer finished fourth in California to score his first top-five finish of the season. He begins the week 53 points behind Harvick. Daytona winner Tony Stewart rounds out the top-five in the standings. He slipped four positions to fifth following his 29th-place showing in California. Stewart is 69 points behind Harvick. The series moves south of the border to Mexico City for the inaugural Mexico 200 road race on March 6. Coverage from Autodromo Hermanos Rodriquez begins at 3:00 p.m. (Eastern) on FOX.

HAMILTON MAINTAINS NCTS POINTS LEAD WITH TOP-FIVE AT CALIFORNIA
    Defending NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion and Kentucky Speedway race winner Bobby Hamilton maintained his series points lead by posting a second-place finish at California Speedway on February 25. Hamilton delivered his second consecutive top-five finish and third top-two finish in his past five starts dating back to his second-place finish at Darlington Raceway on November 13, 2004. NCTS newcomer and NASCAR veteran Ricky Craven moved to second in the series standings with a third-place showing at California and has generated two straight top-five finishes to open his first full series season. Craven will enter the March 18 race at Atlanta Motor Speedway trailing Hamilton by 25 points. Second-year NCTS driver and NASCAR veteran Steve Park posted his first career series win in California and ascended 17 positions in the series standings to sixth. He is one of 10 drivers to earn wins the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup, Busch and Craftsman Truck series. Other three-series victors are Greg Biffle, Kevin Harvick, Terry Labonte, Mark Martin, Jamie McMurray, Ken Schrader, Jimmy Spencer and Tony Stewart. Spencer (-34), Ted Musgrave (-45) and Matt Crafton (-75) round out the top five in the series standings following California. Coverage of the Atlanta race will begin at 9:00 p.m. (Eastern) on SPEED.

 

 

KENTUCKY SPEEDWAY NEWS & NOTES
Sparta, Kentucky - Monday, February 21, 2005

By Tim Bray,
Mike Schmaltz,
Kentucky  Speedway - PR

JAMMIN’ IN THE BLUEGRASS TICKETS ON SALE TO PUBLIC ON FEBRUARY 26
    Tickets for the first “Jammin’ in the Bluegrass presented by Meijer” featuring multiple Grammy Award winner Tim McGraw, Trick Pony and Billy Dean will be on sale Saturday, February 26 at 9:00 a.m. Tickets will be available online through http://www.kentuckyspeedway.com or http://www.tickets.com, by phone at 888-652-RACE (7223) and through Tickets.com outlets including Meijer Stores. A limited number of choice grandstand and on-track, standing room, VIP area tickets still remain and are expected to sell quickly. Fans who purchase on-track VIP area will be closest to McGraw during his performance and have access to private concessions and restrooms, designated grandstand “pit stop” areas and the speedway concourse throughout the day. Kentucky Speedway will convert it’s 66,089-seat motorsports facility into a into a 20,000-seat concert venue for Jammin’ in the Bluegrass presented by Meijer. The speedway will utilize 17,000 reserved seats in the Tower and Lower Grandstand sections nearest the start/finish line. An 80-foot wide stage equipped with a t-shaped catwalk will feature two 30-foot video screens and two 30-foot speaker banks. The stage area will cover a total of 200 feet and will be positioned between the paved quarter-mile track and apron of the 1.5-mile tri-oval.

RIGGS REGISTERS CAREER-BEST NNCS FINISH AT DAYTONA
    Former Kentucky Speedway NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race winner Scott Riggs finished fourth in the Daytona 500 and registered the best finish of his two-year NASCAR career on February 20. Riggs started the race 12th and remained among the top 10 drivers for the majority of the afternoon. His previous best NEXTEL Cup finish was fifth at Dover International Raceway on June 6 last season. The 34-year-old Bahama, N.C., driver enters the February 27 race at California Speedway tied for third in the series standings with Jimmie Johnson, who finished fifth at Daytona to take his third consecutive top-five finish at the track. They trail points leader and race winner Jeff Gordon by 25 points. Gordon took his third career Daytona 500 title and sixth career win at the track. He posts his third restrictor plate win in his past four starts and becomes the fifth driver to win three or more Daytona 500s. He joins multiple winners Richard Petty (7), Cale Yarborough (4), Bobby Allison (3) and Dale Jarrett (3). Gordon, a four-time NEXTEL Cup Series champion, posted his 70th career series win and has now earned at least one race win in 12 consecutive NNCS seasons. He is the defending champion of the California race and begins the week with a 15-point lead over defending series champion Kurt Busch and Dale Earnhardt, Jr.  Busch finished second in the Daytona 500 and Earnhardt, Jr., took third to chart his fourth consecutive top-10 finish at the track. Sixth-place driver Tony Stewart led 107 of 200 laps at Daytona to become the second driver to lead the most laps in consecutive Daytona 500s since Bobby Allison in 1981 and 1982.   Drivers take the green flag in California at 2:00 p.m. (EST) this week. The race will air on the FOX Network.

TRUEX, JR., BEGINS NBS TITLE DEFENSE WITH TOP-FIVE FINISH AT DAYTONA
    NASCAR Busch Series driver and 2004 Kentucky Speedway “Meijer 300 Presented by Oreo” pole winner Martin Truex, Jr., began his series title defense with a fourth-place performance at Daytona International Speedway on February 19. He finished behind NEXTEL Cup Series regulars Tony Stewart, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., and Kevin Harvick. Truex, Jr., who delivered an average finish of 7.5 in his 34 starts last season, posted his sixth consecutive top-10 NBS finish dating back to the 2004 campaign. He begins the week third in the series standings, but ranks first among NBS regulars. He trails official series leader Stewart by 30 points. The series returns to action February 26 at California Speedway. The race will air on the FX Network beginning at 5:30 p.m. (EST)

HAMILTON OPENS NCTS CHAMPIONSHIP DEFENSE WITH DAYTONA VICTORY
    Bobby Hamilton, winner of the 2004 “Built Ford Tough 225 Presented by the Greater Cincinnati Ford Dealers” at Kentucky Speedway, opened defense of his 2004 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series championship with his ninth career series win at Daytona International Speedway on February 18. Hamilton started from the rear of the field and passed Jimmy Spencer before the caution flag flew for an eight-car incident that occurred while the two drivers battled for the lead entering Turn 1 on what became the final lap of the race. Hamilton will enter the series February 25 race at California Speedway with a 10-point lead over Spencer and third-place driver Todd Bodine. Former NEXTEL Cup Series driver Ricky Craven (-20) finished fourth and veteran Ted Musgrave (-30) closed out the top five. Series drivers take the green flag at California at 9:00 p.m. (EST) The race will air live on SPEED.

 

 

CARROLL NAMED TO KENTUCKY SPORTS AUTHORITY
Sparta, Kentucky - Tuesday, January 4, 2005

By Tim Bray,
Mike Schmaltz,
Kentucky  Speedway - PR

    Kentucky Gov. Ernie Fletcher named Kentucky Speedway Chairman and Co-Owner Jerry Carroll to the new 15-member Kentucky Sports Authority (KSA) during a news conference at Frankfort Civic Center today.
    Lt. Gov. Steve Pence will lead the KSA, which is charged with attracting major national and international sporting events, conventions and franchises to the state.
    “We are well aware that many Kentuckians are motorsports fans, and we're thrilled to have a business and sports leader of Jerry Carroll's stature on the Sports Authority,” Gov. Fletcher said. “Our goal is to give our citizens and visitors the best in sporting events and venues, and that vision is perfectly in step with what Jerry is doing at Kentucky Speedway.”
    Other KSA members are Kentucky Commerce Cabinet Secretary Jim Host, Environmental and Public Protection Cabinet Secretary LaJuana S. Wilcher, Wayne Martin, Charlie Martin, Myra Blackwelder, Dr. George Ginter, Kathy DeBoer, Louis Stout, Joseph Terry, Larry Bisig, Donna Smith and Wade Houston. One position remains to be filled.
    “The creation of the Kentucky Sports Authority will help enhance the visibility of the state nationwide. When you think of Kentucky, you think of major events,” Carroll said. “I’ve been bringing major events to Kentucky for the past 20 years. NASCAR NEXTEL Cup racing is the goal for our speedway and Kentucky is fully behind helping us achieve that goal.”
    Carroll also owns Carroll Properties, Inc., a prominent Northern Kentucky real estate development company. He began his real estate development career in 1970 and has successfully developed numerous urban and suburban office space, retail centers, industrial properties and single- and multi-family residential properties.
    After developing the ailing Latonia Racetrack into the nationally acclaimed Turfway Park, Carroll sold the Thoroughbred facility and formed a five-member investment group that constructed the $152-million Kentucky Speedway in Sparta, Ky.
    Kentucky Speedway opened in 2000 and will begin its sixth season of operation on May 14. The facility features a paved 1.5-mile tri-oval track and paved quarter-mile track. The speedway will host a total of five event weekends through September 10. Visitors will be able to see top stock car, open-wheel and short track drivers from the NASCAR Busch Series, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Indy Racing League IndyCar Series, ARCA RE/MAX Series, NASCAR AutoZone Elite Division Southeast Series, USAC Ford Focus Midget Series and ARCA Lincoln Welders Truck Series.
    The NASCAR Busch Series event, “The Meijer 300 Presented by Oreo,” has attracted sellout and standing-room-only crowds of more than 69,000 for four consecutive years.