Wednesday, June 02, 1999
Kentucky Speedway will open with ARCA race
BY KRISTINA GOETZ
The Cincinnati Enquirer
CRESCENT SPRINGS — The Kentucky Speedway should open in June 2000 with the $350,000 Blue Grass Quality Meats 200, an Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) race.
But speedway co-owner Jerry Carroll said that's only the beginning for his Gallatin Coun ty track.
The goal is to snag a Winston Cup race by 2002, he said.
Tracks around the country are vying for the coveted Winston Cup races, which draw celebrity drivers such as Dale Earnhardt and Jeff Gordon.
“Just like the drivers, you have to start somewhere,” Mr. Carroll said Tuesday as he announced the first race and sponsor at the new speedway.
“NASCAR will be watching us. We've got to prove a lot of things to NASCAR.”
There's also talk of bringing NASCAR's Busch Grand National series to the speedway as early as next year.
“We hope to have Busch next year,” Mr. Carroll said. “But what we want to do is kick this off with ARCA to show the enthusiasm for this sport.
“These (drivers) want a place to showcase themselves, too. By the time we get here, we'll have one tremendous crowd.”
Sam Finch, president and chief executive officer of Blue Grass Quality Meats, said the family-owned business based in Crescent Springs signed a three-year contract with Kentucky Speedway to become the official meat company and sponsor of the race.
“We just felt it was the right fit for us,” Mr. Finch said.
From a business standpoint, Mr. Finch said he knows racing fans are extremely loyal.
By supplying wieners, mettwurst, bratwurst, ham steak and other products at the races, Mr. Finch hopes they become so popular that fans will buy them at the races and at home.
“That's where we'll get our return on our investment,” he said.
Frank Kimmel, the 1998 ARCA racing champion, said as an ARCA driver, it will be nice to drive on such a quality track where he's sure racing fans will come.
All eyes in the racing circuit, he said, are on the 1.5-mile track will have 65,000 grandstand seats, 50 luxury suites and a private glass-enclosed restaurant on the start/finish line.
“All the motor sports connections are watching,” Mr. Kimmel said. “If they want to run a major stock car event, they have to show they're going to bring the people in.”
And by all indications, they're doing just that, he said.
“They're building the kind of track that race fans like,” he said. “They're following those guidelines very closely.”
Mr. Carroll said in a month or so more sponsors will be announced and in three months other races will be announced.
“This track is going to prove itself around the country and we've got room to grow,” he said.
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