International Speedway Corporation

The International Speedway Corporation (ISC ) ​​is a US-based company, which owns and manages racetracks of NASCAR Sprint Cup and other race series. It was founded by NASCAR founder Bill France in 1953 as operator of the Daytona International Speedway and after the merger in 1999 with Penske Motorsports one of the largest motorsports companies in North America. International Speedway Corporation has played an important but controversial role in the development of NASCAR. Both companies worked closely together to build new circuits and modernize older. However, they were therefore also target various antitrust actions brought by competitors.

  • 2.1 racetracks
  • 2.2 Former / Inactive racetracks
  • 3.1 Pacific Northwest 3.1.1 Marysville
  • 3.1.2 Bremerton

History

Bill France Racing

The International Speedway Corporation (later Daytona International Speedway Corporation) founded in 1953 as Bill France Racing, Inc. and signed a contract in 1957 to acquire land for the construction of Daytona International Speedway, one of the first super speedway in the world. Ten years later, France decided to build another Super Speedway, this time set in 8 -acre grounds near Talladega, Alabama, which should be the fastest track in the NASCAR. Until the introduction of Restricor Plates in 1988 these two super speedways were the fastest rates of NASCAR. In 1968 it was renamed the company International Speedway Corporation in order to emphasize the much richer end ambitions. 1970 saw the establishment of the Motor Racing Network, a network of radio stations that broadcast the races of the NASCAR. The first transmission was the Daytona 500, the season 1970.

Transition phase

In the early 1980s, the popularity of NASCAR grew not only among fans but also the sponsors. Companies such as Ford, General Motors, Winston and Gatorade decided to sponsorship, so that the organizing of car racing became more profitable. To beat from this capital, the International Speedway Corporation pursued a course of expansion by already buying up existing tracks. So she bought in 1982 one of the most popular and longest race track, the in operation since 1950, Darlington Raceway, as well as the Tucson Raceway Park, an unpaved oval with a length of 0.375 miles ( 600 m) in Arizona, which was then paved. The following year, the International Speedway Corporation entered into a partnership with Corning Glass Works, to buy the road course Watkins Glen International in upstate New York.

In 1987, Bill France Sr. resigned as president of the company and handed over the reins to Jim France. Two years later, with America Crown the inclusion of own catering company.

Merger with Penske Motorsports

After the transition period, the International Speedway Corporation was indeed profitable, but most races of NASCAR still took place in the southern states, and mostly in rural areas, while many major cities in the United States such as Los Angeles, Detroit, Miami and Chicago ones on the outside, as is not a suitable track was in their vicinity. Towards the end of the 1990s was therefore looking for a solution to this problem. Thus, the ISC was in 1997 with Penske Motorsports partnered with the owners of the built in 1995, Homestead-Miami Speedway, a. In 1999, the merger with Penske Motorsports, which included at that time the four racetracks Nazareth Speedway, North Carolina Speedway, Michigan International Speedway and the newly built California Speedway took place. The Chairman Bill France Jr. stated that the attractive markets of the main reasons was for the merger. The new company changed its name to continue under the name of International Speedway Corporation, while Roger Penske's son Gregory joined the board. However, not all race tracks acquired through the merger fit into the business plan, so that short time later, the Nazareth Speedway closed and the North Carolina Speedway was sold. Furthermore, the company held after the merger a share of 90 % on Homesteadt -Miami Speedway, so that the remaining shareholders were paid to be the sole owner of the race track.

That same year, International Speedway Corporation founded with the owners of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the Motorsports Allicance, whose aim was to build a new racetrack in the immediate vicinity of Chicago in Joliet, Illinois, with the Chicagoland Speedway. For this purpose also the smaller Route 66 Raceway was purchased. In 2007, the International Speedway Corporation paid the other partner to obtain sole control of both tracks.

In 2001, the trend of the company to the modern racetracks continued by causing build near Kansas City, Kansas Kansas Speedway. In 2003, Lesa Kennedy, the position of the President of Jim France.

Current situation

International Speedway Corporation owns 13 active tracks, hold together 19 of a total of 36 races for NASCAR Sprint Cup. In twelve of them race of the Sprint Cup will be organized, the 13 route is the Route 66 Raceway, a race track for drag racing. In addition to the race of the NASCAR also races in the IndyCar Series, Grand-Am, International Motor Sports Association, the Sports Car Club of America, the World Karting Association and American Motorcyclist Association are held on the race tracks of the International Speedway Corporation. Other touring car racing series like the IROC and ARCA use the racetracks.

Furthermore, the company is one of the Motor Racing Network, which transmits radio broadcasts of NASCAR racing, the catering company Ameri Crown, which operates the food vendors at the race tracks, as well as the Daytona 500 Experience, a tourist attraction at the Daytona International Speedway. Since 2005, a partnership with Speedway Motorsports, Inc. under the name Motorsports Authentics, a company that souvenirs and collectibles related to NASCAR markets.

Although the International Speedway Corporation is headed by the France family, it is independent of NASCAR. About 35 % of the shares are owned by the family, the rest is traded on the exchange. The Company's headquarters are located in Daytona Beach, Florida, across from the Daytona International Speedway.

Racetracks

Former / Inactive racetracks

  • Lists the year in which the company had a share of more than 50 % of the respective route.
  • International Speedway Corporation put the event on the Nazareth Speedway one in 2004 and the route is for sale
  • International Speedway Corporation sold the North Carolina Speedway to Speedway Motorsports, Inc. as a result of the Ferko process, which in turn resold the route of the former racer Andy Hillenburg. Hillenburg changed the name of the track at Rockingham Speedway and plans to establish several touring car race at the Speedway.
  • International Speedway Corporation completed the Pikes Peak International Raceway shortly after purchase. The race of the NASCAR Nationwide Series was moved to Martinsville. The track is available for sale, with the International Speedway Corporation emphasizes not to sell to someone who is planning to host race in front of spectators on it.
  • International Speedway Corporation sold the Tucson Raceway Park to David Deery, the manager of the track, in 2002.

Future expansion

Both the International Speedway Corporation and NASCAR have publicly announced they want to expand in regions with corresponding growth potential, primarily the Pacific Northwest and New York City. On the part of the International Speedway Corporation, it was said, a corresponding track will go into operation in 2011 at the earliest.

Pacific Northwest

Marysville

In 2003, the International Speedway Corporation began with the search for suitable places for race tracks in Washington and Oregon. A possible location was near Marysville in Snohomish County north of Seattle. Although there were sporadic resistance from the residents favored the local economy and the majority of the inhabitants of a plan to build a race track, as they hoped thereby an upswing in the economy and new jobs. In contrast to the planned route in New York in the construction of the line should be funded by tax dollars, similar to those of other sporting venues in the region. The track would have remained publicly owned and leased to the International Speedway Corporation. In November 2004, announced local politicians and the International Speedway Corporation that they would not pursue the plan further, since the cost of construction would be too high.

Bremerton

After the rejected plan to build a track in Marysville, the International Speedway Corporation favored a location near Bremerton in Kitsap County on the opposite side of the Puget Sound in Seattle. Although the construction was to be financed in part by public funds similar in Marysville, it would not have come directly from tax revenues, but from funded by taxes festverzinzlichen securities. As in Marysville the track would have remained in public ownership and has been leased for three races per year at the International Speedway Corporation. The International Speedway Corporation proposal initially met with reluctance from the local legislature and the local residents, so that the company promised to put forward a better proposal in the spring of 2007.

In March 2007, Larry Seaquist caused by the Washington House of Representatives a controversy when he was quoted as saying, "These people are not the kind of people you would want living next door to you. They'd be the ones with the junky cars in the front yard and would try to slip around the law. " ( " These people are those you do not want to have to live next door. They are the ones with the junk cars in the front yard and try, While it was initially assumed that Seaquist with this statement initially wanted to attack the NASCAR fans to circumvent the law. " ), he later claimed that this statement was addressed to the International Speedway Corporation.

In April 2007, the plan was also abandoned for the construction of the circuit, partly due to lack of support.

New York City

In 2004, the International Speedway Corporation bought a 2.4 km ² site on Staten Iceland to build a race track with a length of 0.8 miles ( 1.3 km), of a capacity of 80,000 spectators and the skyline New York would have been in the background. The plans for the building, however, met fierce resistance in the population of Staten Iceland. At a public meeting in April 2006, the police had to prematurely cancel the event because of security concerns, fearing riots. In December 2006, the International Speedway Corporation rejected the plans for the project.

Colorado

On 13 February 2007, the International Speedway Corporation announced that she wanted to build a race track in Colorado. The 75,000 -seat facility to be built here in Adams County east of Denver. In addition, the funding will also be undertaken through a combination of public and private funds.

Antitrust lawsuits

Ferko process

In 2002, sued Francis Ferko, one of the shareholders of Speedway Motorsports, Inc. NASCAR and the International Speedway Corporation for violations of the antitrust laws and breach of contract because it Texas Motor Speedway gave no second race in Winston Cup, although there is a corresponding agreement between NASCAR and Speedway Motorsports, Inc. shall have given. Although Brian France, CEO of NASCAR, initially announced to unsubscribe the process before a court, the parties agreed in April 2004 out of court. Content of the agreement was that the Texas Motor Speedway was awarded a second race, which was previously held at the North Carolina Speedway and Speedway Motorsports, Inc. in exchange bought from the Speedway for 100 million U.S. dollars from the International Speedway Corporation.

Kentucky Speedway

In 2005, the Kentucky Speedway strained to a similar lawsuit against the International Speedway Corporation and NASCAR, which these companies would violate the antitrust laws because they zuteilten the Kentucky Speedway no race in the Nextel Cup. In particular, in the application, the close connection between NASCAR, the International Speedway Corporation and the France family was emphasized. NASCAR tried the action as unlawfully dismissed, since it does not would the operators of the Speedway to prevent the assumed anti-competitive behavior, but to want to hit out of the Ferko process capital. This request was rejected by the court. Likewise, an application has been refused to transfer the process from Kentucky to Florida. The International Speedway Corporation itself argued that she was not involved in the case, since it was not active at all in Kentucky. The lawyers of the Kentucky Speedway disagreed with this statement, since the International Speedway Corporation abwickle also doing business on the Internet and thus was responsible.

After the owner of Kentucky Speedway NASCAR court originally wanted to force them to hold a race of the Nextel Cup on their track, they changed in 2007, her lawsuit, which the France family either NASCAR or the International Speedway Corporation should sell. In addition, NASCAR should develop objective standards, would for deciding on the allocation of race.

In January 2008, the court dismissed the action because the plaintiffs had not adequately explained their case.

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