Judge rules against France family in NH

A judge has thrown out a verdict that would have required New Hampshire Motor Speedway to pay nearly $1 million to cancel its contract with Motor Racing Network, which is owned by ISC and controlled by the powerful France family.

A jury awarded MRN $993,724 last September because New Hampshire did not meet a three-year notice of termination when Speedway Motorsports Inc. bought the track in 2008. SMI wanted its radio network — the Performance Racing Network — to broadcast NASCAR events at the track.

New Hampshire Superior Court Judge Richard McNamara presided over the trial, but threw out the verdict in a Wednesday ruling.

McNamara wrote the jury based its award on MRN’s projected lost profits, and that can’t be a basis for damages. International Speedway Corp. said in a statement it will appeal the ruling.