Kentucky track to appeal NASCAR antitrust ruling

Kentucky Speedway plans to appeal

Monday's ruling by a federal court judge dis-

missing its $400 million antitrust lawsuit

against NASCAR and International Speedway

Corp.

U.S. District Court Judge William O.

Bertelsman dismissed the suit, saying the own-

ers of the Kentucky track had failed to make a

case that NASCAR and ISC conspired to deny

it and other tracks Sprint Cup Series race dates.

"We are disappointed in the court's decision

for ourselves, for the Commonwealth of

Kentucky, and for all those fans who have been

hurt by what we believe are NASCAR's and

ISC's anticompetitive actions," said Stanley

Chesley, an attorney for Kentucky Speedway.

"We are convinced that there are serious

issues of both fact and law."

The track - which does have races in the

Nationwide and NASCAR Truck series -

argued that NASCAR, a privately held compa-

ny, and ISC, a publicly traded company, unfair-

ly kept tracks not owned by ISC from getting

Cup races.

ISC owns 12 tracks that host 19 of the 36

points races on the current schedule. Both ISC

and NASCAR are controlled by the France

family.

NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston hailed

Bertelsman's decision.

"It puts an end to any question about which

locations and dates NASCAR can operate its

races," Poston said. "Like other sports, such as

the NFL, MLB and the NBA, NASCAR can

host its events where it decides is best for the

sport and its fans."

- David Poole