RACING: In Denver, Chambers & Kelly cite local
developers as saying that Bandimere Speedway "plans to move
across the metro area to become part of a massive" complex
that could include an oval superspeedway east of Aurora. The
announcement "means Denver-area fans could soon see" a NASCAR
race, as well as drag racing events. The $500M facility,
proposed by ISC, is to be built on 5,500 acres and be called
Worldpark (DENVER POST, 8/17)....Darlington (SC) Int'l
Dragway "is not included" on the 2001 Int'l Hot Rod
Association (IHRA) schedule. Darlington had hosted the
IHRA's Winter Nationals for 28 years. The IHRA will open its
season March 29-April 1 with the Holley Spring Nationals at
Rockingham Dragway (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 8/17).
NOTES: In Charlotte, Rick Bonnell writes that the city
of Charlotte and the Hornets will "hold their first of three
negotiating sessions" on September 14, "working toward" an
arena deal that will "likely be approved or declined" by City
Council on October 23. Bonnell notes that if a deal is
reached, it "must" be done by December 31, as that is when
the team "can break their lease" at the Charlotte Coliseum
"without financial penalty if council hasn't approved a plan"
for a new arena (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 8/17)....In Cincinnati,
Dan Klepal reports that after an hour-long meeting yesterday,
Cincinnati city officials "agreed to open" new areas near
Paul Brown Stadium to vendors. Cincinnati City Manager John
Shirey said that about 10 of the city's 30 licensed vendors
were "displaced" because of construction around the stadium
(CINCINNATI ENQUIRER, 8/17)....In MI, Gary Bond wrote that DP
Fox President Dan DeVos, whose company is the parent of the
AFL Rampage, and local business exec J.C. Huizenga have
"agreed on a partnership to build" an 85,000 square-foot
indoor soccer facility on ten acres of land. The building
will have a 55-foot ceiling along with five fields, three
full-size and two practice fields. The Rampage will have
their own locker room and meeting rooms (GRAND RAPIDS PRESS,
8/16)....In CA, Chuck Dybdal wrote that Magna Int'l Chair
Frank Stronach's "plans to build" a racetrack in Dixon, CA,
"may not come about," as it has "run into more opposition
than Stronach or Dixon city officials imagined." Dybdal
added that the "upshot" is that Stronach "is looking for
another site as a fallback plan" (CONTRA COSTA TIMES, 8/16).
