Las Vegas Motor Speedway News

Updated: 2010

Friday, June 25, 2010

Las Vegas Motor Speedway proposes 2nd Cup race to SMI: Las Vegas Motor Speedway is the closest it's been in years to getting a second annual Sprint Cup race -- or it could be just another move in the mental chess game of racing grandmaster Bruton Smith. The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority two weeks ago submitted a proposal to Speedway Motorsports Inc. (SMI) about landing a coveted race in the series' 10-race Chase for the Cup playoff as early as next year, possibly in mid-September. The additional race would complement the speedway's early spring Cup event. Rossi Ralenkotter, the LVCVA president, confirmed this week that "on-again, off-again" negotiations with Smith heated up over the past month. "We haven't hidden the fact that Las Vegas can and will support a second race," said Ralenkotter, who expects to hear back from Smith next week. The only way Las Vegas can get a second Cup event would be for Smith, SMI's founder and chairman, to move an existing race -- with NASCAR's approval -- from one of his six other tracks that host 11 Cup races. NASCAR has been steadfast in refusing to extend its schedule by adding races. An additional Cup weekend would be a windfall for Southern Nevada but costly for Loudon, N.H., or Atlanta. "As long as we can get a second race, we don't care where it comes from," Ralenkotter said. A source close to the negotiations said the LVCVA is offering to pay SMI between $5 million and $8 million to land a second Cup weekend. The authority is funded through a hotel room tax. Getting a second date for Las Vegas was Smith's top priority until December 2008 when he bought Kentucky Speedway, which does not have a Cup race. Smith, 83, made it clear he would find a Cup race for Kentucky before Las Vegas got a second one. A publicly held corporation like SMI should focus on maximizing profit, and it makes fiscal sense to move an Atlanta race to Las Vegas, where it will draw up to 40,000 more spectators. And let's not forget the LVCVA's multimillion-dollar inducement to SMI.(Las Vegas Review Journal)

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

$107 million in nongaming economic impact expected for Las Vegas NASCAR race: The NASCAR cup race on Feb. 28 likely matched or exceeded the nearly $107 million in nongaming economic impact of last year’s event, Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority spokesman Jeremy Handel said. The convention authority’s initial attendance numbers from the LVMS are close to 150,000, he added. “As a one-day event, Sunday’s NASCAR race is up there with New Year’s Eve,” Handel said. The dollars from NASCAR are not limited to the speedway. Powell said he wouldn’t be surprised if some 300,000 people came to town for the NASCAR weekend, and the dirt-track event the Thursday before. (Las Vegas Business Press)

Sunday, February 28, 2010

Las Vegas Motor Speedway announces sell-out: Las Vegas Motor Speedway recorded its ninth consecutive NASCAR Sprint Cup Series sellout with Sunday’s running of the Shelby American. Speedway officials sold the final grandstand seats Sunday morning prior to the green flag for the 13th annual event. The capacity crowd marked the largest crowd of the season. “In what are still challenging economic times, today’s turnout is a testament to the popularity of Las Vegas Motor Speedway, this great city and NASCAR’s premier racing series,” said LVMS president Chris Powell. “We really appreciate the thousands of race fans who chose to spend the day with us.” Tickets for the 2011 NASCAR Weekend are on sale now, and anyone who buys or renews tickets for 2011 will get them at 10 percent off this year’s prices if they purchase by April 9. Race fans purchasing before April 9 will be able to pay 33 percent of their invoice on April 9 and have the remainder charged in two additional installments. Fans also will receive a commemorative poster.(LVMS)

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Kim Kardashian, Carroll Shelby to serve as grand marshall in Sunday's NASCAR race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway: Automobile legend Carroll Shelby and television star Kim Kardashian will serve as co-grand marshals for Sunday's Shelby American NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Kardashian and Shelby will share the microphone when it comes time to give the command to start engines. "Of course, I will have my rooting interest during the race," Kardashian said, referring to Tommy Baldwin Racing's No. 36 Chevrolet driven by Mike Bliss, which will feature a special paint scheme, celebrating the launch of her new fragrance. "But I'm really looking forward to meeting all the drivers. It's such a tremendous honor to serve as co-Grand Marshal and I'm really looking forward to experiencing a Sprint Cup race up close." Kim stars in the E! network television series, Keeping Up With The Kardashians, on Sunday nights. Shelby has raced and designed cars for more than 50 years and is known throughout the world for his legendary Cobra and Shelby GT350. His company, Shelby Automobiles, Inc. is headquartered in Las Vegas and also is the sponsor of Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at LVMS. Tickets for Sunday's Shelby American NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race, Saturday's Sam's Town 300 NASCAR Nationwide Series event, the fabulous Neon Garage fan experience and Thursday and Friday's Dirt Track events may be purchased by calling the LVMS ticket office at (702) 644-4444 or online at www.LVMS.com. Follow LVMS on Facebook and Twitter. (LVMS PR)

Monday, February 22, 2010

LVMS hopes widening project helps traffic flow at speedway: Las Vegas Motor Speedway officials are expecting the smoothest vehicle flow ever for the NASCAR Weekend thanks to improvements made to Interstate 15. A design-build project by the Nevada Department of Transportation has widened I-15 to four lanes in each direction between the U.S. 95 interchange and Craig Road. This project was completed well ahead of schedule and should improve ingress and egress for the Feb. 26-28 events. "We are very grateful to the Nevada Department of Transportation for its efficiency in completing this project," said LVMS president Chris Powell. "When we first heard of this project in 2007, we were told it would impact NASCAR Weekend in '08, '09 and 2010. But NDOT delayed the start until after the '08 race and concluded the project before this year's big weekend  a full six months ahead of schedule." While commuting by car should be much easier, the speedway still encourages fans to use mass transit to attend the races. For the second consecutive year, Coach America will service the event. In 2009, Coach America replaced CAT as the preferred transit organization for the events at LVMS. Race fans can contact Coach America at nascar.coachamerica.com or (702) 948-7360. For those wishing to take a private charter to the races, LVMS recommends Key Tours. Key Tours has been providing service to the speedway for several years, and we vouch for the quality of its service. Key Tours can be contacted at www.keytourslv.com or 1-800-261-2691. To reserve seats on either the Coach America or Key Tours buses, please go to www.LVMS.com and click on the "Getting to the Races" link in the NASCAR Weekend Quick Links box. The speedway will continue to crack down on the fraudulent use of handicapped placards. Speedway security will be checking the validity of handicapped passes on each vehicle. "We take caring for the handicapped very seriously at the speedway," Powell said. "It's important to us that handicapped fans coming to our race are not inconvenienced by those who are perfectly capable of parking in the general parking area." The speedway also has added a new feature to its website. Videos depicting the preferred entry and exit from the speedway can now be found online atwww.lvms.com.(LVMS)

Monday, October 19, 2009

Las Vegas Motor Speedway hosting events during Champion's Week: Las Vegas Motor Speedway and NASCAR are bringing Champion's Week to the race fans. Speedway and NASCAR officials have created the Chasers for Charity Fanfest to be held Dec. 2 in the Neon Garage and Blackjack Club at LVMS. The event will include a free-admission fan event throughout the afternoon as well as a charity roast of the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion. The fanfest will serve as the kickoff for NASCAR's inaugural Champion's Week in Las Vegas. "One of the key elements to bringing NASCAR Champion's Week to Las Vegas was creating an event for race fans," said LVMS president Chris Powell. "This event will bring the drivers and the fans closer together and raise money for charity in the process. We're very appreciative of NASCAR's efforts to make this a special fan event that we hope becomes a tradition during Champion's Week." The event will consist of a charity roast of the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion. The fanfest will feature appearances by the champion as well as drivers in the Chase for the Sprint Cup. The charity portion of the event will begin with a procession of the Chase drivers and the champion through the Neon Garage. A reception in the speedway media center will follow the procession, with credentialed fans having an opportunity to mingle with the drivers. The event will culminate with the roast in the Blackjack Club. Admission to the reception and roast is $250 per person and will be limited to the first 300 people due to space limitations. Proceeds from the event will benefit Speedway Children's Charities. The fanfest will allow fans free admission to the Neon Garage beginning at 11:00am on Wednesday, Dec. 2. Live entertainment and car displays will entertain race fans for the early part of the event. At approximately 2:00pm, the Chase for the Sprint Cup drivers and the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion will arrive and walk a red carpet through the Neon Garage. The roast will be shown via closed-circuit television throughout the Neon Garage. Over the next few weeks, the speedway will be announcing more elements of this inaugural event. To purchase tickets to the roast, please log on to lvms.com or call 1-800-644-4444.(LVMS PR)

Monday, Aug. 31, 2009

Las Vegas Motor Speedway announces 2010 Cup date: The annual NASCAR Weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway will be a February affair in 2010. LVMS officials announced Friday that next year’s event will take place Feb. 26-28. It marks the first year the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event will be run in February. “In reality, it’s on the same weekend as the 2009 event, it’s just a quirk in the calendar that has the event being held in February,” said LVMS president Chris Powell. “We have been blessed with great weather on this weekend the past few years, and we look forward to having another great weekend with a packed house in 2010.” Tickets, which start as low as $49, are on sale now. Race fans can purchase tickets by calling 1-800-644-4444, logging on to www.lvms.com or in person at the LVMS ticket services office. LVMS has reduced the price of all Weekend Package and single-day tickets from 2009 pricing. Neon Garage passes also have been reduced from 2009. The speedway has introduced a special Family Four Pack which starts at $199. Lucky 7 Preferred Parking and Driver Introduction passes also are available. Times for all events will be announced at a later date.(LVMS)

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

LVMS hires former NFL executive: Mike Mossholder has been named vice president of sales and marketing for Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Mossholder comes to LVMS from his post as vice president of sales and marketing for Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky. Prior to working at the famed horse-racing facility, Mossholder spent five years as director of marketing partnerships for the Miami Dolphins and Dolphin Stadium (now Landshark Stadium). While with the Dolphins, he was instrumental in securing corporate partnerships for the NFL team as well as for the 2007 and 2010 Super Bowls, the 2009 BCS Championship game and the Florida Marlins.(LVMS)

Friday, April 24, 2009

NASCAR considering opening awards banquet to fans: NASCAR will move its Sprint Cup banquet from New York City to Las Vegas, and now it needs to decide what to do with the banquet at the Wynn Las Vegas, which was announced as the site for the 2009 awards ceremony on Thursday. Does it sell tickets to fans, as the National Hockey League is doing with its postseason awards ceremony in Las Vegas? Or does it keep it an invitation-only affair as it was during the banquet's 28 years in New York. "That decision hasn't been made yet," NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston said Thursday. "That will be decided in the near future. But the Wynn hotel provides us a lot more flexibility than we had in the past. There are going to be some really good options to take a look at, including a fan element at the banquet. That hasn't been finalized yet." Poston declined to comment on whether NASCAR is getting paid to bring the banquet to Las Vegas. The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported last month that the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority would pay NASCAR between $500,000 and $1 million for each year of the contract, which is believed to be for three years. Poston said NASCAR is talking with ABC/ESPN and Speed to determine who will televise that banquet. ESPN has the Nationwide contract, and Speed has the Truck contract. (SceneDaily.com)

Thursday, April 23, 2009

NASCAR officially moves Sprint Cup Awards Ceremony to Las Vegas: NASCAR announced that Las Vegas formally becomes the “Official Host City of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion’s Week.” NASCAR’s annual NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards Ceremony will be held at the Wynn Las Vegas on Friday, Dec. 4, 2009. The move to Las Vegas provides for greater flexibility for driver and fan events. The NASCAR Nationwide Series and the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series events will be combined and held at the Loews Miami Beach on Monday, Nov. 23. The Grand-Am Rolex Series banquet will be held at the Seminole Hard Rock in Hollywood, Fla. on Monday, Oct. 12. NASCAR had held the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event in New York City every year since 1981. After exploring several options, NASCAR formed a partnership with Las Vegas Events, making the change of venue a reality. "I can’t say enough about the warm reception from Las Vegas,” said NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France. “Las Vegas really made it a priority to get the awards ceremony moved there. We were able to come to an agreement on reasonable room blocks, banquet facilities, and approvals to hold fan activities on the famous Las Vegas Strip." Activities being planned for the days leading up to the Awards Ceremony include the return of the “Victory Lap,” a procession of the top 10 NSCS drivers in their race cars, the NASCAR NMPA Myers Brothers Media Luncheon, the Pit Stop Tour and the NASCAR Street Tour to include stock cars and mobile marketing units placed throughout the city. The awards ceremony for the NASCAR Nationwide Series and the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will be consolidated in south Florida. This is designed to provide another great venue for the ceremony as well as help save NNS teams from making an additional trip following the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The top-five finishers from the NNS and NCWTS will be honored at the combined banquet celebration.(NASCAR PR)

Friday, April 3, 2009

LVCVA & NASCAR reach agreement to bring Spring Cup award banquet to Las Vegas: NASCAR and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority have reached an agreement in principle to bring the Sprint Cup banquet, awards ceremony and postseason celebration to Las Vegas in the first week of December. LVCVA president Rossi Ralenkotter confirmed the tentative agreement to move the annual event from downtown New York, where it has been held for the past 27 years, and make it a citywide event centered on the Strip. "Some deal points still need to be finalized," Ralenkotter said Thursday. The sides have yet to settle the length of the contract; Ralenkotter wants a deal of three to five years. Also to be determined is the degree to which Las Vegas will be included in advertising and media references to the event. The LVCVA would pay NASCAR between $500,000 and $1 million for each year of the contract, Ralenkotter said. NASCAR has the option of selecting the venue for the banquet, likely to be Dec. 4. A spokesman for NASCAR, Ramsey Poston, said "nothing's been finalized" about this year's banquet plans. The event honors the top 10 drivers from the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship. (Las Vegas Review Journal)

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

NASCAR haulers stay west: Teams were allowed to remain at the Auto Club Speedway after last Sunday's race. On Monday, they made the four-hour drive up Interstate 15 to Las Vegas. Teams were allowed to park their haulers at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, although several used Brendan Gaughan's old truck-racing shops to make repairs and change sponsorship decals. In the past, teams kept the main haulers out west but had new cars shipped in by secondary trucks during the week. Now many of those extra trucks remained parked at race shops in North Carolina. (St. Augustine)

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Las Vegas NASCAR race creates 200 million in non-gaming revenue: Amid all the sharp declines in business at Las Vegas casinos, the city gets a shot of adrenaline with the annual Las Vegas NASCAR weekend which begins with Friday's qualifying at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Vegas usually has several monster conventions a year along with the PBR and NFR rodeo events, but none has quite the impact for a single weekend as does the NASCAR weekend. Last year it was estimated that nearly $200 million in non-gaming revenue was generated due to the NASCAR weekend. (VegasInsider.com)

June 23, 2007

Cup date to Kentucky Speedway? Second date to Las Vegas? Winston Salem Journal reports.. NASCAR executives may be ready to settle one of those thorny legal situations they face, according to sources who say that a settlement with Kentucky Speedway could be coming - by adding the 11/2-mile track south of Cincinnati to the Nextel Cup tour next season. And there is also an unconfirmed report that NASCAR could be looking at adding a second Nextel Cup event at Bruton Smith’s Las Vegas track for next season. (Salem Journal)

July 8, 2006

Vegas Second Date? The hottest rumor in the garage area won't go away. If the Nextel Cup series is going to add a second race to Las Vegas Motor Speedway, it's news to them. Racetrack officials called the rumor "interesting" but said they haven't heard anything official. (Augusta Chronicle)

May 31, 2006:

Smith looking at buying possible speedways: With NASCAR's traveling circus at Las Vegas Motor Speedway this weekend, Speedway Motorsports Incorporated's Chairman/CEO O. Bruton Smith has restated his desire to purchase an additional speedway. Smith told a gathering of media at the announcement of the Trophy Towers high-rise condominium outside LVMS's Turns 1 and 2, that the owners of Dover International Speedway, New Hampshire International Speedway and Pocono Raceway had standing purchase offers.  Smith said he doesn't call Dover president Denis McGlynn, Pocono founder Dr. Joseph Mattioli or Bob Bahre, who built NHIS, daily; but that he did touch base with them "weekly." "If Pocono or any of the others came knocking, I'd open the door," Smith said. "They know I'm here and it would take me 20 minutes to write the check." And he renewed talk of his intention to use the purchase to get a second date for the venue located outside the world's gaming capital. Smith acknowledged that the value of a Nextel Cup Series race date was at least $200 million and up to as much as $250 million. (NASCAR.com)

May 16, 2006:

Record Las Vegas economy; NASCAR Boom in March: More visitors came to Las Vegas this past March and spent more money than any other month in Las Vegas’ 101-year history. No entity played a bigger role in that milestone than Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The 2006 NASCAR Weekend in Las Vegas had a record $197 million impact on the state’s economy, the greatest expenditure figure in the nine-year history of the event and an astounding 18.4-percent increase from 2005. The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority’s annual study revealed that the final number was $197,891,200, up from $167,127,800 in 2005. The numbers, a product of one-time expenditures, are based on interviews with race fans during the March 10-12 weekend and reflect the amount of money spent – both gaming and non-gaming – during the four-day event at LVMS. “NASCAR Weekend has proven time and again to be an economic boon to Las Vegas and to Nevada,” said Las Vegas Motor Speedway general manager Chris Powell. “This event has become one of the most anticipated stops on the NASCAR circuit for hundreds of thousands of people from all over the world. The increase in total expenditures from 2005 is phenomenal and is yet another example of the importance of this speedway to our state’s economy. In the past two years, the economic impact has increased 37 percent, which also is an extraordinary number.” The study estimated approximately 94,875 visitors attended the race from outside Nevada. The event weekend is estimated to have drawn more than 340,000 people through the gates at the speedway. In addition, each race fan’s expenditures increased 27 percent from $1,682 in 2005 to $2,085 in 2006.  (Las Vegas Motor Speedway PR)

March 11, 2006:

Las Vegas Condos at Speedway: Las Vegas Motor Speedway is joining the building boom in a town where it's said the city bird is a construction crane. The track's parent company, Speedway Motorsports, announced plans on Friday for Trophy Towers, a 127-unit condominium project to be built overlooking the first turn of the 1.5-mile oval. "I have said many times that I want to make this the greatest speedway in the world," Speedway Motorsports Chairman Bruton Smith said. "We announced a few weeks ago that we were making major improvements to our infield area and to the racing surface itself. And this is another step in separating this speedway from all others." Smith said the project would represent more than $100 million of some $300 million in improvements planned at LVMS — an estimate he noted ruefully was increasing daily. (USA Today)

Bruton wants second Cup date in Vegas: Bruton Smith wants to buy Las Vegas Motor Speedway a second NASCAR Cup race date. Smith, chief executive officer of Speedway Motorsports Inc., has the money to do it. He is worth an estimated $1.4 billion, according to this month's Forbes, and ranks 562nd among 793 billionaires. Smith anticipates it would cost "upwards of $200 million, maybe $250 million" to get Las Vegas that second date. "What we need is to buy a speedway and I hope someday somebody will give me a phone call," Smith said Friday. Smith said he has no pending deal but people know "that I'm there and they know that I'm willing and that we can write a check," he added SMI owns five other tracks that run Cup races: Charlotte, Texas, Atlanta, Bristol and Infineon. Smith said he wouldn't move a race date from one of those tracks to give Las Vegas a second race. (Greensboro News-Record)

March 10, 2006:

Vegas Sold-Out: For the fifth consecutive year, Las Vegas Motor Speedway has attained a virtual sellout for the UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 Nextel Cup Series race. "The demand for race tickets in Las Vegas continues to increase every time we stage a NASCAR race," said LVMS General Manager Chris Powell. "We're especially thrilled to be announcing this sellout, given that we added the 17,000-seat Richard Petty Terrace for this year's race." A few single seats remain for Sunday's event, but Powell expects them to be sold long before the green flag falls at 1:30pm/pt [4:30pm/et]. Tickets are available for Saturday's Sam's Town 300 Busch Series race, Friday's Nextel Cup qualifying and Thursday and Friday World of Outlaws action at the dirt track. Race fans can call 1-800-644-4444 or log on to www.lvms.com for tickets and information. (LVMS PR)

Mar. 2, 2006:

USAF at Vegas: Come out and see the United States Air Force in action as today’s modern Air Force screams across the Las Vegas Motor Speedway March 11-12. The Air Force will also have its NEXTEL Cup show car on display and members of the Air Force Recruiting Service available to talk. Secretary of the Air Force, the Honorable Michael W. Wynne will represent the Air Force at the UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400. Secretary Wynne is responsible for the affairs of the Department of the Air Force, including the organizing, training, equipping and providing for the welfare of its nearly 530,000 man and women on active duty, guard and reserve, and the over 160,000 civilians, and their families. With an annual budget of approximately $110 billion, he ensures the Air Force can meet its current and future operational requirements. Watch the skies during the Sam’s Town 300 Busch series race on Saturday as two F-15C fighters from the 433rd Weapons Squadron, and two F-15E fighters from the 422nd Test and Evaluation Squadron, Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, roar over the track during the national anthem as part of the pre-race ceremonies. Six red, white and blue F-16 Fighting Falcons in precision formation will fly over on Sunday for the UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 NEXTEL Cup race. The United States Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron, Thunderbirds will show the power and precision of Air Force pilots and equipment that is fighting the war on terrorism around the world. (Air Force P.A.)

Jan. 12, 2006:

Report: Las Vegas Motor Speedway to add banking: "Our company has announced it is going to make a significant capital expense investment at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, but on the specifics of those projects I'm not ready to comment," said Chris Powell, the speedway's general manager since late 1998. He did say he expects the speedway to make an announcement about major improvements soon, possibly during an official NASCAR testing session at the track that runs from Jan. 30 to Feb. 1. The Review-Journal has reported that most of the structures in the infield of the 1.5-mile tri-oval will be razed and rebuilt, including most of race-car garage buildings and the combination media center and suite building, after the March race. Pit road also is expected to be replaced by one moved closer to the main grandstand. A source close to the speedway said banking in the corners will go from 12 degrees to 21 degrees, which would allow cars to race faster through the corners at higher speeds and produce more exciting races. Corner banking is 24 degrees at Lowe's Motor Speedway near Charlotte, N.C., Texas Motor Speedway and Atlanta Motor Speedway, which also are 1.5-mile ovals like the one in Las Vegas that are owned by publicly-held Speedway Motorsports Inc. Although Powell would not discuss the plans, the Richard Petty Driving Experience is working on a deal that will allow it to maintain a presence at the speedway, where it operates around 160 days a year, should the oval be unusable for around six months this year. (The Review Journal)

Jan. 10, 2006:

Gordon to be keynote speaker at  Vegas Children's charity: Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Speedway Children’s Charities will honor Las Vegas legend Mel Larson at the inaugural “Night of Champions” Tuesday, Jan. 31 at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino. All proceeds from the dinner, which features four-time NASCAR champion Jeff Gordon as keynote speaker, will go to the Las Vegas chapter of Speedway Children’s Charities. Plans call for the event to be conducted on an annual basis, each year honoring a member of the community.  “This is a fitting tribute to Mel Larson,” said Chris Powell, LVMS general manager. “Mel has worn many hats in the motorsports world, and he also was a pioneer in marketing in Las Vegas during his days with Circus Circus. Mel’s done it all, from driving, publicizing and promoting motorsports events to bringing hundreds of thousands of people to Las Vegas with his marketing innovations. Few have meant more to our community.” Larson provided much of the inspiration and guidance in conceptualizing Las Vegas Motor Speedway. He worked closely with the speedway’s original ownership during the early and mid-1990s and is a longtime friend of O. Bruton Smith, chairman of Speedway Motorsports, LVMS’s parent company. “I’ve known Mel for 50 years, since his driving days and his days of promoting events in the southwest,” Smith said. “He’s been a true innovator in everything he’s done, and he’s long been a champion of charitable causes. Neither the racing world nor the city of Las Vegas would be the same without his contributions. We’re thrilled to honor Mel in this way.” In addition to his speech, Gordon will take part with Larson in a meet-and-greet session during the reception. The speedway also will recognize the 2005 season champions at its drag-racing facility, The Strip, and its 3/8-mile oval, The Bullring. The evening will begin with a reception at 6:30. The meet-and-greet, limited in number, with Larson and NASCAR’s Gordon is set for 7-7:30 with dinner and the program to follow. To purchase a table or tickets for this event, please contact Janae Melvin at (702) 632-8242. (LVMS PR)

Dec. 12, 2005:

Vegas start time set: The NASCAR Nextel Cup event will start at 12:05 p.m. Pacific Time on Sunday, March 12. Qualifying for the UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 is set for Friday, March 10 at 3:40 p.m. The Busch cars will practice on Friday and there will be two Nextel Cup practice sessions on Saturday morning prior to Busch qualifying. Tickets are on sale for the NASCAR Weekend by calling 1-800-644-4444 or by logging on to www.lvms.com. LVMS also had a limited number of three-day pit passes, pre-race activities passes and Lucky 7 parking passes available through its ticket office. (LVMS PR)

Oct. 4, 2005:

Nevada Motorsports tax exemptions have failed to bring teams: A bill introduced in the Nevada Legislature four years ago granting tax exemptions for professional auto racing teams and sanctioning bodies was supposed to bring about a "Field of Dreams" scenario: Pass it and they will come. The bill, eventually signed into law by Gov. Kenny Guinn, was designed to help diversify the state's economy, but has failed to generate the influx of either racing teams or sanctioning bodies that proponents had anticipated. The law will expire at the end of this year. When the bill was introduced, one major open-wheel racing series (Championship Auto Racing Teams) and a handful of National Hot Rod Association teams expressed interest in moving to Southern Nevada. Joe Heitzler, then president and chief executive of CART, testified before the Assembly Taxation Committee and all but guaranteed he would move that series' headquarters from Michigan to Las Vegas if the bill became law. (Vegas Sun)

Sep. 13, 2005:

Vegas first day sales up: A high volume of telephone ticket orders and an equally heavy dosage of Internet orders kept Las Vegas Motor Speedway’s ticket office working at maximum capacity Monday as tickets went on sale for the 2006 NASCAR Weekend. “This was one of the busiest and most successful first days of ticket sales since the inaugural event,” said Chris Powell, LVMS general manager. “We are very pleased with our first-day results. This also is our first year using Ticketmaster, and we believe that has helped us fill orders more efficiently.” LVMS also has processed a record number of renewals from last year’s event. “Today’s tremendous number of ticket sales is a direct result of the appeal of our facility and our great city,” Powell said. “Combine that with the momentum NASCAR is carrying nationwide and it should come as no surprise that ticket sales are way ahead of any previous pace. We also have seen an increased amount of interest in the now-under-construction Richard Petty Terrace. Those seats, as well as the seats in the Dale Earnhardt Terrace, have proven to be the most popular seats in the facility.” First-day sales of weekend pit passes and pre-race activities passes also saw increases over last year. Race fans can purchase tickets to the March 12 UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 and March 11 Sam’s Town 300 by calling 1-800-644-4444 or by logging on to www.lvms.com. (LVMS PR)

Sep. 7, 2005

Las Vegas Tickets on Sale Monday: as Vegas Motor Speedway will kick off its 10th-anniversary season with its annual NASCAR Weekend on March 10-12, 2006. Tickets for the event will go on sale Monday at 8 a.m. Pacific Time. LVMS, which opened on Sept. 15, 1996, is set to host Nevada's largest annual sports weekend for the ninth consecutive year. It marks the second straight season the event has been scheduled for the second weekend in March. Again in 2006, the UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 is scheduled to be the third stop on the NASCAR Nextel Cup tour. The Sam's Town 300 NASCAR Busch Series event will precede the NASCAR Nextel Cup event on Saturday, March 11. Qualifying for the UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 is set for Friday, March 10. "It's hard to believe this speedway is getting close to celebrating its 10th birthday," said Chris Powell, LVMS general manager. "The NASCAR Weekend in Las Vegas has become one of the most significant events on the motorsports calendar, as evidenced by the tremendous crowds that turn out all three days. With the construction of the Richard Petty Terrace, we expect to see this event continue to grow for years to come. We have had a record renewal rate this year, so we're encouraging fans to get their tickets early" Race fans can purchase tickets by calling 1-800-644-4444, logging on to www.lvms.com or in person at the LVMS ticket services office. (LVMS PR)

Sep. 1, 2005

LVMS collecting money for hurricane victims: Las Vegas Motor Speedway will be collecting money throughout the month of September to benefit the victims of Hurricane Katrina, speedway officials announced Wednesday. Speedway personnel and competitors will collect funds at every LVMS event. The money will be turned over to the Southern Nevada Chapter of the American Red Cross. The money then will be sent to Red Cross chapters in the Gulf Coast region. "Our hearts go out to all of those people who have been affected by the storm," said LVMS general manager Chris Powell. "It seems that with every news report that comes in there is another heartbreaking story. We want to do our part to assist in the relief efforts, and we hope that we are just one of thousands of organizations that will help in the relief effort." The Red Cross has asked for monetary donations instead of clothing or canned goods due to the cost of transporting the material cross country. Over the next three weeks, collections will be taken at the gates at both the Bullring and the Strip. In addition, racers will come through the stands at each event and take collections prior to the start of racing action. Plans still are being finalized between the speedway and the Red Cross to arrange for the collection of donations during the Las Vegas Double Down featuring the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and Champ Car World Series on Sept. 24. (LVMS PR)

Aug 25, 2005

LVMS unveils Earnhardt Wax figure: Las Vegas Motor Speedway General Manager Chris Powell joined Adrian Jones, general manager of Madame Tussauds Las Vegas, in an unveiling of a first-of-its-kind wax likeness of seven-time NASCAR champion Dale Earnhardt Wednesday. A meticulously recreated $200,000 life-size wax figure of Earnhardt, dressed in an official driving uniform, complete with cap, jacket and sunglasses, was unveiled during ceremonies that opened the attraction to the public. The figure of Earnhardt is standing in a Victory Lane setting with arms raised in triumph just as he had done 76 times in his NASCAR career. Earnhardt is the first auto racing legend to have a wax figure in the SPEED attraction. Visitors to Madame Tussauds can stand next to the Earnhardt figure and be photographed with it while experiencing the sights and sounds of one of the most thrilling moments in NASCAR history. "Dale Earnhardt introduced the sport of auto racing to millions and his presence best represents the country's fastest-growing spectator sport," Jones said. "Madame Tussauds is dedicating this attraction to auto racing on a long-term basis and we will update this experience with additional $200,000 wax figures of famous auto racing legends on a regular basis. But, when we asked our customers and auto racing fans who should be first, a great majority said Earnhardt." Madame Tussauds Las Vegas is open seven days a week. For attraction hours and pricing, call 702-862-7800, or visit online at www.mtvegas.com. (LVMS PR)

June 16 2005

Richard Petty Vegas Terrance construction begins: The latest phase of Las Vegas Motor Speedway's expansion began in earnest Wednesday with the demolition of the upper Section 1 grandstand. Construction crews will spend the next week clearing debris from the area, diverting parts of Checkered Flag Lane and relocating palm tress in preparation for the construction of the 17,000-seat Richard Petty Terrace. "We're always making improvements here at LVMS, but this construction project is on a much grander scale," said Chris Powell, LVMS general manager. "We look at today's demolition as a sign of progress. We opened the Dale Earnhardt Terrace to rave reviews in 2004, and we think fans sitting in the Petty Terrace will be equally happy with this magnificent seating area. "We are close to completing the renewal process for the 2006 event. Based on the current renewal rate, the demand for tickets is higher than ever as we prepare to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Las Vegas Motor Speedway next year." The Petty Terrace will be open for the March, 2006 NASCAR Weekend. Tickets in the Petty Terrace are slated to go on sale in July. All other tickets will be available in September. The Petty Terrace will be complete with individual, flip-down seats with cup holders. These seats will provide race fans a clear view of pit road and the cars as they leave the pits. (LVMS PR)

June 6 2005

Vegas Track Renovation: Before the 2007 Cup race in Las Vegas, he expects more than 150,000 spectators to see a completely rebuilt infield that will move pit road several hundred feet closer to the grandstand. A new media center and team garages will be erected, new spectator areas created and more space will be available for infield parking -- and partying.  He expects those projects will cost around $50 million, and he might rebuild the 1.5-mile track to improve the qualify of racing. Smith exemplifies the philosophy that if you're not getting better, you're getting worse.  He recalls a conversation he had about 12 years ago with Bill France, son of NASCAR founder Bill France Sr., who was the association's chairman at the time. (Review Journal)

June 3 2005

Vegas NASCAR Economic Impact:  A Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority study released on Wednesday revealed that race week had a record $167 million impact on the Nevada economy. The total sum -- $167,127,800 -- was a 17.1 increase over the 2004 figure of $142,673,400. The numbers, based on one-time expenditures, are derived from interviews with fans during race weekend and reflect money spent both at the track and away from it, including gaming expenditures. "We were surprised to hear the number," LVMS general manager Chris Powell said Wednesday. "We were pleased and also surprised by that large a leap. It just shows what a massive event this is, and how important it is to the state and local economies. We are proud of it." (Vegas Sun)

March 21, 2005

Vegas Racing on Fremont Street: While the NASCAR Nextel/Busch Series race brought the usual scores of thousands spending scores of millions of dollars, the Fremont Street Experience (FSE) launched the first of this year's five new shows on its massive Viva Vision canopy.  The premier of the first new production of the year, "Speed, Smoke and Spinning Wheels" was scheduled to coincide with the racing event and appeal to the NASCAR demographic. Viva Vision's four other new titles will be similarly designed and released to augment and exploit major planned events, such as the city's Centennial Party.  Taking three months to develop and produce, and lasting about eight minutes, the premiere show was part of the overall "Race Jam" event, FSE's third show drawing on the NASCAR crowd featuring free concerts with name musical acts, appearances by NASCAR drivers, a NASCAR driving simulator and other sponsored highlights. According to preliminary estimates, the actual race itself drew more than 150,000 spectators. The "Speed, Smoke and Spinning Wheels" can be seen twice nightly and will run until the end of April. (BusinessPress)

March 15, 2005

Leach Having Fun with NASCAR in Vegas: Robin Leach knows a lot about wealthy celebrities from his time as narrator of TV's Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous.   But he had his problems on the weekend with NASCAR.   Leach, announcing the starting lineup for the NASCAR race Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, mispronounced the sponsor for driver Morgan Shepherd's Racing With Jesus team. Leach used the Spanish version: (HAY-soos).  (Canada.com)

March 14, 2005

Smith wants Second Date in Vegas, Willing to Buy Date/Track: Bruton Smith says that Las Vegas Motor Speedway clearly deserves a second Cup tour date. "We'll be begging and pleading on this one," Smith said. "I think the sport deserves to be here that second time.  "Las Vegas is the entertainment capital of the world. Whatever the sport, you need to be here.  But Smith insists he's not moving one of his two Atlanta Cup dates here. That was a rumor a few weeks ago, a rumor that some feel may have been started by Smith's people to get the ball rolling on talk about a second tour stop.  Indeed, the PA announcer yesterday exhorted the crowd to start a letter-writing campaign to NASCAR for a second Cup date. Smith, however, called the Atlanta-to-Las Vegas rumor "a nasty, dirty rotten rumor, and no truth in it at all." -(Winston Salem)- In addition, Which begs the question whether Smith would be willing to purchase another track, shutter its ticket windows and ask that the track's race date be given to Las Vegas for some future autumn. Now that's one option Smith said SMI would consider. "If there is a knock on the door, I'm going to get up and answer it," he said. "You have to look for opportunities, and that's what I constantly look for." (Review Journal) Sunday's race attendance topped 156,000 thousand and over 110,000 for Saturday's NASCAR's Busch Series Race.

March 13, 2005

More Vegas Seats Next Year: Las Vegas Motor Speedway is expected today to announce it will make its second major grandstand expansion in two years. The speedway will expand the grandstand near Turn 1 of its 1.5-mile tri-oval, a track source said, to include a structure similar to the 22,000-seat Dale Earnhardt Terrace in Turn 4 that opened in time for last year's Nextel Cup race.  It's likely the plans had been discussed for at least a year, but any doubts about the costly venture were dashed when the speedway sold out its 144,000 permanent seats for today's eighth annual UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 NASCAR Nextel Cup race more than a month ago. (Review Journal)

Nevada NASCAR Day May 20th: The Honorable Governor Kenny Guinn has declared NASCAR Day 2005 as May 20 in the state of Nevada. The proclamation was announced at an event at Sam's Town Hotel & Casino in conjunction with Speedway Children's Charities, one of the three 2005 NASCAR Day Beneficiaries. Many celebrities and dignitaries were on hand for the event including drivers Kevin Harvick, Scott Wimmer, Kyle Petty, David Green, Stacy Compton, Clint Bowyer, Jon Wood, Ashton Lewis, Jason Keller, Kevin Lepage, Randy LaJoie, Shane Hmiel, Brent Sherman, Ryan Hemphill, Aaron Fike, Kim Crosby, Reed Sorenson, Brendan Gaughan, and NFL Hall of Fame QB Jim Kelly.  NASCAR Day, NASCAR's largest annual charitable program, will be held on Friday, May 20, the weekend of the NASCAR NEXTEL All-Star Challenge. In exchange for a $5 donation to the 2005 NASCAR Day Designated Charities, fans, businesses and schools will be able to wear their favorite NASCAR gear to work that Friday. In addition, participants will receive a commemorative NASCAR Day 2005 lapel pin. (NASCAR)

March 11, 2005

Celebrations for Vegas and NASCAR: The city of Las Vegas is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year and NASCAR will celebrate a 50-year anniversary there. On Oct. 16, 1955, a 200-mile event, the 43rd race on the NASCAR schedule, was held at the Las Vegas Park Speedway. The track was originally built as a horse racing facility. Only three motorsports events were held at the mile-long dirt track before the Las Vegas Hilton was built on the site. (Herald Tribune Notes)

March 10, 2005

Vegas Opens Track for Street Racers: There'll be NASCAR racing at the Las Vegas Speedway this weekend. But after the crowds head home, Speedway officials plan to expand a community program letting local street racers compete in a controlled environment. The speedway plans to add Thursdays to regular Friday night Midnight Mayhem races starting March 17th. That's after several recent crashes that have left street racers dead or injured in and around Las Vegas. (KRNV/NBC)

March 8, 2005

Vegas Race expected to Increase 5%: With the city racing to top last year's record-breaking year, the effort will get a huge boost when the National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) drives through town with three events this weekend.  As the only Las Vegas stop on the NASCAR circuit, the wildly popular sport is expected to bring in about 150,000 fans this year according to the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, topping last year's total of 142,600 attendees by 5.2 percent. As Nevada's largest single sporting event, the three races drew 142,600 attendees last year consisting of both visitors and locals who dropped $85.4 million into the local economy, excluding gaming.  (Las Vegas Business)

March 3, 2005

Smooth Track in Vegas: Las Vegas Motor Speedway’s ever improving vehicle flow for its March 11-13 NASCAR Weekend should be even better for this year’s event, according to LVMS officials. Over the past three years, the completion of the 215 beltway, new interchanges and wider roads have helped make ingress and egress from the speedway’s property a seamless experience for race fans. “The combination of better traffic planning, cooperation from all areas of transportation and law enforcement and the continued education of our race fans has dramatically improved vehicle flow over the past several years,” said LVMS general manager Chris Powell. “While the traffic plan itself is virtually the same as last year, we expect this year to be even better than the past years.” One notable difference for race fans attending the Sam’s Town 300 NASCAR Busch Series event on Saturday, March 12 will be the unimpeded flow following the event. In past years, incoming traffic for races at either the dirt track or Bullring had conflicted with traffic exiting the superspeedway. There are no racing events scheduled for Saturday night this year. (LVMS PR)

Feb. 26, 2005

Las Vegas Not Adding 50,000 Seats: As reported on Jayski Atlanta Motor Speedway's two NASCAR Nextel Cup races would be moved to Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 2006 or 2007. The report also said that LVMS "supposedly has plans to add ... possibly 50,000 more seats."  The rumor prompted amusement from LVMS general manager Chris Powell and an angry response from his counterpart in Atlanta, Ed Clark. Both tracks are owned by Bruton Smith's Speedway Motorsports Inc.  "I'm just trying to figure out where we're going to put 50,000 seats," Powell said, dismissing the rumor with a chuckle.  Powell, who has been lobbying NASCAR for several years to get a second annual Nextel Cup Series race at his track, also said he has heard no talk about Smith moving a race to Las Vegas from any of his tracks -- or adding 50,000 additional seats.  (Las Vegas Sun)

January 26, 2005

Vegas Adds seats for Weekend: Las Vegas Motor Speedway virtually is assured of setting an all-time attendance record for its annual NASCAR Nextel Cup Series race with the announcement that additional seating has been added for this year's NASCAR weekend.  LVMS general manager Chris Powell announced Tuesday that the speedway would add bleacher seating outside Turn 3 that could push attendance for the March 13 UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 close to 160,000.   Tickets for the additional seating went on sale today for $99 each and include a reserved seat for both the Nextel Cup and NASCAR Busch Series races as well as a general admission seat for the Sept. 24 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and Champ Car World Series races. (Las Vegas Sun)

January 7, 2005

LVMS to offer "ringside" driver introduction seats: Las Vegas Motor Speedway is offering race fans who attend the March 13 UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 a chance to see the pre-race festivities from "ringside." For the first time ever, LVMS has made a limited number of passes available for race fans to stand on the speedway surface - at the start-finish line -- during all pre-race activities, including driver introductions, prior to the annual NASCAR Nextel Cup Series event. "Each year, we look for ways to enhance the racing experience for our fans," said LVMS general manager Chris Powell. "These pre-race activities passes will allow fans to get within a few feet of all the NASCAR drivers and have the best seat in the house for all of the special presentations, driver introductions and VIP speeches." Due to space limitations, there will be a limited number of these passes available and will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis. Cost for these passes is $75. LVMS also has a few tickets remaining in the Dale Earnhardt Terrace as well as turns 3 and 4 for the event weekend. To purchase your pre-race activities pass, please call the LVMS ticket services department at 1-800-644-4444 or log on to www.lvms.com.(LVMS PR)