Louden Could Be Losing A Race Date

(Bruton Smith)

Speedway Motorsports, Inc, Chairman, Bruton Smith, just might be posturing SMI to move a race date from Louden to one of his other racing facilities, either Las Vegas Motor Speedway or Kentucky Speedway.  The problem stems from the cost of the police services that are rendered for  Smith’s SMI at the Louden, N.H. race track.

Smith negotiated down the cost of the police services from $250,000.00 in 2008 to $170,000.00 in 2009.  However, Bruton now feels that those same services should be provided by the Louden Police Department for no more that $65,000.00.  The Louden, N.H. officials strongly disagree with Smith and the battle lines have been drawn.

Smith has been lobbying NASCAR  for several years for an additional race date at his Las Vegas Motor Speedway, to no avail.  In January, 2008, Smith bought the Louden facility and its two race dates for $340,000.00.  It was rumored at that time that Smith might move on of the race dates at the Louden facility over to Las Vegas, however, those rumors died out until now.

This is not the first time that Smith has made those threats.  A couple of years ago he threatened to move an entire racing facility out of Concord, N.C. because the city council was against his building a drag strip at the Charlotte Motor Speedway.  The results of that threat, there is now a drag strip located at the Charlotte Motor Speedway!

The resulting outcome from this Louden, N.H-Bruton Smith standoff could be quite interesting!  Additionally, the consequences could be far reaching.

For the full story check out speedtv.com.

TIL NEXT TIME, I AM STILL WORKING ON MY REDNECK!