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Homestead-Miami Speedway reconfigured

MIAMI, FL (May 21, 2003) - The fans spoke and Homestead-Miami Speedway listened. As part of a major track reconfiguration project, Homestead-Miami Speedway will increase its track banking to a maximum of 20 degrees in the turns through an ...

MIAMI, FL (May 21, 2003) - The fans spoke and Homestead-Miami Speedway listened.

As part of a major track reconfiguration project, Homestead-Miami Speedway will increase its track banking to a maximum of 20 degrees in the turns through an innovative variable-degree banking system, announced Speedway President Curtis Gray.

Construction on the project, estimated to cost in excess of $10 million, began Wednesday with a ceremonial demolition of Homestead-Miami Speedway's Turn Four. The project is scheduled to be complete in time for the 2003 Ford Championship Weekend, the season-finales for the NASCAR Winston Cup, Busch and Craftsman Truck Series, set for November 13-16 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

The reconfiguration project with the added banking comes after feedback from race fans, along with drivers, asking for more exciting racing at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

"In listening to our race fans, we have decided to make this major step in the evolution of Homestead-Miami Speedway," said Gray. "We are already one of the world's finest facilities and host one of the biggest weekends in all of motorsports: November's Ford Championship Weekend, where championships can be won or lost. Now with the reconfiguration of the racetrack and the additional banking, Homestead-Miami Speedway will offer even more competitive racing and will be one of the most desirable destinations for race fans everywhere."

When complete, the track's banking will be increased from its current six degrees to a maximum of 20 degrees while implementing an innovative, variable banking system. With the variable banking system, the degree of banking is increased progressively from the bottom to the top of each turn. At the midpoint of each turn, there will be 18 degrees banking at the bottom, 19 degrees in the middle, and 20 degrees at the top. The variable banking system is designed to create three competitive racing grooves around the track.

Homestead-Miami Speedway becomes the first NASCAR Winston Cup track to be planned and constructed to include this variable banking system.

"The new Homestead-Miami Speedway with its variable degrees of banking is being designed to facilitate three competitive racing grooves around the new track," added Gray. "This innovative design will in turn translate into more exciting, side-by-side racing action for our race fans."

Drivers agree that the reconfiguration of Homestead-Miami Speedway will make racing much more exciting at the South Florida track.

"The reconfiguration of the track with additional and variable banking at Homestead-Miami Speedway is great news," said 1999 NASCAR Winston Cup champion Dale Jarrett. "It should provide for great side-by-side racing and some real excitement for all the race fans who come out to Ford Championship Weekend this November."

Four-time NASCAR Winston Cup champion Jeff Gordon agrees, adding that Homestead-Miami Speedway is indeed one of the country's premier motorsports facilities.

"The added banking at Homestead-Miami Speedway is exactly what we've been waiting for," said four-time NASCAR Winston Cup champion Jeff Gordon. "This has always been one of the finest facilities in the country, and now with the added banking in the turns, the track and the racing should be more exciting than ever."

NASCAR Winston Cup driver Ricky Rudd is eager to race on the new Homestead-Miami Speedway and its innovative, variable-banking system.

"I always thought that it would be perfect to have variable degrees of banking," said Rudd. "I'm real excited about the plans that are in place at Homestead-Miami Speedway with the new banking. It's going to lend itself to great side-by-side racing and I'm really looking forward to racing on the new track."

Homestead-Miami Speedway is a world-class motorsports facility located just south of Miami in tropical South Florida. The Speedway is the home of Ford Championship Weekend, the season-finales for the NASCAR Winston Cup, Busch and Craftsman Truck Series, as well as the Toyota Indy 300 featuring the IRL IndyCar Series, the Rolex Sports Car Series, and the Infiniti Pro Series. In addition to these major spectator events, the Speedway is active more than 230 days per year with multiple forms of racing, testing, track rentals, driving schools, and community events.

Tickets for the 2003 Ford Championship Weekend, the season-finales for the NASCAR Winston Cup, Busch, and Craftsman Truck Series, November 13-16 at Homestead-Miami Speedway are now available to the public. To order race tickets, call (305) 230-RACE or 1-800-PIT-SHOP, log on to homesteadmiamispeedway.com; or visit TicketMaster.

-hms-

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