Chicago Gears Up For a New Kind of Horsepower at Sportsman's Park
9 April 1998
Chicago Gears Up For a New Kind of Horsepower at Sportsman's Park
Championship Car Racing Arrives in Chicago Thanks
To a State-of-the-Art Dual-Purpose Track
CICERO, Ill., April 9 -- Officials from Sportsman's Park,
Target/Chip Ganassi Racing and Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) announced
today that-they will team up to bring Championship Car racing to the Chicago
area by developing a state-of-the-art dual-purpose facility for both horse and
auto racing at Sportsman's Park.
The new facility will benefit Illinois horse racing, bring auto racing to
Chicago by fall of 1999 and pump millions of dollars into the Chicago-area
economy through increased tourism, enhanced track operations and related
economic development.
The new facility, to be called the Chicago Motor Speedway at Sportsman's
Park, is a joint venture between Sportsman's Park and CART owner Chip Ganassi.
It will feature a one-mile oval track for auto racing and a seven-furlong
horse racing track. Reconstruction of Sportsman's Park will begin this summer
to be completed in time for a fall 1999 inaugural FedEx Championship Series
CART race.
This is only the second track in the United States to host both horse and
auto racing at the same facility. Dover Downs in Delaware was the first.
"Bringing auto racing to Sportsman's Park is a win-win situation for
everyone involved. It will allow us to tap into the growing popularity of
auto racing to create a new source of revenue and make Sportsman's Park an
even more successful horse racing venue with quality racing cards and generous
purses," said Ed Duffy, chief operating officer of Sportsman's Park. "It will
allow the auto racing industry to finally enter the Chicago market at an
existing facility with significant infrastructure already in place. And, this
facility will bring more people and dollars to the Chicago area."
"No public funding will be needed to build the facility," Duffy noted.
Chicago is an untapped market for auto racing, the nation's fastest
growing sport. Last season, more than 16 million fans attended auto races,
and all of the major events posted better figures than the preceding season.
"Chicago represents the heartland of Champ Car racing. There is a strong
following for our sport in Chicago and this is reflected in the consistently
strong TV audience we obtain in the market," said Andrew Craig, chairman and
CEO of CART. "We think that this new race will be an instant hit and look
forward to showcasing the world's fastest cars in Chicago in 1999."
"Sportsman's Park is an ideal location for an auto racing track, given its
versatility and its close proximity to downtown Chicago," Ganassi said.
The reconfigured track is a major component of Sportsman's plan to
reinvest in the horse racing industry. Track owners are committed to
designing a facility that stands to be recognized as one of the region's
premier horse racing venues.
Through the construction of the dual-purpose track, Sportsman's will make
several improvements, including new barns as well as improvements to the horse
racing oval, with softer turns and a state-of-the-art racing surface. To
ensure the facility meets the needs of the industry, Duffy also announced the
creation of an advisory committee comprised of members of the horse racing
industry to advise on the construction and operation of the new facility.
Showcasing Chicago as a premier tourist destination and a world-class
city, the Chicago Motor Speedway at Sportsman's Park will bring many economic
benefits to the Chicago area, including increased tourism, new jobs and
millions of dollars in tax revenues. In addition to revenues already
generated through horse racing at Sportsman's Park each year, the Chicago
Motor Speedway will generate nearly $100 million in annual revenues, pumping
more than $6.9 million in tax revenues into the state and local economies,
according to an analysis by Coopers & Lybrand L.L.P.
"We're thrilled with the many business opportunities created by this
project. Events held at the Chicago Motor Speedway at Sportsman's Park will
draw visitors to other attractions, restaurants and businesses in the area,"
said Jerry Roper, president of the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce. "And,
because auto racing is an international sport, the track presents
opportunities for the City of Chicago and area businesses to market themselves
internationally."
Marc Gordon, president of the Hotel-Motel Association of Illinois, added
"We are extremely excited that auto racing is coming to Chicago. Race
weekends at the Chicago Motor Speedway will fill area hotel rooms with race
fans from all over the country."
The town of Cicero, in particular, will reap several benefits from the
motor speedway. The project represents the first major private investment in
the town in several years. In addition, operation of the track will spur
related private-sector economic development in the area surrounding the track,
with support industries, such as transportation, wholesale, manufacturing and
warehousing, benefiting from the growth in annual attendance at the facility.
Tim LeFevour, former director of administration for the Chicago Bears, has
joined Sportsman's Park as the vice president and chief operating officer of
the Chicago Motor Speedway. In addition to CART racing, the new one-mile oval
will host several other motorsports events throughout the race season.
"The City of Chicago welcomes auto racing as yet another world-class
attraction that will draw people to our city and fill our hotel rooms,
restaurants and stores," said James Law, the city's Director of Special
Events.
"As the area's first major league auto racing attraction, the Chicago
Motor Speedway at Sportsman's Park will open an entirely new chapter in the
storied history of Chicago sports. We commend Sportsman's Park for making
this bold move and look forward to showing off our city and all its
attractions to those hundreds of thousands of auto racing fans in the years to
come," said Law.
Also showing support for the project were Governor Jim Edgar; Cicero
President Betty Loren-Maltese; Joseph Kasperski, president of the Illinois
Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association; Mike O'Neill, president of Chicago and
Cook County Building and Construction Trades Council; Bob Lahey, executive
director of West Central Municipal Conference; and the Illinois Racing Board.
Sportsman's Park opened its 1998 thoroughbred racing season on March 1,
with guaranteed overnight purses of $200,000, the highest daily average
overnight purses in Illinois horse racing history.
SOURCE Sportsman's Park
