There was a note in the news recently that the litigation which has stood in the way of Kentucky        Speedway getting a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race is over.     A suit filed by four trusts had challenged the right of Jerry Carroll, one of the founding owners, to "control the fate" of the original antitrust lawsuit against NASCAR and International Speedway Corporation.

       I'm surmising that those four trusts involve the new ownership group, Speedway Motorsports Inc., headed by Bruton Smith, which has invested a pretty hefty piece of change (read that 'millions') in infrastructure and cosmetic improvements at Kentucky Speedway.

       Apparently, an agreement was reached when attorneys representing both sides informed the court that they had settled.

       Exactly what this means for the original antitrust suit, I'm not sure. I'm informed by someone who has followed the situation much more closely than I have that the new ownership group has no interested in pursuing that action. NASCAR had maintained they would never consider allowing a Sprint Cup race there until the antitrust action was resolved. They also cited the SMI as a reason for that stance.

       I probably should have called one of the attorneys. Although many of those types have been very good friends of mine at times in the past, and some remain very good friends, I am somewhat reluctant about contacting lawyers I don't know.

       At any rate, Bruton wants to hold a Sprint Cup race at Kentucky in 2011.

       One reason for the recent settlement could be that the track's former owners will receive a $7.5 million contingency payment from SMI if a Sprint Cup race is scheduled at Kentucky. That would certainly color my thinking if I was involved.

       Whether there will be a top-level NASCAR race there next year is still very much open to question. I don't think NASCAR is interested in expanding the schedule.

       That leaves the option of moving a race from another facility to Kentucky.

       It probably goes without saying that ISC isn't interested in moving one of their dates. As a matter of fact, if they're going to start shuffling dates around, I'd rather see them take one of those California races and move the Labor Day race back to Darlington. But then, so would thousands of other people.

       This leaves Bruton and SMI with the choice to move one of their races to Kentucky.

       Obviously, this is what is most likely to happen. I guess the bottom lines of the tracks involved would be the determining factor.

       What does a Sprint Cup race at Kentucky Speedway mean to the commonwealth? Millions in the economy, as tracks have proven all over the country.

       What does it mean to fans in this area, such as yours truly?

       Well, if they run it on a Sunday it means I could get there in a couple of hours in the Grey Ghost handicapped van and cover it for Frontstretch. Which, of course, I would be available to do.

       Kentucky has a very rich history in stock car racing, going back before the time when Darrell Waltrip came out of Owensboro.

       However, no matter what happens, nobody but Corbin Speedway ever be able to say they had the first top-level NASCAR race in Kentucky.

       There was a 200-lapper here back in 1954 when it was a half-mile dirt track. Lee Petty won it in a '54 Chrysler. It was the week before Darlington, I believe, and the elder Petty was on his way to his first championship.

       No matter what y'all do up there, we was first.