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MOTOR SPORTS CONSULTING SERVICES
Before Northern Kentucky based real estate developer Jerry Carroll could pull together a group of business associates to invest millions of dollars into auto racing, he needed comprehensive research to move the project forward.
DSA was retained to conduct a feasibility study which led to design and construction of Kentucky Speedway – a $150 million superspeedway 40 miles south of Cincinnati that hosts NASCAR, the Indy Car series, ARCA and other sanctioned racing and entertainment events. Our company applied what we have learned over decades of experience conducting market support studies for sports facilities to motor sports, and the combination proved productive.
In the last few years, we have studied superspeedways, road courses, paved ovals, and short track dirt ovals.
Understanding your objectives
Every project is different, and each ownership group has its own unique set of attitudes and opinions. Our job is to understand these differences, consider the specific objectives, and develop a study protocol that will produce accurate information based upon current realities in motor sports.
Our team approach
We have assembled a truly all-star team to deliver actionable data at the conclusion of each step in the process. To insure that the owner receives the benefit of more than seventy-five (75) years’ collective experience in the sports event, sports facilities, and event bidding, marketing, and operations industries PLUS unmatched experience designing, building, and successfully managing motor sports facilities, we have assembled the following team:
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Don Schumacher & Associates, Inc., Cincinnati, Ohio
DSA is the industry leader in analyzing the sports event travel market.
DSA’s motor sports experience began with the Kentucky Speedway in Sparta, Kentucky, just forty (40) miles from Cincinnati. DSA was retained to conduct the original research which convinced the ownership group to design and construct this outstanding $150 million superspeedway. In the process of researching this project, DSA traveled to a number of racing complexes, conducted interviews with every sanctioning body (including drag racing), and authored the original development plan for a 1-mile, 66,000 seat facility
Kentucky Speedway hosts NASCAR’s Busch Series, Craftsman Truck Series, and the Indy Racing League’s Belterra Casino 300, plus two ARCA races. It has become the number one test track for teams competing in NASCAR’s Nextel Cup Series. Many Nextel observers feel Kentucky Speedway could be one of the next tracks awarded a Nextel Cup event.
In addition to the original research, DSA was retained to develop and implement the seat licensing, luxury suite, and club seat program.
The speedway has consistently produced crowds in excess of 70,000 for each Busch Series event.
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Vertrees Sports Consulting, Louisville, Kentucky
Andy Vertrees, Kentucky Speedway’s Director of Operations, is recognized as a national leader in organizing motor sports facilities. In Andy’s case, he has truly “been there, and done that.” When Vertrees develops a facility, he does so as race promoter, driver, designer, and speedway operator. He has twenty-five (25) years’ experience operating speedways. As a consequence, the plans and numbers presented by our team will be based on what can actually happen in various types of facilities, and not on what national averages suggest!
Mr. Vertrees has consulted on several projects to get each facility up and running and to bring the operation in contact with key players in the industry to insure a successful project. Mr. Vertrees oversees members of a hand-picked team that will operate facilities on a day-to-day basis.
To date, Mr. Vertrees has successfully built three race facilities. These facilities are the Louisville Speedway, Kentucky Speedway, and the Lake Erie Speedway, which has been rated the best short track in America.
A veteran of 16 racing seasons as a race car driver, winning four track championships and numerous major race events, Mr. Vertrees purchased a 1/4 - paved facility near Owensboro, KY in 1979. Five years later, he leased a 1/3-mile dirt track facility in Charlestown, IN, paved it, and operated both tracks through 1987. In 1987 he began construction of the Louisville Motor Speedway, which opened in April 1988. In 1998, the developer of Kentucky Speedway purchased the Louisville facility. Mr. Vertrees became a consultant to the project and was Director of Operations for both facilities until the Louisville facility was closed in the fall of 2001 for redevelopment. He currently oversees the day-to-day operations at Kentucky Speedway and serves as a consultant to the Lake Erie Speedway. He has consulted on a variety of other racing facilities.
Racing Promotions Monthly, the foremost authority on independently owned speedways in North America, has bestowed several honors upon Mr. Vertrees. He was named Auto Racing Promoter of the Year in 1995 and has received the same honor regionally four different times. He also received the “Best New Speedway Award” in 1989 for his work on the Louisville Motor Speedway. In addition, NASCAR presented Mr. Vertrees its regional “Team Player of the Year Award” on two separate occasions at its annual Weekly Racing Series awards presentations.
As part of his duties, Mr. Vertrees has also been very successful in promoting concerts at the facilities he has operated, including the nation’s eighth largest outdoor concert in 2000.
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Paxton Waters Architecture, P.C., Indianapolis, Indiana
The third member of our team can point to many of the most recent and successful projects in motor sports as proof of his considerable expertise.
Mr. Waters was the lead designer on the following projects:
• California Speedway
• Las Vegas Motor Speedway
• Pikes Peak International Raceway
• US131 Speedway
Paxton also served as Project Manager on California Speedway, Las Vegas, and Pikes Peak. As a consequence, Mr. Waters is thoroughly familiar with what it takes to develop speedways and drag racing facilities and road courses of varying lengths, and capacities.
Paxton Waters has also worked on a wide variety of speedway elements, including the 60,000 square foot Administration Building at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and master planning, safety wall and fence design for Mansfield Motor Speedway.
He has also consulted on New York City Motor Speedway, Chaparral Raceway Park, Empire State Speedway, and a new track in Newton, Iowa.
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All tasks are accomplished by Don Schumacher, Andy Vertrees, and Paxton Waters. Don conducts most of the research and interviews, and coordinates all work on the project.
Andy Vertrees contributes his considerable expertise in building, operating, and marketing motor sports facilities.
Paxton Waters brings to each project a wealth of experience in motor sports facility design and project management.
All detailed financial statements are prepared with input by Don Schumacher, Andy Vertrees, Paxton Waters and experts and information provided by the owner. The financial statements are prepared by the accounting firm of G. Michael Brown & Associates, Inc. of Cincinnati, Ohio using data collected by our team.
Scope of Services
Our work program is usually based on a phased sequence of steps consisting of information assembly, analysis, findings and decisions. The three steps may be characterized as Market Analysis, Financial Analysis and Program Development and Budgeting. This plan is designed to engage the owner at each step in the process of the study and at major decision points to evaluate and guide the team.
Special note should be made of our ability to prepare a comprehensive analysis of the potential economic impact a proposed project could have on the local or regional economy. These projections can be very helpful to governmental officials, hotel and resort owners, and the local business community.
© Copyright 2004 Don Schumacher & Associates, Inc. All rights reserved.
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