Sponsors of a $368 million NASCAR race track proposal for Washington State abandoned their efforts Monday after encountering stiff opposition from local officials and resistance at the state Legislature.
Great Western Sports, a subsidiary of International Speedway Corp., announced the decision to drop the plan for the motorsports venue in Kitsap County, across Puget Sound from the Seattle metropolitan area.
ISC spokesman Lenny Santiago said his group hasn’t taken Washington state completely off the table, but could not see a way to proceed this year.
“We still think Washington state is a significant opportunity for our company,” Santiago said.
Developers had touted the racetrack as a $4 billion boon to the state’s economy, including thousands of jobs. But legislation to help finance the track has gone nowhere.
Great Western President Grant Lynch said in a statement that too many changes were being proposed.
“These additional changes to the legislation were unacceptable and would have had a significant negative impact on our financial model for the speedway development,” he said.
“Therefore, we have decided to no longer pursue the speedway development at the current location.”
Bookmark to:
- Washington Governor tells ISC to build track elsewhere in state
- Star drivers head to Washington to promote track plan
- ISC pledges two NASCAR race weekends for Washington track
- Washington track opponent rebuked by county council
- Washington lawmaker apologizes for calling Petty a drunk driver
Their loss. There is a perfectly good track at the Kentucky Speedway
that I guarantee would sell out every race!!
Once again, the state of Washington botches a prime opportunity. This state sucks.
I’m pissed now! First it was Troutdale’s mayor screwed up the track heree and now Washington is doing the same thing. We are never going to get a track here in the Northwest. Oh yeah like the one they were going to build in Boardman but they turned that down because it was going to scare the cows. What a bunch of crap!
LOL…scared the cows , thats cute. Melissa is right , Kentucky deserves a race and Rockingham should still have one. They gave Rockinghams race to California and they can only get 70 , ooo people to the race in a 15,000,000 person market? Thats crazy. I feel bad for people on the west coast that like racing , but why move races 3.000 miles from Charlotte if the fans arent gonna show. It just wastes the teams time driving across country. Give Kentucky a race already.
What a bunch of CRAP!!! Legislation pushed for a horse track in
Lewis County, right after they cancelled the Lewis County Rodeo for
lack of support and sponsorship, yet can’t get a NASCAR track put
in when support is behind it?! Where is the logic behind that? I
guess they think that a local horse track will bring people (and
their money)in from all over the country. Give me a break.
Frickin build it out by the Gorge. Thousands show up for concerts out there, They would for a race too. It’s in the middle of nowhere and wouldn’t bother anyone save a few cows. Weather’s consistant, and between Yakima and Moses Lake, as well as Ellensburg, There’d be plenty of hotel rooms.
Unbelievably stupid! A track would have been a good thing for Washington.
Well I’m not suprised. I’m glad NASCAR changed their mind, After all the law-makers think we have broken down cars in our front yards. Hey they probaly think we all are married to our cousins,
I’m for a track in Colorado, or NY.
Oh I am so mad!!!! I live in Washington state and I wanted a track here! I thought that wewerregoing to be able to vote on thsin!
We want a track in Washington. As a Spokane resident, I would travel to the track every year. Build us a Nascar track, We will come!!! Washington needs to open thier frickin eyes and see the big picture!! We want a track here in Washington state!!