Las Vegas gets a 2nd race?

[Mr. Ford95]

So I'm sitting here getting ready for today's race and wondering, do they deserve one? As much as I hate the mile and a half cookie cutters, this one seems to act a lot like Kentucky Speedway which doesn't have a Cup date. Always puts on good races. Kansas is usually a snooze fest as is Chicagoland(more like Jolietland.) Charlotte and Atlanta have their own quirks that usually make for good races though as both are very tempature sensitive tracks. Texas is close, it used to have some quirks but enough complaining from the drivers got rid of those and really made the racing kinda stale. Does it deserve 2 races, not really but the demand is there, they sellout all 190K seats. Las Vegas really has not disappointed during it's 10 years here. The very first race that Jeff Burton won, the last 20 laps were some of the best ever seen in Cup history. He and his brother Ward raced side by side all the way around for about 15 laps before Ward's tires started giving up on him and that was without a 2nd groove since it was the first race there. Since then, it has had other great finishes and now with the new banking it has gotten better.

[thebaldeagle655]

Heard just a short time ago that LVMS would have over 260,000 fans in attendance. Only 137,000 seats. Infield is gonna be FULL FULL FULL! As for Kansas, remember, they asked before they built the speedway for a date and NASCAR told them that that market area was already full and there would be no chance for Kansas to get a Cup Race.

Does LV deserve a 2nd race, depends, where you gonna take it from? It is a SMI track (Bruton Smith) so the race won't be coming from Fontana, an ISC Track (France Family). Rumor was that Bruton bought New Hampshire to take one race away but the seller states that there is a clause in the sales contract forbidding this.

Personally, I think there are several "sleeper" races that could be moved to LV BUT, even the most boring race is GREAT!!!

Can't wait until April 4, 5 and 6, TEXAS HERE I COME!

[Mr. Ford95]

Yes, Bruton bought New Hampshire last year, the Bahre family just could not afford to keep putting out of their pockets to keep updating the facilites while Bruton could. Bruton ain't dumb either, he will leave the 2 races there for now even if there ain't a clause. It's got a Chase race, has sold out every race since it's inception since it's in the perfect area for the NE and puts on good races. I have a feeling that even though Atlanta is pure history for Nascar, it might be the one to lose a date. Possibly the fall race to Vegas. Puts another Chase race out West where Nascar dearly wants to get more fans from. Atlanta has been having trouble selling out lately, you can walk up the day of the race and get tix. The new problem could be in 2-3 years, when Rockingham has everything but Cup racing there. Unless Andy Hillenberg sells it to ISC it won't get a Cup date back and that could piss old Bruton off if Rockingham gets back on the schedule since Andy bought it from him at auction last year.

Funniest thing I heard after the California mess, trade dates with California and Atlanta. For one, owned by 2 different people who dislike one another and the weather ain't much better in the SE this time of year.

I think LVMS deserves another date as today's race proved once again.

[BigDiesel]

Word on the street is that the fall California race will be replaced by Vegas.

[Mr. Ford95]

Never will happen unless Brian France swallows his pride on that. He lives in LA and ISC is based in LA, that is why he wanted California with a 2nd date and oh by the way, ISC/Nascar happens to own California after Roger Penske decided to sell it. Bruton Smith is founder and ceo of ISC rival, SMI which owns Vegas. Neither likes one another and only once have they made a deal with one another. That was to get Texas a 2nd race and avoid the lawsuit SMI shareholders had against ISC and Nascar. Nascar agreed to sell Rockingham to Bruton and he in turn took both races and moved them, one to Texas and the other to Phoenix. If anything, Bruton will move Phoenix before Nascar strikes another deal with him on moving a California race to Vegas. If he moves a Phoenix date, it will be the fall Chase date. Bruton loves Atlanta but he see's the end of the day results in dollar signs. Atlanta is not selling out and Vegas is, both hold roughly the same amount of seats. The question is, is the ticket demand high enough to warrant a 2nd date. That is what killed California, ticket demand was not high enough for a 2nd date. They did not have a big waiting list like Bristol and Richmond and other tracks have who could use a 3rd date and sell that out too.

[Smooth]

I hope not . I hate 1.5 mile tracks with the exception of Atlanta .