Las Vegas Review-Journal - Heavy Pedal

It’s time to race.
The motor sports season in Southern Nevada begins Saturday and Sunday when Death Valley Raceway near Beatty opens with its first Best of the Best Wild West Showdown Series, which will feature IMCA Modifieds.
Other doubleheaders are scheduled for Jan. 24 and 25 and Feb. 14 and 15. For more information, call (775) 253-4463. ...
The first major race of the year will be the AMA Supercross Series event Saturday night at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, Calif. The race will be telecast live at 7 p.m. on Speed (Digital 329). ...
The SCORE Desert Series opens Jan. 24 and 25 with the 15th annual SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge.


Kentucky Speedway sold to SMI

From The Associated Press:
Speedway Motorsports Inc. purchased Kentucky Speedway, clearing the way for SMI owner Bruton Smith to try to bring a coveted NASCAR Sprint Cup race to the 1.5-mile tri-oval in northern Kentucky.
The deal was finalized Wednesday, more than seven months after SMI agreed to buy the Sparta, Ky., track from the speedway ownership group led by Jerry Carroll. According to papers filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Smith agreed to pay $78.3 million for the speedway, which cost $152 million to build.
The track joins a growing portfolio for SMI, which owns seven other NASCAR-sanctioned facilities, including Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
The former ownership group at Kentucky filed an antitrust lawsuit in 2005 against NASCAR and International Speedway, alleging they worked together to create an unfair monopoly and prevent Kentucky from securing a Cup race. The lawsuit was dismissed earlier this year, but the case is on appeal.
Smith cannot be part of the appeal under a settlement in a Texas Motor Speedway-related antitrust lawsuit previously filed by an SMI shareholder against NASCAR and ISC. That settlement included giving Texas a second annual Cup race.
The Kentucky track regularly hosts NASCAR's second-tier Nationwide Series, Indy Racing League and ARCA events. With crowds of more than 70,000, the speedway is the largest venue that hosts a Nationwide event but doesn't have a Cup race. The track is expected to add 50,000 seats to become more Cup-friendly.
"We are extremely excited about the new opportunities this market is going to bring the company," Smith said. "Since we announced this acquisition in May, we have been overwhelmed with the response of fans expressing their support and desire for a Sprint Cup event at Kentucky Speedway. We will continue to work with NASCAR to bring a Sprint Cup race to this fine facility as soon as possible."
NASCAR, however, left Kentucky off its 2009 schedule and probably won't consider giving the track a date until the lawsuit is resolved.
"NASCAR has a great fan base in Kentucky and the surrounding area, which is why we always look forward to racing there," NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston said. "However, as we have said consistently, there will be no consideration for a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series date until the pending lawsuit against NASCAR, ISC and SMI is resolved."
Smith has the option of moving a date at one of his other tracks to Kentucky but said that would not be his preference.


Telmex not buying F1 team

The Telmex racing team owned by Carlos Slim has denied reports the Mexican billionaire will buy Honda's flailing Formula One outfit, the AP reported.
The Telmex team said in a statement that Slim "has not bought, nor is negotiating to buy, the Honda Formula 1 team, and thus all reports in that sense are baseless and completely false."
The statement was posted on the team's web site Sunday.
The Italian daily La Stampa reported Saturday that Slim planned to buy the Honda team after the Japanese automaker announced this month it was pulling out of F1 racing because of the escalating economic crisis in the automobile industry.
Telmex races in Formula 3 and other series.


Petty-GEM merger talks continue

According to NASCAR.com, the merger between Petty Enterprises and Gillett Evernham Motorsports could be announced next week once details are finalized.
Reports also indicate GEM will buy its way out the two years remaining on driver Elliott Sadler’s contract and will hire A.J. Allmendinger to replace him.
The Pettys remain involved with the team in name only since Boston Venture, a private equity firm, bought majority interest in the Petty operation last year.


Mac Tools leaves Kalitta Motorsports

Mac Tools, which had sponsored the Top Fuel dragster driven by Doug Kalitta for the past several years, has opted to leave Kalitta Motorsports. That puts Kalitta’s status up in the air for this year.
On a brighter note, Hillary Will won the Scott Kalitta Memorial Trophy on Sunday at Western Sydney International Dragway in Blacktown, Australia.
Will’s Top Fueler posted a best run of 4.743 seconds at 303.16 mph. She is without an NHRA ride since team owner Ken Black does not plan to fund her team, which was operated by Kalitta Motorsports.