LAS VEGAS - Speedway Motorsports Inc. chairman Bruton Smith confirmed Sunday he has made an offer to purchase the NHRA. Smith said he has submitted a contract proposal to the NHRA but declined to provide any details. NHRA officials could not be reached for comment. Asked where the proposal stands, Smith said he's waiting for a reply. "They're a non-profit organization, and it's up to the present board," he said.
SMI, which owns Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, is fast becoming a major player in drag racing. The company owns drag racing facilities at Sears Point Raceway in Sonoma, California, which holds an NHRA national event, and Bristol (Tennessee) Motor Speedway, which stages the Winston Showdown all-star race.
SMI is building a new drag racing facility adjacent to its Las Vegas Motor Speedway, and that has received a new event for 2000. Smith also has stated his intention to build a drag strip at Texas Motor Speedway, even though the Texas Motorplex in Ennis has an exclusive agreement to stage NHRA events in the Dallas-Fort Worth market.
Smith wouldn't say what he would do with the NHRA if he acquired it, but he has said on previous occasions he believes the sport's format needs to be changed to better accommodate television. He has proposed building facilities with four lanes instead of two for continuous action.
written by Tony Fabrizio
from the Dallas Morning News
September 27, 1999
© Dallas Morning News, Inc. 1999
just thought I'd see if anyone was awake
d'kid