NY mayor opposes ISC site

International Speedway Corporation is facing opposition from New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg over its plans to build an 80,000-seat NASCAR oval on Staten Island. "Personally, I'm not an auto racing fan and I'm sceptical that it fits on Staten Island," Bloomberg told the New York Daily News. The Republican senator for Staten Island/Brooklyn, Vito Fossella, has also expressed opposition to the site selection in a letter to ISC president Lesa France Kennedy

Oct 5, 2004, 10:09 AM

"While I applaud your decision to expand NASCAR racing to other parts of the country, I believe Staten Island is the wrong place for this project," wrote Fossella.

ISC spokesman David Talley said that the world's largest race circuit owner and developer was working hard to address concerns raised by city officials and residents. "We remain very interested in New York City," Talley said. "ISC, as well as NASCAR, still believe that, to grow the sport, moving into the New York market would be a good thing. We're looking at various options to reduce the traffic flow to the island on a race date, among other things."

ISC announced in July that it had agreed to buy approximately 680 acres of land on Staten Island with a view of the New York City skyline. Talley said that ISC did not have "a strict timetable" to obtain approval for the project.