International Speedway Corporation

Type: Public
On the web: http://www.iscmotorsports.com
Employees: 1,000
Employee growth: 0.0%

International Speedway Corporation (ISC) doesn't believe in slow and steady. The company is the top motorsports operator in the US with about a dozen racetracks hosting more than 100 events annually. Its race facilities include Daytona International Speedway (home of the Daytona 500), Talladega Superspeedway, and Michigan International Speedway. In addition, ISC operates the Daytona 500 Experience theme park and museum and it owns 50% of motorsports merchandiser Motorsports Authentics with rival Speedway Motorsports. CEO James France and his family have more than 65% control of the company. Events sanctioned by NASCAR, also controlled by the Frances, account for more than 85% of sales.

Key numbers for fiscal year ending November, 2008:
Sales: $787.3M
One year growth: (3.6%)
Net income: $134.6M
Income growth: 56.1%

Officers:
Chairman: James C. (Jim) France
Vice Chair and CEO: Lesa D. France Kennedy
President: John R. Saunders

Competitors:
Dover Motorsports
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Speedway Motorsports

Incorporated: 1953
NAIC: 711212 Racetracks

With 11 racetracks hosting more than 100 auto racing events each year, International Speedway Corporation (ISC) is the largest motorsports operator in the United States. Some of its tracks include California Speedway, Darlington Raceway, Daytona International Speedway, Martinsville Speedway, Talladega Superspeedway, and Watkins Glen International. The company also owns MRN Radio, the largest independent sports radio network in the United States; Daytona USA, the official NASCAR motorsports attraction in Daytona Beach; Americrown Service Corporation, a catering service and food and beverage concessions provider; and Motorsports International, a manufacturer of motorsports-related merchandise. The France family owns 35 percent of ISC and also controls NASCAR, the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing.

The history of racing and the legendary names of automotive competition in the Daytona Beach area of the state of Florida can be traced back to 1903. Legend has it that racing on the beach started when two gentlemen entered into a friendly wager as to which one of them had the most reliable and fastest "horseless carriage." That one wager, and resulting race, gave rise to what soon became known as the "Birthplace of Speed." Within a very short time, the wagers between gentlemen stopped but the competition to settle who had the fastest automobile continued. As word of the competition grew, and more people began to visit Daytona Beach just to view the automotive races, even the nascent film industry took an interest. The 1905 silent movie, Automobile Races at Ormond, Florida, provided the first glimmerings of an allure that would attract people for years to come. Suddenly, throngs of people came to watch the speed trials for the ever-improving motorized road vehicles. One of the most famous of all the speed trials during these early years involved Ransom E. Olds, the creator of what was later known as the "Oldsmobile" and the first man to engage in a race on Daytona Beach in a timed run.

During the years leading up to World War I, Daytona Beach attracted competitors from around the world to test the speed of their automobiles. In fact, most of the land speed records set during the early part of the 20th century were accomplished by drivers at Daytona Beach. Although the advent of World War I and America's involvement in the European conflict slowed the development of Daytona Beach as the gathering place for land speed trials, nonetheless, the attraction to the Florida location experienced an immediate resurgence following the end of the war in November of 1918.

Through the 1920s, and even during the height of the Great Depression, Daytona Beach attracted drivers who competed in speed time trials. As the Daytona Beach races grew in reputation and prominence, drivers from as far away as Britain, France, Italy, Hungary, Germany, and Spain became regular competitors. Major H.O.D. Segrave of Great Britain was the first man to exceed 200 mph on the beach. Frank Lockhart from the United States died on the same stretch of beach while attempting to establish a new speed record. As the motor car developed in both power and speed, however, the organizers of the Daytona Beach speed trials soon recognized that racing cars were outgrowing the facilities available at the beach. As a result of these developments, it was decided that the speed trials should be relocated to the Bonneville Salt Flats in the state of Utah. The last (and one of the legendary) land speed trials on Daytona Beach was held in March 1935, when Sir Malcolm Campbell in his famous Bluebird V set the best speed ever recorded on the beach at 276 mph.

Having already firmly established an international reputation as the "Birthplace of Speed" in the automotive racing industry, the organizers of the original Daytona Beach speed trials began looking for something new to continue the area's famous legacy. They found it in stock car racing. Although not a brand new sport, the organizing committee initiated a decidedly innovative approach. Regularly scheduled stock car races would be held on a course that combined a portion of Daytona Beach with a portion of a public road. The original course of 3.2 miles incorporated a north turn immediately south of the center of the city of Daytona. Running approximately 1.5 miles on the beach and then turning 1.5 miles onto a paved public highway, the two sections of the course were connected by banked sand turns. The inaugural race on March 8, 1936 signaled the start of a new era in the history of racing at Daytona Beach. Most of the initial competitors were from the United States, but as the reputation of the race grew, drivers from around the world began to flock to the beach once again. Not satisfied with sitting on their laurels, the organizers decided to take the next step and on January 24, 1937, inaugurated the Daytona 200 motorcycle race, the first of its kind in racing history.

Because of the reconfiguration of most American industrial factories in the name of national defense, racing at Daytona Beach was suspended for the duration of World War II. Most of the organizers closely associated with the racing at Daytona Beach were either serving in the Armed Forces or working in various industrial capacities for the American war effort. When the war ended in the summer of 1945, the organizers banded together once again to restart the racing tradition at Daytona Beach.

One of the most important influences on the postwar era of racing at Daytona was a man named Bill France. France, a mechanic from a local shop in Daytona, had entered the first stock car race in March 1935. Although he had finished fifth in the race, he developed a lifelong enthusiasm for the sport of racing. During the war, France worked as a welder and mechanic building submarine chasers at the Daytona Beach Boat Works. But when the war ended, he once again took his place among the competitors at Daytona Beach.

After the 1946 racing season had come to an end, France decided to retire from competitive racing and devote his energies to promoting stock car and motorcycle racing on the beach. A tireless and enthusiastic man, in 1947 France initiated the organizational meetings for what was to become NASCAR, the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing. NASCAR was established in 1948, and France and NASCAR became the driving force behind Daytona Beach racing.

One of the most important actions taken by France and NASCAR during the years after World War II was the promotion of a new design for the beach/road course in Daytona. The racing circuit was moved down to the south end of the beach, near Ponce Inlet, primarily because of the growth in Daytona. The newly designed course measured 2.2 miles for stock cars and 4.1 miles for motorcycles. Yet France soon realized that the continued and rapid growth in both Daytona's population and the racing crowds signaled the end of racing on the beach. Consequently, in April of 1953, France decided to form his own corporation, Bill France Racing, and begin planning the construction of a permanent speedway facility in Daytona.

By 1955, France's dream of a modern speedway facility in Daytona began to take shape when he entered into negotiations with the Daytona Beach Racing and Recreational Facilities Authority to construct and operate a $2.5 million motorsports arena. After private funding had been arranged for building the facility, the most up-to-date engineering and construction methods were used to follow the blueprint for a 2.5-mile tri-oval circuit that incorporated 31-degree banking in both its east and west turns. France changed the company's name to Daytona International Speedway Corporation in 1955.

In November 1957, the Daytona Beach Racing and Recreational Facilities Authority signed an agreement with France and his Daytona International Speedway to lease the property indefinitely. One year later, the beach/road course was used the final time for auto racing.

With much fanfare and publicity, the Daytona International Speedway hosted its inaugural race on February 22, 1959. The first Daytona 500 fielded an array of 59 cars and posted a sweepstakes award totaling $67,760. More than 41,000 people were in attendance to watch the first race of the Daytona 500. As history would have it, they were not disappointed. The finish of the race was too close to call, yet Johnny Beauchamp was declared the "unofficial winner" and basked in the adulation of Victory Lane. Unfortunately for Beauchamp, the final results were determined three days later by a clip of newsreel that provided conclusive evidence that Lee Petty had won the close race in his Oldsmobile. The first of many close stock car races that enhanced the reputation of Daytona International Speedway, it was followed by another dramatic finish on July 4th when Fireball Roberts won the first Firecracker 250 stock car race in a modified Pontiac.

During the next three decades, many new races were added to the schedule of Daytona International Speedway. The last motorcycle race on Daytona Beach was held in 1960; one year later it was moved to the Speedway, with Roger Reiman winning the first Daytona 200 on a Harley-Davidson. In 1962, Dan Gurney won the first Daytona Continental Sports Car Race in a Lotus Ford. Other races established during these years included the Pepsi 400; the Daytona Speedweeks, a 16-day preliminary set of races that initiated the major league racing season; the Rolex 24 at Daytona; the Exxon World SportsCar Championship and Supreme GT Series; the Busch Clash and Daytona ARCA 200; the ARCA Bondo/Mar-Hyde Supercar Series; the Gatorade 125-Mile Qualifying Races for the NASCAR Winston Cup, which determined the entrants for the Daytona 500; the Discount Auto Parts 200; the Firebird International Race of Champions; and the Daytona 300 NASCAR Busch Race. The company officially adopted the International Speedway Corporation (ISC) moniker in 1968.

By the early 1980s, ISC had become so famous that the running of the 25th anniversary of the Daytona 500 was a major international sports event. Drivers from more than 20 countries competed for the honor of driving in Victory Lane, which was won by Cale Yarborough in his Super-Pontiac. In 1984, President Ronald Reagan was the Grand Marshal for the NASCAR Winston Cup Race, won by Richard Petty. During these years, corporate sponsorship of racing at Daytona increased dramatically. Racing became known as one of the few sports where commercialism was not only accepted but expected. As a result, major corporations such as Ford, Chevrolet, Gatorade, DuPont, Goodyear, Anheuser-Busch, STP, and Western Auto signed on to sponsor major races at Daytona Speedway, which had the effect of significantly offsetting costs associated with those races.

ISC, which was first headed by Bill French and then by his son, began to expand its holdings during the 1980s and 1990s. Darlington Raceway in South Carolina was purchased in 1982, and Tucson Raceway in Arizona also was acquired. In addition, management decided to acquire a 50 percent interest in Watkins Glen International Road Course in New York in 1983.

The company purchased a 12 percent interest in Penske Motorsports Inc., the owner and operator of Michigan International Speedway and Nazareth Speedway in Pennsylvania in 1996. It also initiated construction of a new, state-of-the-art California Speedway, located near Los Angeles. At the same time, ISC expanded into areas other than speedway operation and management and racing promotion. Americrown Service Corporation was formed by International Speedway Corporation to operate the food, beverage, and souvenir concession stands at the Daytona, Talladega, and Darlington speedways. Also responsible for providing catering services to corporate customers in suites at these facilities, in 1995 Americrown expanded its services to other unaffiliated sporting events, such as the LPGA championships. International Speedway Corporation added a radio station to its holdings, MRN Radio Network, to produce and syndicate races promoted by the company. Finally, in July 1996, the company opened Daytona USA, a motorsports museum and theme park complex that includes attractions such as interactive media, racing exhibits, theaters, and a racing museum.

At this time, one of the fastest growing spectator sports in the United States was stock car racing, and ISC was at the forefront of its development and promotion. More than 70 stock car, sports car, truck, and motorcycle races were held annually at the company's properties, and nearly 80 percent of its income was derived from NASCAR sanctioned races at Daytona, Talladega, and Darlington. With revenues consistently on the rise, International Speedway Corporation had a clear road ahead for ever-larger profits.

Success led to additional growth and expansion for ISC as it prepared to enter the new millennium. In 1997, it acquired the remaining shares of Watkins Glen International and Phoenix International Raceway. During 1999, ISC purchased all remaining shares of Penske Motorsports Inc. The deal added four tracks to ISC's burgeoning holdings, including California Speedway, Michigan Speedway, N.C. Speedway, and Nazareth Speedway. ISC also acquired Richmond International Speedway in a $215 million deal.

During the late 1990s, the company set plans in motion to build a new motorsports facility in Kansas City, Kansas and Chicago, Illinois. Ground was broken in 2000 and the new speedways hosted their inaugural NASCAR Winston Cup Races in 2001. The company also partnered with Donald Trump to develop a motorsports facility in the New York area. In 2003, Nextel Communications Inc. usurped Winston's 32-year position as the sponsor of NASCAR's premier racing series. As such, the Nextel Cup Series was born out of a ten-year, $750 million sponsorship deal. Brian France, son of France, Jr., was named chairman and CEO of NASCAR that year while daughter Lesa France Kennedy became ISC's first female president.

ISC's close ties with NASCAR left it in an enviable position in the industry, but often left smaller competitors crying foul at its monopoly-like control. NASCAR made changes to its 2004 Nextel Cup championship schedule, favoring larger ISC markets versus smaller markets in the South. A Speedway Motorsports shareholder filed suit against NASCAR, claiming the schedule change gave an unfair advantage to ISC. The suit was settled eventually and as part of the agreement, ISC sold its North Carolina Speedway to Speedway Motorsports. ISC acquired Martinsville Speedway in Virginia in 2004--it used the money gained from the sale of its North Carolina track to fund the purchase.

By now, ISC's growth seemed unstoppable. The company's revenues had grown steadily since the 1990s, climbing from $418 million in 2000 to $648 million in 2004. More than 85 percent of 2004 revenues stemmed from NASCAR events. According to the company, NASCAR was the second highest-rated sport on television. It had 75 million fans across the United States. In fact, one in three American adults claimed to be a fan and during 2004, 17 of the top 20 highest-attended sporting events in the United States were NASCAR events. With a growing fan base, an expanding presence across the United States, and the top position in the motorsports industry, ISC was on the right track for success in the years to come.

Principal Subsidiaries

Americrown Service Corporation; ASC Holdings, Inc.; ASC Promotions, Inc.; The California Speedway Corporation; Chicago Holdings, Inc.; Darlington Raceway of South Carolina, LLC; Daytona International Speedway, LLC; Event Equipment Leasing, Inc.; Event Support Corporation; Great Western Sports, Inc.; HBP, INC.; Homestead-Miami Speedway, LLC; International Speedway, Inc.; ISC.Com, LLC; ISC Properties, Inc.; ISC Publications, Inc.; Kansas Speedway Corporation; Kansas Speedway Development Corporation; Leisure Racing, Inc.; Martinsville International, Inc.; Miami Speedway Corporation; Michigan International Speedway, Inc.; Motor Racing Network, Inc.; Motorsports Acceptance Corporation; The Motorsports Alliance, LLC; Motorsports International Corporation; New York International Speedway Corporation; North American Testing Company; Pennsylvania International Raceway, Inc.; Phoenix Speedway Corporation; Raceway Associates, LLC; Richmond International Raceway, Inc.; Rocky Mountain Speedway Corporation; Southeastern Hay & Nursery, Inc.; Talladega Superspeedway LLC; Watkins Glen International, Inc.; 88 Corporation; 380 Development LLC.

Principal Competitors

Dover Motorsports Inc.; National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc.; Speedway Motorsports Inc.

Further Reading

Bernstein, Viv, "Next Generation of NASCAR's Ruling Family Puts New Face on Sport," New York Times, February 20, 2005.

Cohen, Adam, "Blowing the Wheels Off Bubba," Time, February 26, 1996, pp. 56-57.

"From the Green to the Pits," Forbes, July 4, 1994, p. 20.

"International Speedway Expands," Wall Street Journal, December 2, 1999.

Lowry, Tom, "The Prince of NASCAR," Business Week, February 23, 2004, p. 90.

Mitchell, Mary A., "Racing Museum Revs Up," Travel Weekly, July 11, 1996, p. F3.

------, "Winter Business Picks Up Speed," Travel Weekly, March 21, 1994, p. F26.

"NASCAR: Unsafe at This Speed?," Business Week, November 1, 1999, p. 90.

Powell, Tom, "NASCAR Touring Show To Make Debut in August," Amusement Business, May 23, 1994, p. 15.

Rouch, Chris, "Red Necks, White Socks, and Blue Chip Sponsors," Business Week, August 15, 1994, p. 74.

Sullivan, Lee, "Brickyard Brickbats," Forbes, April 11, 1994, p. 20.

Waddell, Ray, "Interactive Motorsports Attraction Daytona USA To Open Summer '96," Amusement Business, September 4, 1995, p. 34.

------, "New Daytona USA Tops Projections," Amusement Business, August 5, 1996, p. 43.

— Thomas Derdak; Updated by Christina M. Stansell

International Speedway Corporation

Type	Public (NASDAQ: ISCA, OTCBB: ISCB)
Founded	1953 (as Bill France Racing, Inc.)
Headquarters	Daytona Beach, Florida
Key people	Bill France, Sr., founder Jim France, CEO Lesa Kennedy, president
Industry	Motorsports
Products	Sporting events
Revenue	▲ $798.4 million USD (2006, November)
Operating income	▲ $199.2 million USD (2006, November)
Net income	▲ $116.8 million USD (2006, November)
Employees	1,000 (full time)
Website	www.iscmotorsports.com

International Speedway Corporation (ISC) is a corporation whose primary business is the ownership and management of NASCAR race tracks. ISC was founded by NASCAR founder Bill France, Sr. in 1953 for the construction of Daytona International Speedway and in 1999 they merged with Penske Motorsports to become one of the largest motorsports companies in North America.^[1][2] The company has played an important, though controversial, role in the modernization of the sport. It has worked with NASCAR to create new tracks and update older ones in an effort to improve the racing and the experience for spectators (though because both companies have several members of the France family in top positions, ISC's competitors have filed multiple lawsuits on antitrust grounds) and has constructed popular new tracks in regions previously thought uninterested in NASCAR (though this has upset some residents of nearby towns who do not want a NASCAR track in their back yard).^[1][3][4]

Contents 1 History 1.1 Bill France Racing 1.2 Transition 1.3 Penske merger 2 Today 2.1 ISC tracks 2.2 Former/Inactive ISC tracks 3 Future expansion 3.1 Pacific Northwest 3.1.1 Marysville 3.1.2 Bremerton 3.2 New York City 3.3 Colorado 4 Antitrust lawsuits 4.1 Ferko lawsuit 4.2 Kentucky Speedway lawsuit 5 References

History

Bill France Racing

International Speedway Corporation (ISC) was founded as Bill France Racing, Inc. (later Daytona International Speedway Corporation) in 1953 and in 1957 the company signed a contract for the use of land on which to build Daytona International Speedway, one of the world's first superspeedways.^[1] A decade later, France decided to build another superspeedway, this time on a 2,000-acre (8 km²) site near Talladega, Alabama and after its completion Talladega Superspeedway became NASCAR's fastest track. These two tracks were the fastest on the series schedule until the advent of restrictor plates in 1988. In 1968, the company assumed its current name to reflect its more ambitious scope.^[2] Two years later, ISC created the Motor Racing Network, a play-by-play radio network for NASCAR races, with MRN's first race coverage coming at the 1970 Daytona 500.^[5]

Transition

The early 1980s saw NASCAR's popularity increase, not only among fans, but also with sponsors. Companies like Ford, General Motors, Winston and Gatorade were willing to put up advertising dollars and holding auto races became a much more profitable venture.^[2] To capitalize on this, the company began pursuing expansion through the purchase of existing tracks. In 1982, the company bought one of the series' most popular and traditional ones, Darlington Raceway which has been in operation since 1950, as well as Tucson Raceway Park, a .375 miles (0.604 km) dirt oval (since paved) in Arizona.^[1][2] The following year they parterned with Corning Glass Works to purchase the Watkins Glen International road course in upstate New York.^[1] In 1987, Bill France, Sr. stepped down as president of the company with Jim France replacing him.^[5] Two years later, ISC incorporated its food service company, Americrown.^[5]

Penske merger

By this time ISC was profitable, but most of their races were still in the South and in mostly rural areas, with many of the country's major cities like Los Angeles, Detroit, Miami and Chicago lacking a nearby track. ISC began looking for ways to change this in the late 1990s. Homestead-Miami Speedway was built in 1995 by Ralph Sanchez and Wayne Huizenga and in 1997 ISC and Penske Motorsports (owned by motorsports magnate Roger Penske) partnered with the track's owners.^[6] In 1999, the company continued its push into the country's urban centers when it merged with Penske, who at the time owned four speedways: Nazareth Speedway, North Carolina Speedway in Rockingham, North Carolina, Michigan International Speedway and the newly-constructed Auto Club Speedway| (which opened as California Speedway).^[7] Chairman Bill France, Jr. cited the company's "attractive markets" as one of the major reasons for going ahead with the deal.^[7] The new company retained the ISC name, with Penske's son Gregory Penske joining the board of directors.^[7] Not all of the new tracks from the Penske merger fit into the company's plans however, as Nazareth was soon closed down and Rockingham was sold. The merger also gave ISC a 90% stake in Homestead-Miami Speedway and the company soon bought out the final 10% to acquire complete control over the track.^[7]

In the same year, ISC formed the Motorsports Alliance with the owners of the historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway; this company would go after another huge market in Chicago by building the new Chicagoland Speedway in nearby Joliet, Illinois and by buying out the smaller Route 66 Raceway dragstrip.^[1] In 2007, ISC bought out its partners in the company to take control of both tracks.^[8]

In 2001, ISC would continue its trend towards modern facilities by constructing Kansas Speedway near Kansas City. In 2003, Lesa Kennedy took over from Jim France the role of president of the company.^[5] On June 1st, 2009 John R. Saunders took over as President of ISC becoming the first ISC President without a "France" Surname. Mr. Saunders held the position of Excutive Vice President of Opertions prior to becoming President.

Today

Today, the company owns 13 active tracks which collectively hold 19 of the 36 events on the schedule of NASCAR's premier competition, the Sprint Cup Series.^[9] Twelve of the thirteen host a Sprint Cup race (the thirteenth being Route 66 Raceway, a dragstrip).^[9] In addition to the stock car racing that NASCAR is famous for, ISC tracks also host IRL IndyCar races, Grand-Am, IMSA GT and SCCA sports car races, WKA go-kart races and AMA motorcycle races. Besides NASCAR, other stock car series like IROC and ARCA use their tracks.^[1]

The company's other holdings include the Motor Racing Network, a radio network that broadcasts NASCAR events, Americrown, a food service business that operates concession stands at its tracks, and the Daytona 500 Experience, a NASCAR-themed attraction just outside Daytona International Speedway.^[1] In 2005, ISC partnered with Speedway Motorsports, Inc. to form Motorsports Authentics, a company that markets and distributes NASCAR-related souvenirs and collectibles.^[10]

Although ISC is controlled by the France family, it is separate from NASCAR. About 35% of the stock in ISC is owned by the heirs of NASCAR founder Bill France and the remainder trades on the stock market.^[11] Lesa Kennedy is president and Jim France is CEO.^[1]

ISC is still headquartered in Daytona Beach, Florida near Daytona International Speedway. ISC is working with the Cordish Company to replace the current complex with a development called "Daytona Live!" which will include a movie theater, restaurants, a hotel and an office tower for NASCAR, ISC and other related companies.^[12]

ISC tracks

Track Name	Location	Length	Seating	Year Opened	Year Acquired[A]
Auto Club Speedway	Fontana, CA	2 miles (3 km)	92,000	1997	1999
Chicagoland Speedway	Joliet, IL	1.5 miles (2.4 km)	75,000	2001	2007
Darlington Raceway	Darlington, SC	1.366 miles (2.198 km)	63,000	1950	1982
Daytona International Speedway	Daytona Beach, FL	2.5 miles (4.0 km)	168,000	1959	1959
Homestead-Miami Speedway	Homestead, FL	1.5 miles (2.4 km)	65,000	1995	1999
Kansas Speedway	Kansas City, KS	1.5 miles (2.4 km)	81,687	2001	2001
Martinsville Speedway	Ridgeway, VA	.526 miles (0.847 km)	65,000	1947	2004
Michigan International Speedway	Brooklyn, MI	2.0 miles (3.2 km)	137,243	1968	1999
Phoenix International Raceway	Avondale, AZ	1.0 mile (1.6 km)	76,812	1964	1997
Richmond International Raceway	Richmond, VA	.75 miles (1.21 km)	107,097	1946	1999
Route 66 Raceway	Joliet, IL	.25 miles (0.40 km) dragstrip	30,000	1998	2007
Talladega Superspeedway	Talladega, AL	2.66 miles (4.28 km)	175,000	1969	1969
Watkins Glen International	Watkins Glen, NY	2.45 miles (3.94 km) road course	41,000	1948	1997

Former/Inactive ISC tracks

Track Name	Location	Length	Seating	Year Opened	Year Acquired[A]	Last Year
Nazareth Speedway	Nazareth, PA	0.946 miles (1.522 km)	37,424	1966	1999	2004[B]
North Carolina Speedway	Rockingham, NC	1.017 miles (1.637 km)	60,122	1965	1999	2004[C]
Pikes Peak International Raceway	Fountain, CO	1 mile (1.6 km)	62,000	1997	2005	2005[D]
Tucson Raceway Park	Tucson, AZ	.375 miles (0.604 km)	N/A	1968	1982	2002[E]

• ^A Lists the year the company gained a controlling interest (>50%) in the track.
• ^B ISC ceased operations at Nazareth Speedway in 2004 and the track is currently up for sale.^[13]
• ^C ISC sold North Carolina Speedway to Speedway Motorsports, Inc. as part of a settlement in the Ferko lawsuit,^[14] who subsequently auctioned the track to former racer Andy Hillenburg. Hillenburg renamed the track Rockingham Speedway and is planning to hold several stock car events there in an attempt to revive the track.^[15]
• ^D ISC shut down Pikes Peak International Raceway shortly after purchasing it, with NASCAR moving the track's Busch Series date to Martinsville. In 2008, the track was sold to a private company, Pikes Peak International Raceway, LLC.^[16]
• ^E ISC sold Tucson Raceway Park to David Deery, the track's general manager, in 2002.^[17]

Future expansion

ISC and NASCAR have both made public their desire to have a presence in areas it sees as having the potential for growth, most notably the Pacific Northwest and New York City. ISC has said that the earliest either of these tracks would be operating is 2011.^[18]

Pacific Northwest

Marysville

Kitsap County lies across Puget Sound from Seattle

In 2003, ISC began scouting sites in Washington and Oregon for a new track to attract fans from around the Pacific Northwest, eventually settling on a site near Marysville, Washington in Snohomish County north of Seattle. Although the plan was met with some resistance from residents – particularly those living near the site for the planned speedway – local business owners and other residents were in favor of the plan, believing that the track would be good for the area's economy and would create jobs. Unlike ISC's later proposal in New York, the Marysville proposal would be supported by public funds raised through taxes, in much the same way as other sports venues in the area (KeyArena, Safeco Field, Qwest Field). The track would have been publicly owned and leased to ISC.^[19] In November 2004, local officials and ISC announced that they could not go through with the deal, saying that the costs for that particular site would be too high.^[20]

Bremerton

After the deal in Marysville fell through, ISC courted another site, this time near Bremerton, Kitsap County just across Puget Sound from Seattle.^[19] Although like the Marysville proposal the proposal in Kitsap County will be partially funded with public money, the money will not come directly from taxes but instead from bonds funded by taxes, in a scheme similar to the one used to fund Kansas Speedway.^[21] Also like the Marysville proposal, the Kitsap track would be publicly owned and leased to ISC for three races per year.^[19] ISC's current proposal was met with a lukewarm response from area lawmakers and citizens, but the company has promised to present an improved offer for early 2007.^[22]

In March 2007, Washington state representative Larry Seaquist caused a minor controversy when he was quoted as saying, "These people are not the kind of people you would want living next door to you. They'd be the ones with the junky cars in the front yard and would try to slip around the law."^[23] The quote was assumed to be an attack on NASCAR fans but Seaquist later claimed that it was directed at ISC.^[23]

In April 2007, this plan was also abandoned by ISC after failing to get their bill out of committee in the Washington State Legislature or to gain the full support of the Kitsap County Commissioners.^[24]

New York City

In 2004, ISC purchased 600 acres (2.4 km²) on Staten Island in New York City for the construction of a 4/5 mile (1.3 km) short track that would hold 80,000 fans and have the New York City skyline as its backdrop.^[25] The proposal was met with fierce resistance from many of the island's residents. At a public meeting in April 2006, police had to end the meeting early for fears of rioting and safety concerns. One report had a local councilman being put in a headlock after one particularly provoking speech (though one ISC official called it merely a "hug for the TV cameras").^[26] In December 2006, ISC dropped their pursuit of the project.^[27]

Colorado

On February 13, 2007, the company announced that they were looking into building a track in Colorado. The 75,000-seat track would be built on one of two locations in Adams County, just east of Denver. The company would also be looking to use the same type of combination of public and private funds for the race track as in Kansas and Washington.^[28]

Antitrust lawsuits

Ferko lawsuit

Main article: Ferko lawsuit

Francis Ferko, a stockholder in Speedway Motorsports, Inc., sued NASCAR and ISC in 2002 for violating federal antitrust laws and breach of contract for not awarding a second Winston Cup (now Sprint Cup) series date to Texas Motor Speedway, claiming that the second race was "promised" to the SMI track by NASCAR.^[3] After an attempt by NASCAR to get the case dismissed, another shareholder, Rusty Vaughn, joined the case as co-plaintiff in 2003. Although NASCAR CEO Brian France initially said he was going to fight the case in the courts, in April 2004 it was announced that the case had been settled out of court with Texas getting the Cup date previously belonging to North Carolina Speedway and, as part of the deal, agreeing to purchase North Carolina—which now had no dates at all—from ISC for $100 million.^[3] Other races on the schedule were also moved around as a result (see NASCAR Realignment).

Kentucky Speedway lawsuit

ISC own 12 NASCAR venues, including Daytona International Speedway, home of NASCAR's marquee race, the Daytona 500.

In 2005, Kentucky Speedway filed a similar lawsuit against ISC and NASCAR, claiming that NASCAR violated antitrust laws by not awarding them a Sprint Cup Series race, noting the close relationship between NASCAR, ISC, and the France Family.^[29] NASCAR sought to have the case thrown out by arguing that the speedway wasn't trying to end the alleged anticompetitive practices, they were merely trying to benefit from them as well. This motion was denied, however.^[4] A motion to move the case from Kentucky to Florida – home of NASCAR and ISC – was also rejected.^[30] ISC, for its part, said it shouldn't be involved in the case at all as it conducts no business in the state. Lawyers for Kentucky Speedway contended that the company does business online and is just as responsible for the lack of competition in granting the races as NASCAR is.^[31]

Initially, Kentucky had wanted the jury to force NASCAR to grant the speedway a Sprint Cup Series event but in 2007 they changed their demand to instead force the France family to sell either NASCAR or ISC. The track is also demanding that NASCAR develop objective standards for the awarding of their race events and damages of $200 million. In January 2008, the court dismissed the lawsuit, saying that the plaintiffs had failed to make their case. Kentucky Speedway says they will appeal the court's decision.^[32]

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i} "About ISC: History". iscmotorsports.com. http://www.iscmotorsports.com/about_history.html. Retrieved 2006-12-23. 
2. ^ ^{a b c d} "International Speedway Corporation". Encyclopedia of Company Histories. http://www.answers.com/topic/international-speedway-corporation. Retrieved 2007-01-05. 
3. ^ ^{a b c} Wilson, Jeff. "Fan wishes he hadn't filed suit". Dallas-Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Archived from the original on 2006-07-08. http://web.archive.org/web/20060708031401/http://www.thatsracin.com/mld/thatsracin/13059399.htm. Retrieved 2006-12-28. 
4. ^ ^{a b} "Speedway says it was jilted in NASCAR conspiracy". ESPN.com. 2006-01-27. http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/news/story?series=wc&id=2308978. Retrieved 2006-12-20. 
5. ^ ^{a b c d} "About ISC: Timeline". iscmotorsports.com. http://www.iscmotorsports.com/about_timeline.html. Retrieved 2006-12-23. 
6. ^ "Homestead-Miami Speedway". RacingOne.com. http://www.racingone.com/track.aspx?trackID=20&seriesID=1&subID=1. Retrieved 2007-01-11. 
7. ^ ^{a b c d} "Penske Motorsports and International Speedway Corporation to Merge". Speedcenter. 1999-05-10. http://www.speedcenter.com/news99/sc_n0510_99.html. Retrieved 2007-01-09. 
8. ^ "International Speedway Buys Raceway". abcmoney.co.uk. 2007-02-08. http://www.abcmoney.co.uk/news/08200720606.htm. Retrieved 2007-12-12. 
9. ^ ^{a b} "2007 Nextel Cup Schedule". NASCAR.com. http://www.nascar.com/races/cup/2007/data/schedule.html. Retrieved 2006-12-23. 
10. ^ "Motorsports Authentics completes merger with Action Performance". American Venture Magazine. 2005-12-12. http://www.americanventuremagazine.com/news.php?newsid=620. Retrieved 2007-01-08. 
11. ^ Benjamin, Matthew (2004-11-22). "Life in the Fast Lane". US News and World Report. http://www.usnews.com/usnews/biztech/articles/041122/22nascar.htm. Retrieved 2007-01-17. 
12. ^ "ISC, Cordish to build Daytona Live". Orlando Business Journal. 2007-05-08. http://orlando.bizjournals.com/orlando/stories/2007/05/07/daily13.html?surround=lfn. Retrieved 2007-11-08. 
13. ^ "ISC Reports Record Results in 2005". TruckSeries.com. 2006-01-27. http://www.truckseries.com/cgi-script/NCTS_06/articles/000061/006159.htm. Retrieved 2006-12-28. 
14. ^ "Settlement Reached In Ferko/Vaughn Litigation, North Carolina To Be Sold". The Auto Channel. 2004-05-14. http://www.theautochannel.com/news/2004/05/14/194764.html. Retrieved 2006-12-28. 
15. ^ "Racing lives in Rockingham". Roanoke Times. 2007-10-03. http://www.roanoke.com/sports/racing/wb/134347. Retrieved 2007-12-10. 
16. ^ "Private Company Purchases Pikes Peak International Raceway From International Speedway". Reuters. 2008-07-28. http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS101768+28-Jul-2008+PRN20080728. Retrieved 2009-01-23. 
17. ^ "Phoenix man seeking takeover of TRP lease". Arizona Daily Star. 2006-05-25. http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/printDS/130720. Retrieved 2007-01-05. 
18. ^ "ISC now targets 2011 for New York, Northwest". SceneDaily.com. 2006-07-07. http://www.scenedaily.com/stories/2006/07/03/scene_daily18.html. Retrieved 2006-12-20. 
19. ^ ^{a b c} "Washington site chosen for NASCAR racetrack". NASCAR.com. 2005-06-24. http://www.nascar.com/2005/news/headlines/cup/06/24/bc.car.nascartrack.ap/index.html. Retrieved 2006-12-20. 
20. ^ "NASCAR deal's off". HeraldNet. 2004-11-23. http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20041123/NEWS01/411230744. Retrieved 2007-12-12. 
21. ^ Dunagan, Christopher (2006-05-24). "Commissioners Question ISC's Speedway Deal". Kitsap Sun. http://www.kitsapsun.com/bsun/local/article/0,2403,BSUN_19088_4722036,00.html. Retrieved 2006-12-20. 
22. ^ "State legislators say NASCAR proposal is off track". The Olympian. 2006-05-26. http://www.theolympian.com/101/story/57563.html. Retrieved 2006-12-27. 
23. ^ ^{a b} "Seaquist opposes ISC track deal, not NASCAR". NASCAR.com. 2007-03-05. http://www.nascar.com/2007/news/headlines/cup/03/05/washington.state.track/. Retrieved 2007-03-16. 
24. ^ Byrd, Jennifer (2007-04-04). "Developers drop proposal for Washington track". ThatsRacin.com. http://www.thatsracin.com/nascar_news/story/3612.html. Retrieved 2007-12-12. 
25. ^ Fryer, Jenna (2006-12-04). "ISC pulls up stakes, nixes proposed Staten Island track for NASCAR". USA Today. http://www.usatoday.com/sports/motor/nascar/2006-12-04-staten-island_x.htm. Retrieved 2006-12-20. 
26. ^ Smith, Marty (2006-05-01). "ISC: Reports of Staten Island 'riot' overblown". NASCAR.com. http://www.nascar.com/2006/news/headlines/cup/04/28/isc_statenisland/index.html. Retrieved 2006-12-20. 
27. ^ Feuer, Alan (2006-12-05). "Plan for Nascar Speedway Is Scrapped on Staten Island". New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/05/nyregion/05nascar.html. Retrieved 2006-12-20. 
28. ^ "Daytona Owner Considers Building Track". abcmoney.co.uk. 2007-02-13. http://www.abcmoney.co.uk/news/13200722939.htm. Retrieved 2007-02-14. 
29. ^ "Track's suit centers around antitrust laws". ESPN.com. 2005-07-13. http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/news/story?series=wc&id=2107173. Retrieved 2006-12-20. 
30. ^ Crowley, Patrick (2005-12-15). "First lap in trial goes to speedway". Cincinnati Enquirer. Archived from the original on 2005-12-30. http://web.archive.org/web/20051230064156/http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051215/NEWS0103/512150398/1062/SPT. 
31. ^ McMurray, Jeffrey (2006-01-12). "NASCAR asks judge to dismiss suit by Kentucky Speedway". Yahoo! Sports. Archived from the original on 2006-03-05. http://web.archive.org/web/20060305063041/http://sports.yahoo.com/nascar/news;_ylt=AmyP5c0GDbU.OvKlPRFdb0jov7YF?slug=ap-kentuckysuit011206&prov=ap&type=lgns. 
32. ^ Brown, Thomas (2008-01-07). "Judge dismisses antitrust lawsuit against NASCAR". Daytona Beach News-Journal. http://www.news-journalonline.com/NewsJournalOnline/Business/Headlines/bizBIZ01010808.htm. 

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