05:38 PM PDT on Wednesday, April 20, 2005

By TRICIA MANNING-SMITH / KING 5 News

BREMERTON, Wash. -- Western Washington continues to be the top priority for NASCAR to build a new speedway. Meetings in Kitsap County are planned for Thursday.

One proposal could locate the new speedway near a wooded area near Bremerton.

KING 5 has confirmed that the same people who tried to get the speedway built in Snohomish County are meeting with commissioners individually in Kitsap County.

The tough competition, the potential danger and the sport’s working class roots all helped speed NASCAR into the fastest-growing spectator sport in America, drawing in TV viewers from 150 countries and 75 million fans.

A spokesperson at the International Speedway Corporation (ISC), based in Florida, said it continues to put the Seattle area in the "pole position" as the destination for a new NASCAR speedway.

Kitsap County Commissioner Jan Angel is meeting with an ISC representative Thursday. The ISC has confirmed that a Kitsap County site near the Bremerton National Airport remains a top qualifier, falling within the desired range of 30 to 50 miles from Seattle. A site in Snohomish County fell through last year

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One proposal could locate the new speedway near a wooded area near Bremerton, Wash.

“The economic contributions to Kitsap County are huge,” Angel said. “We would have to do our homework to make sure it remains the beautiful area we love and live in.”

One study shows NASCAR fuels local economies with up to $122 million with new spending and tax revenues. That's enough to even entice some non-NASCAR fans.

“I'm not a racing proponent, I'm a growth proponent,” said Kitsap retiree Dick Davis. “This area needs to expand its tax base and we're not going to do that sticking to retail and government growth.”

Yet, Davis still wants more information about how speedway representatives might address traffic. The issues are dealing with two-lane county roads and environmental concerns.

Others are concerned local politicians will race ahead with plans without citizens' input.

No offer is on the table yet anywhere, but speedway representatives are committed to moving forward.

The ISC representative told KING 5 it still wants to build its proposed racetrack in Washington under a "public-private" venture, similar to SAFECO and QWEST fields.

A representative has been lobbying in Olympia.