BY TOM GROESCHEN
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Jerry Carroll and Kentucky Speedway officials have scheduled a news conference for today with a "major announcement," believed to involve NASCAR driver Darrell Waltrip.
Carroll and speedway publicists will not comment, but speculation centers on some role for Waltrip with the track. Waltrip attended the speedway groundbreaking July 18 and met privately with Carroll that day at Turfway Park in Florence, site of today's news conference. Speedway developer Carroll also owns the Turfway horse track. Waltrip, 51, is a three-time NASCAR Winston Cup champion and one of the top drivers in racing history. The colorful native of Owensboro, Ky., still driving on the Winston circuit, was nicknamed "Jaws" early in his career because of his quickness with a quip. Waltrip's connections to NASCAR President Bill France Jr., whom he knows well, could help the speedway to someday land a Winston Cup race.
The speedway also is expected to provide an update on personal seat licenses, with 15,000 to be sold for the first-phase construction of 63,000 seats.
Construction began Aug. 3 at the track site in Gallatin County, about 35 miles southwest of Cincinnati. The $152 million track is scheduled for completion on June 1, 2000, with Carroll's group hoping to debut with a NASCAR Busch Grand National race, NASCAR Craftsman truck race, and open-wheel series CART and - or Indy Racing League.
