Bristol has largest seating capacity of any SMI track

By Bob Pockrass

Monday, March 15, 2010

Bristol Motor Speedway's grandstand seating capacity remains at 158,000, the largest of any SMI track.

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Bristol Motor Speedway has the largest grandstand capacity of any of the Speedway Motorsports Inc. tracks, according to the company’s annual report filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Bristol's seating capacity remained at 158,0000. Texas Motor Speedway, which was also at 158,000, now stands at 137,000 seats (not including the infield) after the removal of 21,000 seats. Charlotte Motor Speedway also has cut seats from 156,000 to 146,000. Six of the SMI tracks have the same seating capacity as a year ago: Bristol, Las Vegas (131,000), Atlanta (101,000), New Hampshire (96,000), Kentucky (69,000) and Infineon (47,000).

Bristol ranks third among all NASCAR Sprint Cup tracks in seating capacity, behind Indianapolis (approximately 250,000) and Daytona (159,000).

Among other notable information in the SMI annual report:

• NASCAR events generated 84 percent of SMI's revenue in 2009. They generated 83 percent of company revenue in 2008.

• SMI had 820 full-time employees at the end of 2009, a reduction of just eight from 2008.

• SMI predicts that its revenues from the NASCAR television contract will increase 2.9 percent from $174 million to $179 million. Television revenue made up 32 percent of all SMI revenues – compared with 28 percent in 2008 and 25 percent in 2007.

• Admissions revenue dropped 13.3 percent. Lower ticket prices contributed to approximately 78 percent of the drop, with the rest attributable to fewer tickets sold.

• SMI has long-term debt of $672 million, with $331.4 million of it due in 2013.

• SMI has settled an Americas With Disabilities Act lawsuit with two people over access at Infineon Raceway. It is awaiting court approval of the settlement.