Second Kansas Cup date offered in pitch for casino

DAVID POOLE

The Charlotte Observer

Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2008

International Speedway Corp. president Lesa France Kennedy said Wednesday the company would ask NASCAR to give Kansas Speedway a second Cup race in 2010 if a hotel-casino project proposed for that facility wins approval.

The Kansas Lottery Commission is considering four proposals for rights to build a casino in Wyandotte County, Kans., which is where the Kansas track is located. One of those proposals is for a 300-room Hard Rock Hotel-Casino complex that would be build at Turn 2 of the track. ISC and Cordish Corp. would partner in that $700 million project.

Kennedy's promise to seek a second date for the Kansas track was made as the ISC/Cordish team presented its plans to the lottery commission. The commission is scheduled to make its decision by Sept. 19.

Kennedy said ISC would seek permission to "realign" a Cup race from a track it owns to Kansas. ISC owns seven tracks that now have two dates – California, Daytona, Martinsville, Michigan, Phoenix, Richmond and Talladega.

ISC tracks with one race dat each are Chicagoland, Darlington, Homestead-Miami, Kansas and Watkins Glen.

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