Casino operator seeks deal for speedway

Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2002 | 11:14 a.m.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Donald Trump and International Speedway Corp. want to build an interactive racing park and a speedway at the Meadowland Sports Complex in East Rutherford, the Star-Ledger of Newark reported Tuesday, citing the developer and casino operator.

Trump said the proposed racing park would be a theme park similar to Disneyland and could become one of the top destinations for Nascar fans, the paper reported.

The plan will be submitted to the New Jersey Sports & Exhibition Authority, the state agency that runs the Meadowlands, next month, the paper said.

The racing park would be built on the site of the Continental Airlines Arena, which would be torn down if the state can agree with YankeeNets LLC to build a $355 million arena in downtown Newark for the New Jersey Nets and Devils, the Star-Ledger said.

The park would compliment a race track that has been proposed for the Meadowlands.

The authority and Daytona Beach, Fla.-based International Speedway had been studying the possibility of building a track at the Meadowlands since January 2000. International Speedway and the state haven't been able to agree on who would pay for the $400 million project, the paper said.