Kentucky is in line to get Cup race

Kentucky Speedway will get a NASCAR Sprint Cup race in 2011, The Associated Press reported Sunday.

The 1.5-mile tri-oval halfway between Louisville and Cincinnati will host NASCAR's top series in early July. A news conference is scheduled at the track Aug. 10.

Speedway Motorsports Inc. purchased the speedway from the original ownership group in 2008. SMI owner Bruton Smith said his main goal was to bring the track a long-coveted Cup date.

The original owners filed an antitrust lawsuit against NASCAR and International Speedway Corp. in 2005, contending they tried to exclude the track from the Cup Series.

Smith called the court case a major stumbling block and was relieved when it eventually ended this year. Smith had no immediate comment, but said before last week's race at Indianapolis that he'd like to have a Cup race at "all" of SMI's NASCAR sanctioned tracks.

The company also owns New Hampshire Speedway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Texas Motor Speedway, Charlotte Motor Speedway, Atlanta Motor Speedway, Bristol Motor Speedway and Infineon Raceway.

The only one that lacks a Cup date is Kentucky, though Smith said he's optimistic there would be plenty of time to get the facility ready for a Cup race.

Kentucky Speedway already hosts NASCAR Nationwide and Truck Series events, as well as an IndyCar race. Plans are already in place to expand seating from 65,000 to around 100,000.

NASCAR officials had no immediate comment, but CEO Brian France said before last week's race in Indianapolis that the series was mulling "impactful" changes to its 2011 schedule.

FORMULA ONE: Mark Webber took advantage of a penalty against Red Bull teammate Sebastian Vettel to win the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Ferrari's Fernando Alonso was second, followed by Vettel and Ferrari's Felipe Massa.

Webber's fourth win of the season gave him the lead in the standings with 161 points, four points better than Lewis Hamilton of McLaren, who dropped out on Lap 24 with technical trouble.

Hamilton is second, followed by Vettel with 151 points, defending world champion Jenson Button with 147 and Alonso with 141.