bigpoppanils Posted May 30 Report Share Posted May 30 NASCAR track coming to Island? Former oil storage tank facility in Bloomfield 1 of several sites in area being eyed for 80,000-seat track Friday, May 28, 2004By KAREN O'SHEA STATEN ISLAND ADVANCE The country's largest owner and operator of professional motor racetracks is looking at the 440-acre GATX Terminal property in Bloomfield as a possible location for the first NASCAR track in the New York area. Sources say International Speedway Corp. is looking at a broad chunk of industrially zoned and for-sale land located just south of the Goethals Bridge and alongside the West Shore Expressway for a professional racetrack with grandstand seating for 70,000 to 80,000 spectators. AdvertisementChicago-based GATX Corporation demolished 82 former oil storage tanks at the site in 2001, and the company has been marketing the property to potential buyers for the last few years. David Talley, a spokesman for Daytona Beach, Fla.-based International Speedway Corp., said the company is looking at several sites in New York City and the metropolitan area, including South Jersey. The NASCAR-caliber track closest to New York City is now located in the Poconos. Talley declined to give specific locations for a new track, but said NASCAR wants to break into one of the biggest markets available to the fastest-growing sport in the nation. "We certainly know that in order to grow the sport and continue to grow our company, we need to be in new markets," Talley said yesterday. "Having the nation's biggest spectator sport in the largest media market, we think, will grow NASCAR and motor sports to new heights." No decision had been made on a location and there was no timeline for such a determination, but International Speedway wants to build a high-banked oval racetrack in the New York area for stock and open-wheeled cars, he said. In addition to the grandstand seating, the track would include 50 to 60 corporate suites. WEEKEND RACES Talley said the facility would run races only three to five weekends a year and could be used for community events between racing events. The GATX site on Staten Island is a logical place to look for track space in a city where land is at a premium. The manufacturing-zoned land represents one of the largest privately owned, for-sale properties in the city. Other racetrack operators looked at the GATX Terminal site shortly after the tanks were demolished. International Speedway Corp. hired Donald Trump to identify potential sites for a track and the company first set its sights on the Meadowlands in New Jersey. After a feasibility study was completed and a proposal to redevelop the Continental Arena with a NASCAR track was submitted, the plan was rejected last year by the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority in favor of a $1.3 billion entertainment, office and retail project. International Speedway has since turned its attention to other potential areas. "They are looking at Staten Island, they are looking at New Jersey and looking at the region, but there are no definitive plans," said former Borough President Guy Molinari, now head of the Molinari Group, a lobbying and consulting firm in West Brighton. The firm was retained by International Speedway to help with community outreach and work with the local government if the company moves forward with a project in New York City, said attorney John D'Amato, managing partner in the Molinari Group. Neither D'Amato nor Molinari would say if International Speedway was looking at the GATX site. FRANCE FAMILY "It's a little premature to say too much," added Molinari, "But if [racing] were to come to Staten Island, it's a very exciting venture." Molinari said he was impressed with the reputation of the France racing family, which heads both NASCAR and International Speedway. Former NASCAR Chairman Bill France Jr. recently took over as chairman of International Speedway. His daughter, Lesa France Kennedy, is president of International Speedway, and France's son is chairman of NASCAR. With an estimated 75 million fans, NASCAR has tried hard in recent years to shed its image as strictly southern entertainment. International Speedway has been building tracks in new markets such as Chicago and Kansas City, Kan., and it is considering building NASCAR tracks in the Pacific Northwest. Talley said racing fans are often willing to drive 300 miles to attend events. That means visitors stay in local hotels and shop in stores, added Talley, who estimated 1,000 jobs would be created and the total economic impact of building and operating a track in the city would be in the hundreds of millions. http://www.silive.com/search/index.ssf?/base/news/1085750212185970.xml Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siceone Posted May 31 Report Share Posted May 31 God Lets hope not Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest brwneydtrouble Posted May 31 Report Share Posted May 31 NASCAR sucks ass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cintron Posted May 31 Report Share Posted May 31 10 miles from Manhattan to Staten Island on any day of the week is the rough equivalent of 300 miles on a highway.i bet the farthest NASCAR fans would travel is from westchester. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teklord310 Posted May 31 Report Share Posted May 31 I hope they do open a Nascar track. If its anything like Pocono then we can hope for an infield road course. I'd kill for a nearby track. In that article they said only a few races would be held per year. That leaves lots of time for private car clubs to rent out the track for a weekend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elementx Posted June 23 Report Share Posted June 23 I hope they do open a Nascar track. If its anything like Pocono then we can hope for an infield road course. I'd kill for a nearby track. In that article they said only a few races would be held per year. That leaves lots of time for private car clubs to rent out the track for a weekend. I love NASCAR and would like to see some kind of local racing. But they should not put that shit on Staten Island. This place is ready to sink as it is. And to put 80,000 more people here on any given day would be insane!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghhhhhost Posted June 23 Report Share Posted June 23 dont u get dizzy watchin these guys drive in circles? i mean..im SURE it takes skill to hold ur steerin wheel cocked in a position like that for 60 laps Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HAZE Posted June 23 Report Share Posted June 23 dont u get dizzy watchin these guys drive in circles? i mean..im SURE it takes skill to hold ur steerin wheel cocked in a position like that for 60 lapsYea, really. The only thing I watch it for are the crashes. I don't see what these rednecks get out of this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cintron Posted June 24 Report Share Posted June 24 Yea, really. The only thing I watch it for are the crashes. I don't see what these rednecks get out of this. If sober people can watch the weather channel, drunk rednecks can watch cars go flying around in circles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kamtoasted Posted July 21 Report Share Posted July 21 does the island need another dump? NASCAR NASCAR track coming to Island? Former oil storage tank facility in Bloomfield 1 of several sites in area being eyed for 80,000-seat track Friday, May 28, 2004By KAREN O'SHEA STATEN ISLAND ADVANCE The country's largest owner and operator of professional motor racetracks is looking at the 440-acre GATX Terminal property in Bloomfield as a possible location for the first NASCAR track in the New York area. Sources say International Speedway Corp. is looking at a broad chunk of industrially zoned and for-sale land located just south of the Goethals Bridge and alongside the West Shore Expressway for a professional racetrack with grandstand seating for 70,000 to 80,000 spectators. AdvertisementChicago-based GATX Corporation demolished 82 former oil storage tanks at the site in 2001, and the company has been marketing the property to potential buyers for the last few years. David Talley, a spokesman for Daytona Beach, Fla.-based International Speedway Corp., said the company is looking at several sites in New York City and the metropolitan area, including South Jersey. The NASCAR-caliber track closest to New York City is now located in the Poconos. Talley declined to give specific locations for a new track, but said NASCAR wants to break into one of the biggest markets available to the fastest-growing sport in the nation. "We certainly know that in order to grow the sport and continue to grow our company, we need to be in new markets," Talley said yesterday. "Having the nation's biggest spectator sport in the largest media market, we think, will grow NASCAR and motor sports to new heights." No decision had been made on a location and there was no timeline for such a determination, but International Speedway wants to build a high-banked oval racetrack in the New York area for stock and open-wheeled cars, he said. In addition to the grandstand seating, the track would include 50 to 60 corporate suites. WEEKEND RACES Talley said the facility would run races only three to five weekends a year and could be used for community events between racing events. The GATX site on Staten Island is a logical place to look for track space in a city where land is at a premium. The manufacturing-zoned land represents one of the largest privately owned, for-sale properties in the city. Other racetrack operators looked at the GATX Terminal site shortly after the tanks were demolished. International Speedway Corp. hired Donald Trump to identify potential sites for a track and the company first set its sights on the Meadowlands in New Jersey. After a feasibility study was completed and a proposal to redevelop the Continental Arena with a NASCAR track was submitted, the plan was rejected last year by the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority in favor of a $1.3 billion entertainment, office and retail project. International Speedway has since turned its attention to other potential areas. "They are looking at Staten Island, they are looking at New Jersey and looking at the region, but there are no definitive plans," said former Borough President Guy Molinari, now head of the Molinari Group, a lobbying and consulting firm in West Brighton. The firm was retained by International Speedway to help with community outreach and work with the local government if the company moves forward with a project in New York City, said attorney John D'Amato, managing partner in the Molinari Group. Neither D'Amato nor Molinari would say if International Speedway was looking at the GATX site. FRANCE FAMILY "It's a little premature to say too much," added Molinari, "But if [racing] were to come to Staten Island, it's a very exciting venture." Molinari said he was impressed with the reputation of the France racing family, which heads both NASCAR and International Speedway. Former NASCAR Chairman Bill France Jr. recently took over as chairman of International Speedway. His daughter, Lesa France Kennedy, is president of International Speedway, and France's son is chairman of NASCAR. With an estimated 75 million fans, NASCAR has tried hard in recent years to shed its image as strictly southern entertainment. International Speedway has been building tracks in new markets such as Chicago and Kansas City, Kan., and it is considering building NASCAR tracks in the Pacific Northwest. Talley said racing fans are often willing to drive 300 miles to attend events. That means visitors stay in local hotels and shop in stores, added Talley, who estimated 1,000 jobs would be created and the total economic impact of building and operating a track in the city would be in the hundreds of millions. http://www.silive.com/search/index.ssf?/base/news/1085750212185970.xml Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bxbomb Posted July 21 Report Share Posted July 21 what ever happened to Trump saying few years back he was gonna build a NASCAR track out in Riverhead L.Ii dont get it either NAscar does nothing for me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glittergal Posted August 11 Report Share Posted August 11 what ever happened to Trump saying few years back he was gonna build a NASCAR track out in Riverhead L.IMaybe something to do with this I'd love to see a Nascar track closer, but also think Staten Island isn't the greatest place considering Nascar is the most popular and and has a higher fan base than any other sport. People would come from everywhere and storm the island Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigpoppanils Posted August 11 Author Report Share Posted August 11 Maybe something to do with this I'd love to see a Nascar track closer, but also think Staten Island isn't the greatest place considering Nascar is the most popular and and has a higher fan base than any other sport. People would come from everywhere and storm the island i prefer Nascar building on that land than townhouse developersit doesnt matter much to me anymore...i'm going to be off of this shithole in 2 months Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djprotege Posted August 11 Report Share Posted August 11 i live in the south and cant stand NASCAR...i can only imagine how horrible this would go over in NY Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveespa Posted August 11 Report Share Posted August 11 yea the last thing staten island needs is to be invaded by red necks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveespa Posted August 11 Report Share Posted August 11 d/p Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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