NEW YORK - NASCAR is thinking about building a speedway in a city better known for traffic jams and taxicabs than for motorsports.
Racing promoters have held preliminary discussions with city economic officials about building a NASCAR track on Staten Island, the mayor's office said Friday.
NASCAR has looked at locations in the region since plans to build a speedway at the Meadowlands in New Jersey foundered, said David Talley, a spokesman for the International Speedway Corporation, which owns 13 tracks nationwide.
"Staten Island is one we're looking at," Talley told the New York Times. "We're looking at a couple of sites in New Jersey as well. We are nowhere close to breaking ground and building a facility."
The proposed track would be constructed at a 440-acre vacant industrial site on Staten Island's waterfront, a few miles east of the New Jersey Turnpike.
BUSCH SERIES: Greg Biffle earned his second pole of the season, outrunning youngsters Kyle Busch and Kasey Kahne in qualifying at Concord, N.C., for today's Carquest Auto Parts 300 at Lowe's Motor Speedway. Running under bright sunshine, Biffle clocked in at 183.545 mph, about 0.015 seconds better than Busch. Kevin Harvick, Joe Nemechek and Tony Stewart followed Kahne; all also are running the Nextel Cup's Coca-Cola 600 this weekend. "The lap was absolutely perfect," Biffle said. "Down in Turns 3 and 4 is where I got all my speed. I just got right back to the gas earlier than I ever have. When you have a perfect car, it's easy to drive a fast lap."
NHRA: Cory McClenathan led Top Fuel qualifying at the O'Reilly Summer Nationals in Topeka, Kan., covering the quarter-mile in 4.513 seconds at 320.58 mph. Whit Bazemore was tops in Funny Car at 4.792 seconds, 323.19 mph, and Steve Johns (6.853, 201.10) led Pro Stock. Qualifying continues today for Sunday's eliminations.
