Part of that plan will include a new grandstand to replace the decrepit seats that have stood along the track since the facility was used for horse racing. The grandstand project may be the key to the survival of the Mile as a racetrack. The cost to put on races has escalated dramatically, and with it ticket prices. That's expensive, especially in the traditionally frugal Milwaukee marketplace. If the track were to have more good seats to sell, it would stand a better chance of working on volume.
Cheaper prices lead to more sales and similar revenue.
Those new seats can't come quickly enough. CART has one year after this on its contract with the Mile, and there's no guarantee of an extension. The organization of promoter Carl Haas, who also is a CART team owner, must find a way to make the revenue figures work for everyone. He needs people in the seats and enough good, reasonably priced seats to offer. Martin, the perennial Winston Cup championship contender, helped convince his boss, Jack Roush, to bring Kenseth into the Roush Racing empire.