Kansas Speedway gets final approval and license for casino

International Speedway Corp. got its gambling license Friday, the final step toward building a casino on the grounds of Kansas Speedway. Getting the permit was the final hurdle for the project, approved in principle in December and being built in conjunction with Penn National Gaming.

As part of its casino proposal, track owner International Speedway Corp. said it will ask NASCAR to move a second Cup date to Kansas for 2011. NASCAR approval for the addition of a second Cup race is considered highly likely because the France family operates NASCAR and also owns a majority of voting stock in ISC.

“The casino is just a starting point of all the good things to come as we fulfill our commitment to seek a second NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race, build a road course and host a Grand-Am race and allocate 1 percent of the casino’s revenue in support of the various organizations that make up the fabric of our community," ISC CEO Lesa France Kennedy said.

ISC has not announced which of its tracks the race would be moved from. It currently has two Cup races at Daytona, Talladega, Richmond, Michigan, Phoenix, Martinsville and Auto Club Speedway in California. It has one race at Darlington, Watkins Glen, Chicagoland, Homestead-Miami and Kansas.

Martinsville President Clay Campbell said Friday his track has both of its Cup races sponsored through 2012 and he believes that will help his track in its quest to keep both of its Cup events.

[Editor's Note: Martinsville just cannot build enough seats to make as much profit for ISC as Kansas. Fontana is another track that could lose a date. We predict Fontana and Martinsville will each lose a date to make way for this 2nd Kansas race plus a Kentucky race.]