Speedway incentive package could surpass $70M

Incentives aimed at keeping Bruton Smith from closing Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord could exceed the figure previously disclosed by Cabarrus County leaders, the chairman of the county's board of commissioners said Monday.

Bob Carruth said local officials were continuing to work with Smith's staff, and that any incentives package ultimately must be approved by commissioners, the Concord City Council and state officials. But Carruth acknowledged that the total list of projects that emerged after Smith threatened to close Lowe's isn't guaranteed to stay below $70 million.

"It just keeps going up and down," he said. "Those numbers could come out different based on the flavor of the moment."

Regardless, Carruth added, "we're not giving the store away."

Concord Mayor Scott Padgett said he didn't know the total cost of incentives being discussed Monday.

A specific number may be hard to determine, Padgett said, since the options include road widening and a bridge replacement — state transportation projects that often see budget increases over time.

"I think the focus is more on projects than costs," Padgett said. "I don't know if they'll come up with definite figure before it's settled." That's Racin.com