Jump to full article: Kansas City (MO) Star, 2008-11-10
Author: RICK ALM The Kansas City Star
Intro: Auto racing fans at Kansas Speedway will have to abstain from smoking starting in 2010, when a ban takes effect at the track.
Kansas Speedway will ban smoking in the grandstands and all enclosed areas of the complex beginning in 2010.
The policy, however, will not be enforced at the planned Hard Rock Casino & Hotel expected to open on the Speedway grounds sometime next year, with a hotel and other nongambling amenities expected to start opening by late 2010.
"This has no effect on the casino," said Joe Weinberg, a Cordish Co. principal and the president of the Kansas Entertainment Investors LLC partnership that will own the casino.
"We will allow smoking in the casino" and throughout most of the proposed hotel's 300 rooms, Weinberg said. . . .
In a statement Monday, speedway President Jeff Boerger said he "wanted to make sure fans would be able to make renewal decisions based on this new policy, which is why it won't be effective until 2010."
Boerger said the speedway will allow smoking in the 2009 season and urged fans "to be considerate of those around them."
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