Kansas Speedway lobbying for night race
The new racing surface that will be put down over the next five months will get plenty of use in October when Sprint Cup teams return.
But what about the lights that were installed over the winter prior to the 2011 season? When will they see significant use?
Hopefully in 2013, says track president Pat Warren.
Warren said Friday that he has asked for a Saturday night race next season.
The fall race is not an option because ESPN wants Sunday races that do not to conflict with college football.
That leaves the spring race, which was moved from early June last year to mid-April this year so there could be more time between events to accommodate the repaving. The track’s fall date was moved back two weeks as well—to October 20-21.
“I’m cautiously optimistic we’re going to get something that is going to work," Warren said. “Hopefully we won’t be in this particular spot in the schedule next year and ideally we will be at night when it’s warmer."
Most track operators want dates where cold weather won’t be an issue. Dover moved its spring race from May to the June date that Kansas had last year.
“Ideally we’d have a night race in late spring, early summer," Warren said. “I would hope later May, June or maybe even in July."