KANSAS CITY, Kan. (Feb. 17, 2011)–Kansas Speedway President Patrick Warren announced today that Hollywood Casino at Kansas Speedway will sponsor the fall NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race for 10 years beginning with the Oct. 9, 2011 race. The race will be the Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway and is a part of NASCAR’s Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. In April 2010, construction began on the Hollywood Casino at Kansas Speedway overlooking Turn Two of the speedway. The new facility is expected to open in the first half of 2012.
“We are excited to announce the new sponsor for our fall Sprint Cup Series race,” said Warren. “This represents the first of many opportunities that Kansas Speedway and Hollywood Casino at Kansas Speedway will have to work together to promote Kansas to national and international audiences.” Single race tickets for the Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway, as well as all events on the 2011 Kansas Speedway schedule, are currently on sale.
The $300 million Hollywood Casino at Kansas Speedway is being developed by Kansas Entertainment, a joint venture of Kansas Speedway Development Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of International Speedway Corporation (ISC), and Penn Hollywood Kansas, Inc., a subsidiary of Penn National Gaming Inc.
“We’re proud to be sponsoring the ‘Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway,’” said Tim Wilmott, President and Chief Operating Officer of Penn National Gaming. “This multiyear commitment is a further reflection of the strong partnership between Penn National and International Speedway Corporation and the state of Kansas. Wyandotte County and race fans will benefit from the synergies between our two exciting entertainment properties. We know this partnership will flourish even more in 2012 with the opening of Hollywood Casino at Kansas Speedway.”
The first phase of Hollywood Casino at Kansas Speedway will include a state-of-the-art casino with capacity for 2,300 slot machines, 61 table games and 25 poker tables on a 100,000 square-foot gaming floor. Hollywood Casino at Kansas Speedway will also feature 28,000 square-feet of other amenities including restaurants, clubs and nightlife attractions. The addition of the Hollywood Casino at Kansas Speedway is estimated to bring nearly 440,000 tourists per year to the facility and create over 1,000 full time positions; elevating the facility to a year-round tourist destination.
The Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway is part of an action packed race weekend that will include the Kansas Lottery 300 NASCAR Nationwide Series race on Oct. 8. Penn National Gaming will bring VIP guests from its 17 gaming facilities throughout the country to Kansas Speedway where they will have the opportunity to meet NASCAR drivers, tour the infield and pit areas, and enjoy special seating and entertainment during the weekend’s races.
“We are very happy to see Hollywood Casino assisting with the promotion of tourism in Kansas through the sponsorship of a major race, in addition to the destination casino site that they are developing adjacent to Kansas Speedway,” said Kansas Lottery Executive Director Ed Van Petten.
Kansas Speedway tickets are on sale now for the 2011 season. Season tickets are available, starting at just $159 and include two NASCAR Sprint Cup races, the O’Reilly Auto Parts 250 NASCAR Camping World Truck race, the Kansas Lottery 300 NASCAR Nationwide Series race and a Track Pass for each Sunday race event. Individual tickets are also on sale now for all events (June 4 O’Reilly Auto Parts 250, the June 5 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race, the Oct. 8 Kansas Lottery 300 and the Oct. 9 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race). Tickets for the June 5 Sprint Cup race start at just $59 and tickets for the Oct. 9 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup race start at $64. Tickets are available by calling 866.460.RACE (7223) or by logging onto www.kansasspeedway.com. Parking at Kansas Speedway is always free. Fans can bring into the grandstands a 14x14x14-inch soft-sided cooler with their favorite food and drinks.
About Penn National Gaming
Penn National Gaming owns, operates or has ownership interests in gaming and racing facilities with a focus on slot machine entertainment. The Company presently operates twenty-three facilities in sixteen jurisdictions, including Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico, Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Ontario. In aggregate, Penn National’s operated facilities feature over 27,500 gaming machines, over 500 table games, over 2,000 hotel rooms and over 1 million square feet of gaming floor space.
Through a joint venture, Penn National is developing a full casino at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, which is anticipated to open in the first half of 2012, and is also developing casinos in Toledo and Columbus, Ohio, with openings targeted for 2012. The Company recently agreed to establish a joint venture (subject to final approval by the Texas Racing Commission and the satisfaction of certain other closing conditions) to own and operate pari-mutuel operations in Texas, including the Sam Houston Race Park in Houston, the Valley Race Park in Harlingen, and a planned racetrack in Laredo. Penn National also recently purchased all of the outstanding debt of The M Resort LLC. The M Resort Spa Casino is situated on over 90 acres on the southeast corner of Las Vegas Boulevard.
