Monday, August 28, 2000
Speedway lands Busch race
By Tom Groeschen
The Cincinnati Enquirer
SPARTA, Ky. — Kentucky Speedway is expected to announce Tuesday that it has obtained a NASCAR Busch race for the 2001 season.
“We'll have something for you Tuesday, but I can't say more than that,” speedway chairman Jerry Carroll said Sunday.
Carroll has hinted this weekend that “something big” is brewing, and all signs point to a Busch race. Last week, smaller tracks at Myrtle Beach (S.C. )and South Boston (Va.) announced the Busch series would not return to their facilities in 2001, which opened up potential dates for Kentucky.
It is not known what date the Busch race would come to Kentucky, although it probably would be between June and August. In 2000, Myrtle Beach's Busch race was on June 10 and South Boston's was June 17.
NASCAR officials will not comment on whether Kentucky will get a Busch race.
Kentucky already has a NASCAR Craftsman Truck race. Busch is the next step toward a Winston Cup date, but NASCAR CEO Mike Helton has said Kentucky is not in NASCAR's Winston plans for now.
NASCAR already has announced its 2001 Winston schedule, with Kentucky hoping for a date by 2003 or 2004.
TURNSTILES SPIN: “We had five races and five records,” Carroll said of the Speedway summer.
That may be stretching it, but the Speedway did have large crowds for its three racing weekends.
There were nearly 30,000 for the NASCAR Slim Jim All-Pro race on June 16, over 63,000 for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck race on June 17, and crowds approaching 30,000 for both of the summer's ARCA races (July 2, and Saturday).
Sunday, the attendance was 61,214, one of the largest IRL crowds outside the Indy 500.
Aside from the IRL, the above figures were “stand-alone” records for each series, according to the speedway. Stand-alone means unsupported by another event.
SARAH RULES: Sarah Fisher, the 19-year-old IRL rookie who finished a season-high third, had grand marshal Pete Rose escort her across the stage in pre-race introductions Sunday.
Fisher, born in Columbus and reared in Commercial Point, Ohio, also had a large contingent of fans in the stands.
Typically reserved and poised most of the season, Fisher was overwhelmed by finishing third. Her highest previous finish was 12th, and she had wrecked four times in six races.
“It's so awesome, and it gives me a real confidence boost,” she said. “To race hard in the end against guys like Scott (Goodyear) and Buddy (Lazier) ... that was awesome.”
TITLE TALK: Buddy Lazier now has a 258-220 lead over Scott Goodyear in the IRL points race. The 38-point bulge is relatively large, considering there is only one race remaining in the season, Oct. 15 at Texas.
LAST WORD: IRL veteran Scott Goodyear, on Kentucky Speedway: “Overall, it's a great facility. It's clean, it's pleasant. The only thing I can think of to improve it is to put a dome over it when it rains.”
Sports Stories
Marlins 7, Reds 6
Box, runs
Results of our Reds poll
Larkin dislocates finger on swing
Reds-Braves Scouting Report
Bengals release DeMarco
Bengals eye cuts for practice squad
Results of our Bengals poll
