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CUP: Kentucky Speedway Concedes Court Case
Kentucky Speedway is still seeking a Sprint Cup date.
Tom Jensen  |  Posted December 18, 2009   Charlotte, NC
Kentucky Speedway founders have decided to continue their antitrust lawsuit against NASCAR over its refusal to grant a Sprint Cup date to the track. (Photo: Getty Images)

The long and contentious legal battle between Kentucky Speedway and NASCAR is over and, ironically, that may pave the way for what the parties were fighting over in the first place: a Sprint Cup race for the 1.5-mile track.

The track had filed an anti-trust suit against NASCAR and International Speedway Corp. seeking a Cup date, but lost both its court case and a final appeal last week.

After the suit was filed, Speedway Motorsports Inc. acquired the track for its portfolio of racing properties. SMI officials have indicated they will petition NASCAR for a Cup date for Kentucky in 2011, a date that would likely have to come from another SMI track.

NASCAR officials had said they would not consider such a request until the litigation is completed. Now, that may be possible, as the track’s founders have given up the legal fight.

“On behalf of the original partners of Kentucky Speedway, I have informed our attorneys we will not pursue any remaining appeals in the case of Kentucky Speedway, LLC v. NASCAR, et al. While we still believe in the merits of the case, it is time to accept the decision of the courts and move on,” said former Kentucky Speedway Chairman Jerry Carroll in a statement issued Friday.

“I appreciate the continuing opportunity to assist and consult with (SMI Chairman) Bruton Smith, Gov. Steve Beshear and our dedicated corporate partners to realize our shared dream of bringing a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race to Kentucky,” Carroll said.

Tom Jensen is the Editor in Chief for SPEEDtv.com, the former Executive Editor of NASCAR Scene and a contributing Editor for TruckSeries.com. He is the author of "Cheating: The Bad Things Good NASCAR Nextel Cup Racers Do In Pursuit of SPEED," and has appeared on television and radio shows to discuss NASCAR racing. Jensen is the past President of the National Motorsports Press Association. Jensen is the 1997 National Motorsports Press Association Writer of the Year and has won numerous national and state awards for news reporting, columns and feature writing. The Answer Man is back at SPEEDtv.com. Tom Jensen answers your questions during every race week and looks forward to hearing from you - please e-mail it to






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