CBS SportsLine wire reports
Aug. 31, 1998

MIAMI -- South Florida's quest to attract NASCAR's biggest stars appears days away from success, with confirmation expected this week that Homestead will join the Winston Cup circuit next season.

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Metro-Dade Homestead Motorsports Complex scheduled a "major announcement" for Thursday, but gave no other details. However, Mayor Steve Shiver said Monday the city finalized lease agreements last week with NASCAR to bring the 3-year-old track up to Winston Cup standards.

"Everything's in order," Shiver said. "Hopefully we walked away with a Winston Cup date."

SHIVER SAID HOMESTEAD ALSO is planning a street celebration for Thursday night along Krome Avenue, the city's historic main street.

Officials at NASCAR headquarters in Daytona Beach did not immediately return phone calls seeking comment. The Winston Cup schedule comes out each December, but recent additions in Las Vegas, Dallas-Fort Worth and southern California were announced before the schedule's release.

"We're excited about the opportunity," Shiver said. "It's equivalent to hosting a Super Bowl every single year here in south Dade."

Plans call for increasing the Homestead track's seating from about 45,000 to more than 70,000 to accommodate the Winston Cup series, with room for further expansion. A November date is considered likely, possibly preceding Atlanta's annual season finale.

HOMESTEAD ALREADY HAS THE OPENING race of the CART championship series, along with the NASCAR Busch Series finale and a NASCAR Craftsman Truck series event.

Winston Cup's arrival in Homestead has been anticipated for more than a year, since International Speedway Corp. and Penske Motorsports Inc. acquired controlling interest in the 1.5-mile oval in July 1997. NASCAR chief executive Bill France Jr. and his family control the majority of ISC stock.

NASCAR's top series would provide not only a showcase for South Florida but a major boost to Homestead, a city almost blown off the map six years ago by Hurricane Andrew.

Two other blows soon followed. Congress voted to close Homestead Air Force Base and the Cleveland Indians backed out of a commitment to hold spring training at a new complex built there.

"IT'S A GOOD TIME FOR SOUTH DADE and Homestead," Shiver said. "We've needed this kind of positive exposure for some time. Motorsports is one of fastest growing sports in the United States."

The Winston Cup caravan typically includes hundreds of corporate sponsors and loyal race fans who spend millions of dollars to follow such drivers as Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt. A typical Winston Cup race generates about $60 million for the local economy.