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Kevin Harvick believed Kentucky Speedway was ready to host a visit from NASCAR's top series a decade ago when he won the first-ever Nationwide Series race at the 1.5-mile oval.
Yet Harvick understands why it took 10 years for the northern Kentucky track to earn a Cup date. Change is sometimes hard to come by in a series steeped in tradition, and a bitter court battle between the track's former owners and NASCAR didn't help matters.
Those days are gone now. The track will host its first Cup race Saturday night, with a crowd of over 110,000 expected.
Officials expect a few hiccups the first time around, and traffic will be a major concern though general manager Mark Simendinger expects the weekend to be a success.