Long Time Speedway Motorsports Director Passes Away

CONCORD, N.C.--Long time Speedway Motorsports, Inc. director, William P. Benton passed away on February 19, 2009. Mr. Benton, 85, served on the Speedway Motorsports Board of Directors since just before the company went public in 1995. Mr. Benton retired from Ford Motor Company as Vice President of Marketing worldwide after a distinguished 37-year career with the company. During that time, Mr. Benton held the following major positions: Vice President/General Manager of Lincoln/Mercury Division, Vice President/General Manager of Ford Division, four years in Europe as Group Vice President of Ford of Europe and a member of the company’s Product Planning Committee, responsible for all products of the company worldwide. Most recently, Mr. Benton was Vice Chairman of Wells Rich Greene and Executive Director of Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide in New York.

“Bill Benton is one of the finest people I have ever been around and his contributions to Speedway Motorsports will be greatly missed” said Bruton Smith, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Speedway Motorsports. “It is truly a sad day for Speedway Motorsports. Our thoughts and prayers are with Bill’s family and many friends.”

Speedway Motorsports is a leading marketer and promoter of motorsports entertainment in the United States. The Company, through its subsidiaries, owns and operates the following premier facilities: Atlanta Motor Speedway, Bristol Motor Speedway, Infineon Raceway, Kentucky Speedway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Lowe's Motor Speedway, New Hampshire Motor Speedway and Texas Motor Speedway. The Company provides souvenir merchandising services through its SMI Properties subsidiaries; manufactures and distributes smaller-scale, modified racing cars and parts through its 600 Racing subsidiary; and produces and broadcasts syndicated motorsports programming to radio stations nationwide through its Performance Racing Network subsidiary. The Company also equally-owns Motorsports Authentics, a joint venture formed with International Speedway Corporation to produce, market and sell licensed motorsports merchandise. For more information, visit the Company's website at www.speedwaymotorsports.com.

This news release contains forward-looking statements, particularly statements with regard to the Company's future operations and financial results. There are many factors that affect future events and trends of the Company's business including, but not limited to, consumer and corporate spending sentiment; air travel; governmental regulations; military actions; national or local catastrophic events; the success of and weather surrounding NASCAR, IRL, NHRA and other racing events; our relationship with NASCAR and other sanctioning bodies; the success of Motorsports Authentics merchandising joint venture; the success of expense reduction efforts; capital projects; expansion; economic conditions; stock repurchases; financing needs; insurance; litigation; taxes; oil and gas activities, including the possibility of discontinuing operations; geopolitical situations in foreign countries; and other factors outside of management control. These factors and other factors, including those contained in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequently filed Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, involve certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from management's views and expectations. Inclusion of any information or statement in this news release does not necessarily imply that such information or statement is material. The Company does not undertake any obligation to release publicly revised or updated forward-looking information, and such information included in this news release is based on information currently available and may not be reliable after this date.