SMI Acquires New Hampshire Track
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Posted by Jeremy Dunn Nov 2, 2007 |
Bruton Smith, Chairman of Speedway Motorsports Inc., has acquired New Hampshire International Speedway from its orginal owner Bob Bahre on Friday. It was purchased for $340 million, and will be renamed New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Bahre began constructing the 1.058-mile oval in 1990, and held its first NASCAR Cup race in 1993, won by Rusty Wallace.
In 1996, Bob Bahre and Bruton Smith partnered in the buyout of North Wilkesboro Speedway allowing a date for Texas Motor Speedway and a second date for New Hampshire, and completely wiping the old North Wilkesboro track from the NASCAR schedule.
With the acquisition of the Loudon based facility, Smith would likely give one of the two dates to the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Smith has already expressed his desire to see Las Vegas host two Sprint Cup events. And that is just what we all need, another 1.5-mile race on the NASCAR agenda taking the place of an unconventional track. And if Las Vegas is added to the Chase for the Championship, then six of the ten races would be on cookie cutter venues. Sorry, but that would not be an upgrade to the much-maligned Chase for the Championship format.
It is no secret that New Hampshire is not the most exciting track on the circuit, but it is unique. Some feel that the track has potential if it's banking was increased. Homestead and Las Vegas are two tracks that have seen better racing since their rebanking.
Recently, Bruton Smith has toyed with the notion of building a new track in the Charlotte, North Carolina area.