ISC to Purchase the Assets of Pikes Peak International Raceway
~ Will Petition NASCAR to Realign Busch Series Date to Martinsville Speedway for 2006 ~
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., Sept. 30 -- International Speedway Corporation today announced that Rocky Mountain Speedway Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of ISC, has entered into an agreement to purchase the assets of Pikes Peak International Raceway ("Pikes Peak"). Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. ISC plans to petition NASCAR to realign the facility's NASCAR Busch Series event to Martinsville Speedway for 2006.
The transaction is expected to close within the next week, and is expected to have minimal impact on the Company's future earnings. The purchase price is fully supported by the appraised value of Pikes Peak's tangible assets, including land and certain fixed assets ISC intends to relocate to other facilities in its portfolio. These assets include grandstand seating and other structures that can be utilized for future speedway expansion projects.
"This purchase further strengthens our ability to capitalize on future growth opportunities, including internal expansion initiatives," commented John R. Saunders, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. "In addition, assuming NASCAR approves our request for realignment, we believe we can successfully grow the Busch event over the long term at a quicker rate than in its current venue."
ISC will honor all of Pikes Peak's currently scheduled community uses and rentals through October 31, 2005. After that date, ISC expects to close the facility and begin to market the approximate 1,200-acre parcel for sale, with the requirement that the property not be used for motorsports-related events.
International Speedway Corporation is a leading promoter of motorsports activities in the United States, currently promoting more than 100 racing events annually as well as numerous other motorsports-related activities. The Company owns and/or operates 11 of the nation's major motorsports entertainment facilities, including Daytona International Speedway in Florida (home of the Daytona 500); Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama; Michigan International Speedway located outside Detroit; Richmond International Raceway in Virginia; California Speedway near Los Angeles; Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kansas; Phoenix International Raceway in Arizona; Homestead-Miami Speedway in Florida; Martinsville Speedway in Virginia; Darlington Raceway in South Carolina; and Watkins Glen International in New York. Other motorsports entertainment facility ownership includes an indirect 37.5% interest in Raceway Associates, LLC, which owns and operates Chicagoland Speedway and Route 66 Raceway near Chicago, Illinois.
The Company also owns and operates MRN Radio, the nation's largest independent sports radio network; DAYTONA USA, the "Ultimate Motorsports Attraction" in Daytona Beach, Florida, the official attraction of NASCAR; and subsidiaries which provide catering services, food and beverage concessions, and produce and market motorsports-related merchandise under the trade name "Americrown." For more information, visit the Company's Web site at http://www.iscmotorsports.com/ .