NHIS has been SOLD!

[Jeremy Billiel]

http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/news/story?s...Id=2&id=3089586

The home to New England's only Nextel Cup races is being sold, a move that leaves the future of NASCAR racing at New Hampshire International Speedway uncertain, according to a published report.

Sources have told The Boston Globe that NHIS chairman Bob Bahre has agreed to sell his track to O. Bruton Smith, who is the CEO and chairman of Speedway Motorsports Inc.

An announcement is expected to come Friday at Texas Motor Speedway, site of this weekend's Race to the Chase stop. Texas Motor Speedway is owned by Smith's SMI group.

While track owners certainly wield influence over when they host races, NASCAR retains control of the actual dates of the races on its schedule.

SMI owns several race tracks that host two Nextel Cup events each, including Bristol Motor Speedway, Atlanta Motor Speedway and Lowe's Motor Speedway. Texas Motor Speedway hosts two events as well. SMI also owns Infineon Raceway and Las Vegas Motor Speedway, which currently host one Cup race each year.

The Loudon races at New Hampshire play a key part in deciding NASCAR's champion. The July date is the first of 10 NASCAR races that serve as a prelude to the Chase for the Cup, or NASCAR's 10-race playoff system, which kicks off at NHIS in September.

Any time a track is sold, the status of its Nextel Cup races always becomes a hot topic. There has been talk that one or both of Loudon's dates could be taken away and a likely recipient of one date would be Las Vegas, but according to the report, that might not happen.

Another possible scenario would be that NHIS swaps one of its dates with Texas, leaving TMS as the starting point to NASCAR's playoffs.

"Bruton's a businessman," the source told The Globe. "He sees how well they've done up there."

Loudon has sold out 26 consecutive races, according to The Globe.

[StephF]

Uh oh....I'd feel better about this if Palmer was closer to reality.
Keep those fingers crossed.

[Dano77]

Had this very discussion with the other one a few days ago. What to do if there were no road courses within 5 hours drive. Looks like SPO becomes ACT Late model and we race at night. What would you do? Open question...
Dan

[Tkczecheredflag]

Had this very discussion with the other one a few days ago. What to do if there were no road courses within 5 hours drive. Looks like SPO becomes ACT Late model and we race at night. What would you do? Open question...
Dan
[/b]

We have been looking at 270 and 600 mini/micro sprints. There is a track (indoor) opening in Windsor, CT, catering to cars and bikes.
http://www.mototownusa.com/mototownnm/anmv...r.asp?a=332&z=4

[Doc Bro]

Let's see....
Bruton Smith new owner....
Consistent sold out show....
Only NASCAR stop in New England....


BYE, Bye road course, Hello new bleachers....

Anybody been to Bristol??

Betcha 5 bucks!

R

[StephF]

Head West. Or South
Watkins Glen. Pocono. Summit Point. VIR.

It would suck to have the longer tow all the time, but I like all of these tracks a lot better than NHIS anyway.

And we are already doing this to some extent. Our time to get away to go racing is limited as it is, so we have been selecting weekends that have doubles, enduros or both. We both tow, so we share driving duties to get out there. While we don't get 10 or more weekends in a year, we do get to run a variety or tracks. We've gone as far as Moroso for the 24 hour, towing from here. And one year we went out to Road America. Now that was some serious fun! I'd love to do that again! We should get a caravan of folks together from New England some time when they have a double and head out to invade them.

[almracing]

I just can't believe NER didn't buy it. $340 Million... a bargain! :P

[joeg]

And we are already doing this to some extent. Our time to get away to go racing is limited as it is, so we have been selecting weekends that have doubles, enduros or both. We both tow, so we share driving duties to get out there. While we don't get 10 or more weekends in a year, we do get to run a variety or tracks. We've gone as far as Moroso for the 24 hour, towing from here. And one year we went out to Road America. Now that was some serious fun! I'd love to do that again! We should get a caravan of folks together from New England some time when they have a double and head out to invade them.
[/quote]


Get to Nelson--the fastest track around!

[Jethro]

Word on the street is Burton Smith bought it to get Vegas two dates and NHIS only one....

[7racing]

Word on the street is Burton Smith bought it to get Vegas two dates and NHIS only one....
[/b]

I'm sure that was one of the reasons, but I'm also sure there are many more.

From speedtv's website:
“It does make money now, and of course, our goal always is to make money, and we’ll be working very hard at that,” said Smith of the track. “I’m very pleased with the acquisition. As a matter of fact, I’m thrilled with it.”

He did say he wants to improve NHIS, which has one of the smallest seating capacities of any Nextel Cup. “My goal always has been to make them better, better, better,” Smith said of the tracks he’s acquired in the past. “I think a prime example is Bristol (Motor Speedway). You know, I’ve torn down the entire … everything at Bristol, and I think all of you will agree it’s better. What we’re about is to make it better and more fan-friendly and we will come up some kind of a plan and hope you like it.” Under SMI’s ownership, Bristol has expanded from 26,000 seats to 155,000.



Though I don't want to believe that the road course will be leaving anytime soon, it does put that doubt in my mind. Do I want to tow 3+ hours to go racing? (assuming we are still at LRP...and Palmer isn't built)

Stay positive, stay positive. Bruton Smith seems to like all forms of racing, he has Daytona Prototypes and SPEED World Challenge (as well as some SCCA regional/nationals) at his tracks. I like to believe that the road course has a fair chance of staying.

Hell, the Red Sox can win a World Series within 4 years of their previous one. Anything is possible!

[stevel]

Word on the street is Burton Smith bought it to get Vegas two dates and NHIS only one....
[/b]

from above...
"There has been talk that one or both of Loudon's dates could be taken away and a likely recipient of one date would be Las Vegas"

[Andy Bettencourt]

Maybe the sellers would ilke to invest in PMP?!!! ??!??!?!?

[Ed Funk]

And we are already doing this to some extent. Our time to get away to go racing is limited as it is, so we have been selecting weekends that have doubles, enduros or both. We both tow, so we share driving duties to get out there. While we don't get 10 or more weekends in a year, we do get to run a variety or tracks. We've gone as far as Moroso for the 24 hour, towing from here. And one year we went out to Road America. Now that was some serious fun! I'd love to do that again! We should get a caravan of folks together from New England some time when they have a double and head out to invade them.
Get to Nelson--the fastest track around!
[/b]

She's been there!

[MMiskoe]

Maybe the sellers would ilke to invest in PMP?!!! ??!??!?!?[/b]

Well gee whiz Andy, you might have an idea there. Palmer needs guys with big piles of money burning holes in their pocket who like cars. Bob Bahre sure fits that bill. Cripe he had to have a special variance to build a garage to hold his car collection because it is more of a warehouse than a garage.

I'm just bright enough to know I'm not the guy to go solicit people for such things. But if there was someone in the group w/ the right sales skills, you might pitch it to him such that he'd listen. He's made money on just about every venture he's done and NHIS is not the only track he's owned.

Perhaps Ted Goddard would know how to go about contacting him.

[GregM]

That will sure make some people think twice about giving up those Lime Rock dates if the NHIS road course disappears. I would bet that with NHIS selling out it will look like Dover in no time.

[robits325is]

If they level the road course and install stadium type seating then maybe we can race the oval!

[RSTPerformance]

With the very few events that are held on the oval (Nascar) track I don't see how it is possible to completely eliminate the road course. Most if not all the employees would become part timers and/or would be sitting around doing nothing for most of the year.

Think positive... Plenty of land with major elevation changes, how about a new fun track to host Daytona Prototypes!!!!

Raymond

[JLawton]

Matt's got a good point. I'm sure they could work out putting in additional seating AND still keep the road course. If we could just give him a good sales pitch, I would hope he'd consider it.

[BobsAuto]

I agree with Raymond, stay positive. #1, cars are not the only venue at NHMS and I don't think Bruton Smith would turn his back on the oldest bike race in the area. After all, bike week has a long history on that property. As for tearing down the road course to add more seating......I have my doubts. He has room on the back of turn 3 and on the back of turn two to add seating and still keep the reserved RV area which is the road course area. Also, the track really can't accommodate too much more parking on a Nextel cup race as the parking was so full this last race, we were shuffling handicapped people out to the back forty which is roughly 3 miles out to the back of the property. If anything, I would hope the biggest improvement he could make would be the parking situation for the handicapped guests. I also don't think he would shut down the road course which makes money for the track on off weekends. I guess I'm simply saying, don't get into a panic. So many people are getting into a panic over this. I was talking to a parking supervisor last week who was in a tizzy worried he would be out of a job that he holds only 2x a year for a total of 3 weeks. Get real, the man is a businessman, he won't cut off his nose to spite his face. Think positive.

But on the other hand, get going on Palmer.......sounds so great....can't wait to watch a race there.