Forum Project Summary
Dover Motorsports, Inc.
October 7, 2009
Shareholders of Dover Motorsports, Inc. (NYSE: DVD), have encouraged a
Forum project to provide an exchange of views among investors and the
company’s management on issues relevant to their decisions, starting with
these:
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Pricing ranges that investors might consider fair for an
immediate cash sale of Dover
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Values that might be accepted for non-taxable exchanges of
stock in a company that could profitably develop Dover’s operations
►
Plans that might justify deferring explorations of
transactions until industry and market conditions improve
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DVD |
Dover Motorsports, Inc. |
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ISCA |
International Speedway Corporation |
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TRK |
Speedway Motorsports, Inc. |
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^GSPC |
S&P 500 Index |
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The need for shareholder consideration of strategic alternatives has been
stimulated by a senior executive’s recent statements disclosing
management’s past and continuing efforts to negotiate a sale of the
company:
“... [letter page 2] On May 2, 2007, Henry Tippie
and I, together with other Dover Motorsports' executives, met with Bruton
Smith,
Lesa Kennedy
and various other people at an airplane hangar in Dallas, Texas. The
purpose of the meeting was to entertain an offer to acquire Dover
Motorsports from an alliance that had been formed by Speedway Motorsports,
Inc and International Speedway Corporation….
“Bruton Smith led the negotiations for the alliance. …He stated as follows
at the meeting: ‘You know that there are only two buyers for your
company and that they're both sitting at this table. You have to do
something. And you don't have a choice but to sell to us.’ [emphasis
in original]
“Mr. Smith proceeded to offer to buy the company at market value with no
premium. After about an hour of discussions, he offered an additional
nickel per share. Why he chose to be so insulting is anyone's guess, but
the meeting adjourned shortly after this.
“… [letter page 4] We are continuing to run Dover's business and doing our
best to get to the other side of what is a very difficult economic cycle.
…Selling at the absolute bottom of the market might be something you'd
like to see us do, but we are not under any pressure to sell. We will
continue to evaluate any acquisition offers that may be made from time to
time. But you will not hear about any of them from us until we are in a
position to make an announcement to all of our stockholders….”
Dover’s management has been invited to offer their views, and any
statements they provide will be reported to Forum participants. Comments
of Dover’s shareholders and other Forum participants will of course also
be welcomed, either privately or for reporting according to the Forum’s
standard policies supporting your anonymous communications of information
and views.
October 7, 2009
Forum chairman:
Gary Lutin
Lutin & Company, 575 Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10022
Telephone: 212-605-0335
Email:
gl@shareholderforum.com
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