Kentucky could be in the mix as NASCAR examines 2011 scheduling options

Kentucky in mix as NASCAR examines 2011 scheduling

SPARTA, Ky. — NASCAR chairman Brian France said Speedway Motorsports Inc. has submitted a scheduling request for 2011, and it’s no secret the company has coveted a Sprint Cup Series race at Kentucky Speedway.

France said Friday in Daytona Beach, Fla., that track operators SMI and International Speedway Corp. have both submitted proposals for 2011.

ISC officials have already admitted they’ve asked for a second Cup race at Kansas Speedway. SMI officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but chairman Bruton Smith has been vocal about his desire to bring the elite Cup series to his property in northern Kentucky.

The track’s former ownership group tried to bring a Cup race to the 1.5-mile tri-oval for years before selling the venue to SMI in 2008.