Homestead Reconfiguration

[HardScrabble]

Earlier this season it was reported that Homestead would be reconfigured with higher banking. The change was purported to be in place by the season finale.

ISC is now confirming that such plans are being considered and if approved will be completed this year. The company does not confirm the details of the reconfiguration being discussed.

The Company is reviewing plans to reconfigure the track at Homestead-Miami Speedway. In order to complete the reconfiguration, certain assets, which are not fully depreciated, would need to be removed. If the reconfiguration project proceeds, the company expects to record a pre-tax charge to its fiscal 2003 earnings of $2.5 to $3.5 million, or $0.03 to $0.04 per diluted share. This charge would be incurred as the related assets are removed. The Company would incur the charges in the second and third quarters of fiscal 2003; however the exact timing has not been determined. If the project moves forward, the Company expects the reconfiguration would be completed in early October, allowing sufficient time for drivers to test in advance of the facility's marquee event in November, NASCAR's Ford Championship Weekend. Since planning for the project is yet to be finalized, the charge is not included in the Company's current guidance for fiscal 2003.

 

[DeeDee]

New track configuration for the last race...that could be interesting.
Okay HS if they do higher banking which track do you think it will be most comparable with?

 

[HardScrabble]

Interesting question.

If they are only racing the banks and leaving the track as an oval, it will be somewhat unique. Almost all the tracks I think of off-hand in that length category are tri-ovals or at least D-shaped.

Maybe you could call it a longer and newer Rockingham. It will of course be labeled as a cookie cutter track. Nonetheless it will likely require a unique set-up for the teams.

Edit Addition: One could hope in the best case that it would just like the old Atlanta track.

 

[N2racin44]

From a unique standpoint it would be cool to have a nice high bank in one set of turns and keep the other set flat.

 

[racerx11]

Originally posted by N2racin88@May 6 2003, 09:58 AM
From a unique standpoint it would be cool to have a nice high bank in one set of turns and keep the other set flat.

A little like Pocono, or to a higher extreme?

 

[Dinoforthe3]

Originally posted by N2racin88@May 6 2003, 08:58 AM
From a unique standpoint it would be cool to have a nice high bank in one set of turns and keep the other set flat.

That would make the care extremely hard to set up.

 

[PettyBenson]

That could be interesting!!
I hope it happens soon and they only add banking and not D shap or tri-oval

 

[Mopardh9]

Wouldn't that be the point, make if difficult, instead of having an easy track that is similar to many others on the circuit? Personally i like it the way it is, but i am in the minority as far as that goes. It reminds me of Stafford Speedway in Conn., a flat half mile oval, great racing on that track and it has been around in its current paved format since 1966 i believe. Flatter tracks are harder to drive, thus making it more difficult to get the set-up just right and requiring the driver to have a little more"skill". If they do raise the banking i hope they don't go much more than 10 degrees, i think that would be sufficient to give the drivers 2 grooves, but the problem will exist of the pavement wearing in, which won't happen for a few years. Of course if they went with concrete in the corners, that probably would eliminate that problem.