Pep Boys-AMS deal back on; both drop lawsuits
Atlanta Motor Speedway has dropped the breach-of-contract lawsuit it filed against Pep Boys because the auto repair chain has agreed to continue as title sponsor of the fall NASCAR Sprint Cup series at the Hampton racetrack.
Philadelphia-based Pep Boys also dropped its countersuit last week against Atlanta Motor Speedway, said Andrew D. Shore, one of the attorneys representing the racetrack.
Pep Boys officials and one of the company's Atlanta attorneys did not return calls seeking comment.
"Everything has been resolved and everyone is satisfied," said Ed Clark, Atlanta Motor Speedway's president and general manager. "The issues have been resolved," he said.
Pep Boys is current on the $1.6 million left on its two-year contract, Clark said.
The dispute that sparked the court battle came about when the race track decided to move the fall race from late October to early September. Pep Boys claimed that the move violated the terms of their contract.
The company asked the speedway to remove Pep Boys' name from the race and halted its sponsorship payments. Those actions prompted the speedway's suit, which was filed April 30 in Henry County Superior Court.
In its countersuit, Pep Boys said that Labor Day weekend races held at the Auto Club Speedway in California have not attracted huge crowds.
Clark said the Labor Day weekend race tickets are not sold out but that sales for the Hampton race track are up compared with the fall race last October.
