Lakeland Speedway to Close

USA International Speedway in Lakeland, FL will host the second leg of the Florida Triple Crown late model race this Saturday night, then the track will close its doors.

Track officals have confirmed that the 3/4 mile track will close all operations and be razed to make room for an imdustrial park.

“As far as I know, the owner decided to sell it out,” said an emotional Barry Williams, the track’s operations manager. “All I can say is to come out and watch the race.”

USA Internatial opened in 1995 with camping amenities, aluminum grandstands and lighting comparable to many NASCAR tracks. It hosted races for the Auto Racing Club of America (ARCA), American Speed Association and the season opener and finale for the Hooters Pro Cup Series.

According to the Polk County Property Appraiser’s Web site, the speedway was bought in May 2007 by USA International Speedway Holdings, LLC, which is based out of Clearwater, for $6.2 million.

Corporate agent, Thomas C. Little and track owner Anthony Amoco, both of Clearwater, could not be reached for comment.

USA International Speedway President Billy Martino told the The Ledger in Lakeland that the track had been sold but that specifics regarding the sale, including the purchasing party and amount, would not be disclosed until the official statement is made Monday.

He said it would be torn down and that warehouses would be built on the site.

“It kind of happened fast. It wasn’t planned,” Martino said. “The current owners had a chance to get out, and, with no potential sponsors, it was probably a good business decision.”

Martino said that after the death of Robert Brooks, founder of the Hooters of America restaurant chain and the USAR Hooters Pro Cup Series, Hooters decided to take their marketing in a direction that lessened its focus on racing.

As a result, the speedway lost its primary Hooters sponsorship and the number of USAR Pro Cup races scheduled at USA Speedway was cut.

“We had about a year to prolong this and make it work,” Martino said. “The highest use for this track is just not racing.”

In the end, the economic reality forced USA Speedway’s owners to sell.

Martino added that there won’t be any extra festivities during this weekend’s race to celebrate the track. He said they plan to go out silently with the final race.

“It’s emotional for me,” Martino said. “I’ve been here for 25 years. I’ve tried hard to keep it alive. … It’s the end of an era. It’s the last checkered flag at USA International Speedway.”

There are still three events on the schedule at USA Speedway after this weekend’s race, including a FASCAR race scheduled for September and a USAR Pro Cup race in October. Martino said both will be rescheduled and moved to other sites.

An auction will be held at the speedway Aug. 9.

Fans will be invited to bid on pieces of Polk County racing history. Martino said that everything, down to the pens on his desk, would be for sale. The only possible exception to that might be the concrete slab that is dedicated to the Nemechek family. Martino said the slab would be given to the Nemechek family if they wanted it.

“That’s pretty cool that they even thought about that,” said NASCAR Sprint Cup

driver and Lakeland native Joe Nemechek. He said he wasn’t sure how moving something like that would even be possible.

News of the track’s closing reached Ocala Speedway owner Mike Peters early Wednesday. He said that the buyers in 2007 had plans for the property that did not involve racing.

“It happens in this business,” he said. “It’s a difficult business to be in.”