Sources: SMI buys New Hampshire track
By SceneDaily Staff Report
Friday, November 02, 2007
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MARK SLUDER / NASCAR SCENE /
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Bob Bahre has agreed to sell New Hampshire International Speedway to O. Bruton Smith, CEO and chairman of Speedway Motorsports, Inc., multiple sources have told NASCAR Scene.
The transaction will give Smith control of two more NASCAR Sprint Cup races each season with the option of moving at least one of those, pending NASCAR approval. NASCAR officials have stated previously that track ownership groups, such as SMI or International Speedway Corp. (which owns 12 tracks hosting Cup events) could possibly move dates within their own group of facilities, pending NASCAR approval.
It's not the first time the pair has done business. Bahre, 80, and Smith jointly purchased North Wilkesboro Speedway in 1996, transferring that track's two NASCAR Cup dates, with one going to Bahre's New Hampshire track and one to Smith's Texas Motor Speedway.
Since that time, New Hampshire has traditionally hosted a race in July and one in September. In the past four seasons, it has been the site of the opening race in the Chase For The Nextel Cup, NASCAR's 10-event, championship race.
Smith is scheduled to hold a press conference at 12:30 p.m. EDT Friday at Texas Motor Speedway to confirm the transaction.
Smith's SMI empire includes Atlanta Motor Speedway, Bristol Motor Speedway, Infineon Raceway (Calif.), Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Lowe's Motor Speedway and Texas, for a total of 10 Cup points races a season in addition to the all-star race being held at the Charlotte track. This move would boost that number to 12.
Officials at NHIS said Thursday that Bahre was traveling and could not be reached for comment. Smith was en route to Texas Motor Speedway Thursday and also could not be reached for comment.
Smith has made no secret of his company's desire to obtain a second date for Las Vegas, and the purchase of NHIS would likely give him that option. In addition, Texas Motor Speedway officials have lobbied NASCAR for a date change regarding that track's second Cup weekend, which falls on the state's opening day of deer hunting season. A New Hampshire/Texas swap of Chase races would accomplish that objective.
In addition to its two Cup weekends, NHIS officials say the track has on-track activity from early April through the final weekend in October, featuring car and motorcycle events contested primarily on the track's road course. From a weather standpoint, a later Chase date wouldn't be out of the question if such a move was made.
However, one source told Scene that the purchase does not mean NHIS would see a change in its Cup schedule.
NHIS recently celebrated its 25th consecutive sellout of a Cup race. The facility, which lists a seating capacity of 91,000 in the grandstands, announced a crowd of 101,000 for both 2007 Cup events.
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