NASCAR developers abandon Bremerton track plans
OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) - Even NASCAR legends Richard Petty and Darrell Waltrip didn't provide enough star power to persuade skeptical lawmakers to support using public money to help build a race track in Kitsap County.
Petty, Waltrip and current driver Greg Biffle visited the Capitol in February. Track supporters had said they hoped to bring legislators a little bit of the excitement of NASCAR.
But the excitement didn't catch on.
Sponsors of a proposed $368 million NASCAR track abandoned their efforts Monday after encountering stiff opposition from local officials and resistance at the state Legislature.
Officials with Great Western Sports, a subsidiary of International Speedway Corp., said they're still interested in bring NASCAR to the Pacific Northwest, but would not discuss other possible locations.
"Washington is a great state and home to some of the best motorsports fans I have ever encountered," Great Western President Grant Lynch said in a statement.
ISC spokesman Lenny Santiago said the company had learned a great deal, but he would not say for certain whether the company would be back pushing for a track in a different location next year.
"We have really built a significant supporter base," Santiago said. "We still view the region as a significant growth opportunity for our company."
Developers had touted the race track as a $4 billion boon to the state's economy, including thousands of jobs. But legislation to help finance the track has gone nowhere.
Santiago said too many changes were being proposed to the legislation and it became clear last week that the only way the bill would proceed would be if there were additional changes "we just weren't comfortable with.
"As a public company, we have a responsibility to our shareholders to only undertake projects that would generate a return," he said.
The NASCAR proposal and a proposal by the NBA Seattle SuperSonics to build a $500 million multipurpose arena in the south Seattle suburb of Renton, with state assistance, have been met coolly by most lawmakers this session.
The NASCAR plan had called for taxpayers to pay for about half of the facility, with ISC contributing $180 million. The company had said it would pay for any cost overruns. The state share would have been paid through bonds.
Although Lt. Gov. Brad Owen, U.S. Reps. Norm Dicks and Adam Smith, Bremerton Mayor Cary Bozeman and Kitsap County Commissioner Jan Angel favored the idea, no state lawmakers from Kitsap County supported the plan. House Speaker Frank Chopp and Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown said it was not a priority this session. Education and health care were more important, they said.
Several Kitsap County residents testified against the track at hearings this session, citing pollution and traffic concerns, among others.
Gov. Chris Gregoire had suggested that the race track project be moved to Lewis County near Interstate 5, about 90 miles south of Seattle. That county lost about 600 jobs last year after TransAlta Corp. shut down a coal mine in Centralia.
After the announcement Monday, Gregoire issued a statement calling on NASCAR to keep looking for a site in Washington state.
"Now it is time to move forward to see if NASCAR can find a home in Washington where there is local support and enthusiasm for the project," she said.
Rep. Gary Alexander, a Republican who represents parts of Lewis County, said after the announcement that his county was still interested in a race track.
"We've encouraged them to take a look at our location," he said.
Santiago said moving to Lewis County would have changed the company's financial model, which depended on visitors staying in Washington, not Oregon.
The company scouted several locations throughout the region before settling on Kitsap County.
Santiago would not discuss other location possibilities, saying the company would have an "internal discussion to determine our next step."
Petty, Waltrip and current driver Greg Biffle visited the Capitol in February. Track supporters had said they hoped to bring legislators a little bit of the excitement of NASCAR.
But the excitement didn't catch on.
Sponsors of a proposed $368 million NASCAR track abandoned their efforts Monday after encountering stiff opposition from local officials and resistance at the state Legislature.
Officials with Great Western Sports, a subsidiary of International Speedway Corp., said they're still interested in bring NASCAR to the Pacific Northwest, but would not discuss other possible locations.
"Washington is a great state and home to some of the best motorsports fans I have ever encountered," Great Western President Grant Lynch said in a statement.
ISC spokesman Lenny Santiago said the company had learned a great deal, but he would not say for certain whether the company would be back pushing for a track in a different location next year.
"We have really built a significant supporter base," Santiago said. "We still view the region as a significant growth opportunity for our company."
Developers had touted the race track as a $4 billion boon to the state's economy, including thousands of jobs. But legislation to help finance the track has gone nowhere.
Santiago said too many changes were being proposed to the legislation and it became clear last week that the only way the bill would proceed would be if there were additional changes "we just weren't comfortable with.
"As a public company, we have a responsibility to our shareholders to only undertake projects that would generate a return," he said.
The NASCAR proposal and a proposal by the NBA Seattle SuperSonics to build a $500 million multipurpose arena in the south Seattle suburb of Renton, with state assistance, have been met coolly by most lawmakers this session.
The NASCAR plan had called for taxpayers to pay for about half of the facility, with ISC contributing $180 million. The company had said it would pay for any cost overruns. The state share would have been paid through bonds.
Although Lt. Gov. Brad Owen, U.S. Reps. Norm Dicks and Adam Smith, Bremerton Mayor Cary Bozeman and Kitsap County Commissioner Jan Angel favored the idea, no state lawmakers from Kitsap County supported the plan. House Speaker Frank Chopp and Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown said it was not a priority this session. Education and health care were more important, they said.
Several Kitsap County residents testified against the track at hearings this session, citing pollution and traffic concerns, among others.
Gov. Chris Gregoire had suggested that the race track project be moved to Lewis County near Interstate 5, about 90 miles south of Seattle. That county lost about 600 jobs last year after TransAlta Corp. shut down a coal mine in Centralia.
After the announcement Monday, Gregoire issued a statement calling on NASCAR to keep looking for a site in Washington state.
"Now it is time to move forward to see if NASCAR can find a home in Washington where there is local support and enthusiasm for the project," she said.
Rep. Gary Alexander, a Republican who represents parts of Lewis County, said after the announcement that his county was still interested in a race track.
"We've encouraged them to take a look at our location," he said.
Santiago said moving to Lewis County would have changed the company's financial model, which depended on visitors staying in Washington, not Oregon.
The company scouted several locations throughout the region before settling on Kitsap County.
Santiago would not discuss other location possibilities, saying the company would have an "internal discussion to determine our next step."
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