NASCAR prepares to fight Kentucky Speedway lawsuit

The Kentucky Speedway’s antitrust lawsuit is scheduled to go to trial in March, but lawyers representing NASCAR and International Speedway Corp. soon will try to convince a federal judge that a trial isn’t necessary. U.S. District Judge William Bertelsman will hear arguments Nov. 19 in Covington on several motions filed in the case – including a sealed motion for summary judgment filed earlier this year by NASCAR and ISC.

The speedway filed suit in July 2005 alleging NASCAR and ISC violated antitrust laws by restricting which tracks host Nextel cup races and trying to “monopolize the market for hosting premium stock car racing events."

In an amended complaint filed in April, the speedway said it wanted NASCAR to develop "objective factors" for the awarding of Nextel Cup races; for the France family to give up control of either ISC (a public company that operates tracks and whose majority of voting stock is owned by the Frances) or NASCAR (a private company owned by the Frances); for ISC to sell at least eight of the 12 tracks it owns that host Nextel Cup events; and more than $200 million in damages. Cincinnati Enquirer