TRAC unveils cars, deal with SMI tracks

Thursday, April 25, 2002 | 11:18 a.m.

SUN STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS

The Team Racing Auto Circuit moved a step closer to reality Wednesday, announcing a deal with five tracks to hold races next year and unveiling prototypes of three cars.

TRAC has a deal with Speedway Motorsports Inc. to hold three races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and two events each at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Bristol Motor Speedway, Lowe's Motor Speedway and Texas Motor Speedway.

TRAC plans to debut in April of next year with a Saturday afternoon race at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C.

"I've been telling people for five years that we need something else to do on the superspeedways," said Humpy Wheeler, president of SMI and Lowe's Motor Speedway.

"TRAC's new and unique approach to auto racing has the potential to provide more motorsports entertainment for those hungry for more racing, while at the same time bringing first-time ticket buyers to our venues."

TRAC, first announced last year as a new team-concept racing league, is a long way from launching.

The league does not have drivers, has just one team owner, is still negotiating a television contract, and has yet to even iron out its rules and regulations.

But league founders promised Wednesday that everything is shaping up well and most details are close to being shored up.

All that is certain is the league would like to start with 10 regionalized teams next season with room to expand to approximately 16.

Teams would consist of six drivers -- three regulars and three backups -- who would be drafted from a pool of applicants. TRAC president Jon Pritchett estimated the league has already received 1,500 applications.

Each team would be based in an area -- examples of team names given were the Seattle Eruption, Kentucky Horse Power, New England Revolt and the Chicago Blaze -- and would race for team points instead of individual honors.

Founders envision a 22-race season lasting from April until August, with 20 regular-season races, an All-Star event and a world championship.

Robert Wussler, chairman of TRAC and former president of CBS Sports, said he was working on a TV contract with an unnamed network and expected 15 races to be broadcast on Saturday afternoon and the rest to appear in prime time.

That would put most of TRAC's races on at the same time as the Busch series, putting the new league in direct competition with NASCAR -- something founders say they don't want.

"We don't consider them competition at all," Pritchett said. "We want to broaden the fan base. We have no interest in alienating NASCAR or its fans or stealing its market shares."

Pritchett said TRAC hoped to offer drivers a base yearly salary of $200,000 with bonuses and incentives for team wins and championships.

At that pay scale, its unlikely the league will lure any drivers from the established series. Instead, drivers competing in TRAC will likely be young and trying to launch a full-time racing career.

TRAC also unveiled prototypes of the cars it would like to use: a Ford Mustang, a Dodge Viper and a Chevrolet Corvette.