kenseth_fan
Turn Left Go Fast
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Though track officials say the St. Louis-area Gateway International Raceway in Illinois has a shot a hosting a Nextel Cup race, insiders consider that shot a long one.
Over the years, the 1.25-mile oval, infield road course and quarter-mile drag strip has lured CART, the Indy Racing League, the Craftsman Truck series, the Busch series and NHRA drag racing.
Matt Strelo, vice president and general manager of Gateway in Madison, Ill., points to the track's assets. The numbers show St. Louis fans watch the races on television and about 50,000 showed up for last Saturday's Busch race, which seems to indicate Gateway would be able to sell its existing 70,000 or so seats for a Nextel Cup race.
"We've got a pretty decent story to tell here,'' he said of the track. "We think '06 is the time to tell it.''
But the track has its detractors. Hampered by limited parking, outdated infrastructure and the construction of newer facilities, Gateway has lost the top open-wheel series and has been left with the trucks, NHRA and Busch series as its top acts.
Kenny Wallace, a veteran NASCAR driver, said he would like nothing better than to see the track host a Nextel Cup race. But the St. Louis native said the track -- limited in expansion possibilities by the Mississippi River to the west -- would need a drastic makeover to draw serious attention.
"My opinion is that first, the track is too big,'' said Wallace, whose brothers Rusty and Mike also race in NASCAR. "They should cut it in half. Make it like Richmond (International Raceway in Virginia). You need more room and use all of that (the area north of the track) as parking. You can't expect to shuttle people in for a Nextel Cup race. They landlocked themselves in.''
But Strelo said the track could solve the parking problem by using shuttle service to the parking lots used for Busch Stadium and the Edward Jones Dome, just across the river in downtown St. Louis.
Over the years, the 1.25-mile oval, infield road course and quarter-mile drag strip has lured CART, the Indy Racing League, the Craftsman Truck series, the Busch series and NHRA drag racing.
Matt Strelo, vice president and general manager of Gateway in Madison, Ill., points to the track's assets. The numbers show St. Louis fans watch the races on television and about 50,000 showed up for last Saturday's Busch race, which seems to indicate Gateway would be able to sell its existing 70,000 or so seats for a Nextel Cup race.
"We've got a pretty decent story to tell here,'' he said of the track. "We think '06 is the time to tell it.''
But the track has its detractors. Hampered by limited parking, outdated infrastructure and the construction of newer facilities, Gateway has lost the top open-wheel series and has been left with the trucks, NHRA and Busch series as its top acts.
Kenny Wallace, a veteran NASCAR driver, said he would like nothing better than to see the track host a Nextel Cup race. But the St. Louis native said the track -- limited in expansion possibilities by the Mississippi River to the west -- would need a drastic makeover to draw serious attention.
"My opinion is that first, the track is too big,'' said Wallace, whose brothers Rusty and Mike also race in NASCAR. "They should cut it in half. Make it like Richmond (International Raceway in Virginia). You need more room and use all of that (the area north of the track) as parking. You can't expect to shuttle people in for a Nextel Cup race. They landlocked themselves in.''
But Strelo said the track could solve the parking problem by using shuttle service to the parking lots used for Busch Stadium and the Edward Jones Dome, just across the river in downtown St. Louis.
