Editorial: Las Vegas gets checkered flag

Tuesday, March 3, 1998 | 11:09 a.m.

FROM start to finish, the Las Vegas 400 proved this past week that Las Vegas is more than just a gaming destination.

This weekend's NASCAR Winston Cup race at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway attracted the largest crowd ever in Nevada's sports history. Nearly 110,000 fans, including local residents and tourists, were able to enjoy a beautiful afternoon and watch Mark Martin win the inaugural Las Vegas 400.

To put into perspective the scale of this event, the next biggest crowd for a Nevada sporting event was in September 1996 when 67,132 spectators attended the Las Vegas Indy Racing League race on the Las Vegas Motor Speedway's opening day. And the attendance record for a team sporting event in Nevada was set in December 1996 for the inaugural Western Athletic Conference championship football game, which drew 41,328 fans.

Traffic posed the biggest problem, and Highway Patrol officials said traffic was backed up on Interstate 15 for nearly 11 miles to Tropicana Avenue. But for the most part, it seemed as if everything went fairly smooth. Despite the crush of cars, the race only had to start a few minutes late to accommodate the crowd.

A number of years ago, gaming pioneers discovered that for Las Vegas to continue to prosper it would have to be more than just a gaming destination. Those with vision started to build hotel-casinos that became tourist destinations, offering more than just a gambling excursion.

Sunday's successful race couldn't have come at a better time. It's no secret that visitor volume to Las Vegas is not keeping pace with the number of new rooms being built at local resorts. Attracting tourists, including those who might never have thought of visiting Las Vegas before, is a high priority.

Tourism is becoming an increasingly competitive business, and many communities would do almost anything to attract a Winston Cup race. So, when Las Vegas gets an opportunity as it did this weekend, the pressure is on to handle the event flawlessly. Las Vegas certainly made an excellent case to NASCAR that it is deserving of another race next year.