One driver who obviously is pumped up about Speedway Motorsports’ acquisition of Kentucky Speedway is Michael Waltrip, whose brother, Darrell, helped the original ownership group get the place up and running in Kentucky.
“I certainly appreciate the fact that Kentucky Speedway has a lot of fans. I think that’s something for us to remember, and I think it’s important,” said Michael, a native of Owensboro, Ky. “Bristol Motor Speedway has fans. Lowe’s Motor Speedway has fans. And Kentucky Motor Speedway has fans. I mean, people turn out because they love that track. And that’s important when you’re trying to produce a sellout. ... They’ve done some amazing things with their crowds and with that racetrack. I know with what they have now and what they’ve done will just continue with Bruton (Smith) owning it.
“Every time I go to Kentucky, I always hear, `When are we gonna get a Cup race?’ Those questions certainly will speed up now. But I’m real proud that that track has a future now, or that they know their direction, I guess is a better way of putting it.”
Still, Bruton’s bold prediction Thursday that there would be a Cup race in place by 2009, which seemed outlandish at the time since he couldn’t explain how it could be accomplished on such short notice, proved premature when NASCAR announced Friday that it does not intend to add Kentucky to the Cup schedule next season.