Friday, April 19, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.
It used to be that Las Vegas was considered the capital of off-road racing. But with the Mint 400 (and its successor, the Nevada 400), the Gold Coast 300 and the Mickey Thompson stadium off-road series all having capitulated in recent years, off-road racing within city boundaries has become a lower-case proposition.
In fact, were it not for Saturday's inaugural SCORE Las Vegas Primm 300 at Stateline, the city would not be represented on this year's schedule.
"It's a shame," said off-road legend Ivan "Ironman" Stewart, considered the master of the Las Vegas desert. "The Mint race was the most prestigious (off-road) race in the States and everybody (associated) the Gold Coast 300 with Las Vegas.
"I wish we could run more in Las Vegas. I sure had a good string of them (victories) there."
The longtime Toyota Trophy Truck driver finished second to IndyCar ace Robby Gordon the last time out, at the San Felipe 250 in March.
Series points leader Gordon also won the season opener at Laughlin. His Ford will head a field of 12 Trophy Trucks that include the Ford of Las Vegas' Rob MacCachren and the Chevy of always-tough Larry Ragland.
If Gordon triumphs, he'll become the first driver to win three consecutive Trophy Truck races.
The Trophy Trucks will do three short laps of 48.18 miles and a longer circuit of 89.47 miles, covering a total distance of 234.01 miles. If the course turns out to be bumpy, Stewart said he may have the edge.
If not, the Fords and Chevys, with their significant edge in horsepower, could leave Stewart's nimble Precision Preparation Inc. entry in the dust.
"I'd like a tight track, ditches and the Rock Garden," said Stewart, alluding to the infamous stretch of boulder-laced terrain, indigenous to the old Mint and Nevada 400 course, that wreaked havoc on suspensions.
The Trophy Trucks will take the green flag at 6 a.m. Saturday at Buffalo Bill's resort. The pro and sportsman race will begin at 10:30.
Notes
* LAS VEGAS SPEEDWAY PARK: More than 60,000 horsepower, presented with fire bursts and sonic booms, will be featured Saturday when Miller Genuine Draft presents PT's Pub Las Vegas Jet Open on the dragstrip. Gates open at 5 p.m. with eliminations at 8. The ET Series dragsters will appear with the jet cars. Tickets are $15, with seniors, military and students admitted for $11. Children 3-12 are $2. ... Mike Ray won a pair of sportsman division main events, topping last weekend's Saturn Spring Fling NASCAR Winston Racing Series program. Other class winners were Kurt Busch in hobby stock, Dick Attisani in 650 modified and Tom Busch, Kurt's father, in dwarf cars. ... Call 643-3333 for LVSP information.
* BRAYTON VISITS: Last year's Indy 500 polesitter Scott Brayton is the latest racing veteran to give under-construction Las Vegas Motor Speedway a big thumbs-up. "I think the sight lines are unlike any race track I've ever been to," said Brayton, scheduled to drive in the speedway's first event, the Sept. 15 Indy Racing League Las Vegas 500k. "I think it's going to be an incredible race to watch. You'll be able to follow your favorite car all the way around the track and never lose sight of it, and I think that's extremely unique, given the size of the track." Brayton, who recently turned an unofficial lap of 237.5 mph during testing at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, predicted the current IRL cars will attain speeds of 220 mph on the moderately banked 1.5-mile Las Vegas tri-oval.
* LIGHTING UP: Las Vegas Motor Speedway will be well suited to hold nighttime racing thanks to Musco Lighting of Iowa, the same firm that lit up Super Bowl XXX and Charlotte Motor Speedway. The new speedway presented a special challenge to the Musco engineers, who were asked to provide TV worthy illumination without glare to drivers and fans -- and without obscuring sight lines with tall lighting standards. "Las Vegas Motor Speedway presented us with a unique opportunity -- the chance to design our most advanced lighting system for what will be a great, world-class racing complex," said Musco president Joe Crookham. "Because of the scale and magnitude of the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Musco had to develop another generation of the Mitran Light (a system utilizing mirrors) to meet the challenge."
* ETC. TV star Jerry Seinfeld served on Al Unser Jr.'s pit crew during last Sunday's Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. Accepting Unser's invitation, Seinfeld (who wore a Marlboro firesuit) held the "reset fuel meter" sign when Unser rolled into the pits. ... Alumax aluminum, Budwesier and the Greater Michigan Ford Dealers have signed on as sponsors of the U.S. 500, giving the new race that will be held opposite the Indy 500 an impressive array of 15 sponsors. Only 12,000 seats remain for the inaugural race featuring the CART Indy cars, to be held at Michigan International Speedway. ... NASCAR's Craftsman Trucks and the SCCA Trans-Am sedans will share top billing at this weekend's Desert Star Classic at Phoenix International Raceway. Las Vegan George Tallas is entered in the truck race. ... The NASCAR Featherlite Southwest Tour stockers return to action Saturday with the Plummer Pontiac 100 at Stockton (Calif.) 99 Speedway. Las Vegan Chris Trickle finished 17th in last week's SWT stop at Mesa Marin Speedway in Bakersfield, Calif. ... Jason Pike (IMCA modified), Tony Debiase (street stock), Jimmy Kimball Jr. (bombers) and Bob Clark (dwarf cars) were main event winners at Pahrump Valley Speedway last weekend.
* WEEKEND GLANCE:Winston Cup: Goody's Headache Powders 500 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway (10 a.m. Sunday, ESPN). Terry Labonte, last week's winner at North Wilkesboro, looks to break Richard Petty's record of 514 consecutive starts. Rusty Wallace is defending champion. Craftsman Truck: Desert Star Classic 300 at Phoenix International Raceway (1 p.m. Sunday, TNN). Mike Skinner won both races at PIR last year. NHRA: Fram Nationals at Atlanta Dragway (3 p.m. Sunday, TNN). John Force is seeking his fifth straight Funny Car win at Atlanta.
Stewart
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