In Louisville, Jonathan Lintner noted it is still too soon for Kentucky Speedway GM Mark Simendinger to “answer one of the biggest questions moving forward” about the track: “When's the time to finally re-pave?” Simendinger said following Saturday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Quaker State 400, “We've got a track that certainly produced great races. Normally you'd say, 'Don't touch those.' But we also have a track that took us almost four hours to dry, so that's not good.” Simendinger said that a “potential re-pave wouldn't happen" before the Xfinity Series VisitMyrtleBeach.com 300 in September (Louisville COURIER-JOURNAL, 7/13).
RISING STAR: In Dallas, Valarie Wigglesworth noted construction “will start this month on the entertainment district that will serve as the gateway” to the Cowboys’ new training facility in Frisco. Much of the work this past year at the site known as The Star in Frisco has “focused on the public portion of the project -- an indoor stadium, an underground parking garage and two outdoor practice fields -- along with the team’s new headquarters building.” Despite the private development piece being dealt “some setbacks from the rainy weather, crews are putting in extra hours to meet the June 2016 opening date for the main attraction” (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 7/13).
HORNS APLENTY: In St. Louis, David Hunn notes the city's Convention & Visitors Commission estimates that conventions held at Edward Jones Dome will produce about $23M this year in tax revenue, "more than enough to cover city debt payments on the Dome." The Rams “produce an estimated” $4.2M a year in city taxes “from ticket sales, payroll, concessions, etc.” That accounts for two-thirds of the $6M the city “pays annually to cover Jones Dome debt and upkeep” (ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 7/14).
