United States Sixth Circuit

In an action against NASCAR and an affiliated company that owns multiple racetracks, alleging violation of federal antitrust laws by not sanctioning a Sprint Cup race at plaintiff's racetrack and preventing them from purchasing other racetracks that already host such a race, summary judgment in favor of defendants is affirmed where: 1) the district court did not abuse its discretion in excluding two experts' reports and deposition testimonies as being unreliable under Daubert; 2) without expert testimony, plaintiff lacks the ability to define the relevant markets necessary to succeed on its claims; and 3) plaintiff cannot demonstrate that NASCAR and the affiliate are legally capable of conspiring with each other or that its failure to obtain a Sprint Cup race constitutes an antitrust injury.

Appellate Information

• Decided 12/11/2009
• Published 12/11/2009

Judges

• Before:  GILMAN, COOK, and FARRIS, Circuit Judges.

Court

• United States Sixth Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellees:
  
• ARGUED:  Charles Frederick Rule, Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP, Washington, D.C., for Appellant.  David Boies, Boies, Schiller & Flexner LLP, Armonk, New York, for Appellees.   ON BRIEF:  Charles Frederick Rule, Joseph J. Bial, Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP, Washington, D.C., Stanley M. Chesley, W.B. Markovits, Fay E. Stilz, Paul M. DeMarco, Waite, Schneider, Bayless & Chesley, Cincinnati, Ohio, Einer R. Elhauge, Harvard Law School, Cambridge, Massachusetts, Stephen D. Susman, Justin A. Nelson, Susman & Godfrey, L.L.P., Houston, Texas, for Appellant.  David Boies, Helen M. Maher, Boies, Schiller & Flexner LLP, Armonk, New York, Stuart H. Singer, Boies, Schiller & Flexner LLP, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, Guy I. Wade III, Rodney Acker, Oscar Rey Rodriguez, Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P., Dallas, Texas, G. Jack Donson, Jr., Taft, Stettinius & Hollister L.L.P., Cincinnati, Ohio, Robert B. Craig, Taft, Stettinius & Hollister, Covington, Kentucky, Matthew C. Blickensderfer, Frost Brown Todd, Cincinnati, Ohio, Sheryl G. Snyder, Frost Brown Todd, Louisville, Kentucky, for Appellees.  Jeffrey A. Lamken, Molo Lamken, Washington, D.C., for Amicus Curiae.