Northwest Auto Racing
Officials confirm Snohomish County site for NASCAR's Northwest track

By Seattle Times staff

E-mail this article Print this article Search archive Most read articles Most e-mailed articles

Representatives of International Speedway Corp., which develops tracks for NASCAR, and county leaders announced as expected that property between Arlington and Marysville is ISC's preferred location for a 75,000-seat, 3/4-mile track.

The decision eliminates competing sites in Kitsap County and in Portland.

ISC representatives said they chose the Snohomish County site because of its proximity to Interstate 5 and the Arlington Airport.

State and local leaders, meanwhile, have anticipated the potential economic benefits of a track, which a study by speedway proponents earlier this year predicted would bring jobs and generate between $87.3 million and $121.8 million in annual revenue.

Officials said today the track could open in 2008.

Still to be hashed out, however, is what the state and county will offer ISC to secure the track in Washington. ISC is scheduled to make a presentation to the state's Legislative Committee of Economic Development and International Relations on Oct. 6.

The company would have to buy the 600-acre site, which has 29 different owners. The Snohomish County Council would have to add some of the land to Marysville's urban-growth area, and then Marysville would likely annex the site.

Today's announcement included ISC's request to expand the site to 850 acres.

ISC has been searching for a Northwest site for more than a year. Initially, two other Snohomish County communities--Darrington and Monroe--pitched property for a track, as had economic-development officials in Thurston County. Snohomish County leaders formally proposed the Arlington/Marysville site last spring; Thurston County representatives said two weeks ago their proposed site near Yelm had been removed from contention.

Copyright © 2004 The Seattle Times Company

E-mail this article

Print this article

Search archive

More local news headlines...