Sunday, May 06, 2001
Ky. Speedway opens second season Friday
Kentucky Speedway opens its second season next weekend, with a bit less fanfare but lots of star power.
NASCAR star Tony Stewart will drive in a season-opening event Friday night, a USAC Midget race. There's also an ARCA truck race that night.
The following day, Winston Cup drivers Michael Waltrip, Sterling Marlin, Brett Bodine and former driver Ernie Irvan will drive in a Legends race. That's followed by an ARCA stock race that could include female star Shawna Robinson.
Last June 16, the speedway opened on a bittersweet note. More than 63,000 people attended the grand-open ing NASCAR Craftsman Truck race, but the night is as much remembered for its mud and traffic problems. Torrential, overnight rains (3-plus inches) rendered several grass parking areas unusable. The backlash was massive traffic jams, and some ticket holders were turned away because there was nowhere else to park.
That won't happen this weekend. For one, crowds are expected to be about 15,000-plus Friday night and perhaps 40,000 Saturday. That leaves plenty of parking room.
The speedway has taken several steps to alleviate traffic and parking concerns. Its quick response last summer was a big factor in landing its signature event for 2001, a NASCAR Busch race scheduled for June 16.
The big goal remains a Winston Cup race, the crown jewel of American motorsports.
Jerry Carroll, Kentucky Speedway chairman, had dinner with NASCAR president Mike Helton three weeks ago on a Busch race weekend in Nashville. Helton gave Carroll no indication of whether Kentucky will get a Winston Cup race, but was pleased to learn Kentucky had sold more than 50,000 tickets for its Busch race in June.
“I feel better than ever about getting a Winston Cup race,” Carroll said. “Everything we've done has been geared to that. Now, Mike Helton can't give us any as surances. But it's just my feeling that someday we'll get one.”
What's new at the speedway:
• An expanded I-71 provides three lanes northbound from the venue toward Cincinnati, stretching three miles toward the city. Last year, there were only two northbound lanes.
• New, overhead electronic signage directs patrons into the track.
• There is a new concourse at the track, expanded VIP parking (1,200 spaces, up from 700), expanded hospitality area (for 8,000, up from 4,000) and a new reserved RV area for campers.
• There are new gravel “finger roads,” and many of last year's grass parking lots are now paved.
Mark Cassis, speedway general manager, said a new I-71 interchange (about two miles south of the track) could be ready by 2002.
“The biggest thing we learned last year was finding better ways to get people in and out of the track,” Cassis said. “We now have a better understanding on how to do it.”
DEI RESCHEDULES: The DEI (Dale Earnhardt Inc.) Winston Cup team has scheduled practices at Kentucky Speedway on May 14-15, according to Cassis. It is not known whether Dale Earnhardt Jr., Steve Park and/or Michael Waltrip will appear, or if someone else will test the cars.
The grandstands are not open for such tests, but the public can watch from the speedway Fan Center above Turn 3.
Testing schedules sometimes change with little warning, so the speedway advises fans to stay updated by visiting its Web site, kentuckyspeedway.com. Click on “Quick Picks,” then “Track Testing.”
THIS WEEK: Indianapolis 500 Pole Day will be Saturday. ... Also Saturday, Florence (Ky.) Speedway holds its 15th annual Ralph Latham Memorial for late models, paying $8,000 to win. ... Tri-State Dragway (Hamilton) has its 10th annual IHRA points meet.
E-mail: tgroeschen@enquirer.com.
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Ky. Speedway opens second season Friday
