LVMS, CART negotiating deal to bring race to Las Vegas in 2000

Tuesday, Feb. 2, 1999 | 10:26 a.m.

Las Vegas Motor Speedway is moving closer to living up to its self-proclaimed title as "the motor sports capital of the world."

LVMS executive vice president and general manager Chris Powell confirmed Monday that the Speedway has opened negotiations with Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) to bring a Champ-car race to Las Vegas in 2000.

Powell also said LVMS is "inching closer" to landing a National Hot Road Association (NHRA) date for its soon-to-be-completed drag strip.

"If we were to get a CART race, we'd be the only facility in the world with CART, (NASCAR) Winston Cup, Busch Series and IRL races," Powell said. "Then you throw in the NHRA ... you can't help but call Las Vegas Motor Speedway the motor sports capital of the world.

"I think it speaks so highly of our facility that we could call one of the top motor sports series executives in the world and immediately have credibility that we could be the home for one of their events."

Powell said he received permission from LVMS owner Bruton Smith to begin talks with CART president Andrew Craig after Powell read about Craig's interests in a Sun article two weeks ago.

Craig said in the article that he had been talking with former LVMS chairman Richie Clyne about bringing a CART race to Las Vegas, but had not spoken with the new ownership of the track. Las Vegas Motor Speedway was purchased by Smith's Speedway Motorsports Inc., in December for $215 million.

"It's a wonderful race track and (Las Vegas) is a great marketplace and we would certainly like to at least consider (racing here) further down the road," Craig told the Sun during a visit to Las Vegas in January.

CART is the second most popular form of auto racing in the United States, behind NASCAR's Winston Cup Series. CART drew more than 2.5 million fans to 19 races in 1998, including a capacity crowd of 106,000 fans to its season finale at California Speedway last November.

Three Southern Nevada residents, Jimmy Vasser, Richie Hearn and Paul Tracy, compete in the CART Fed Ex Championship Series, which will stage 20 races in five countries in 1999. Other regulars in the series include Michael Andretti, Al Unser Jr., Dario Franchitti, Greg Moore and Robby Gordon.

Craig told the Sun that he believed a CART race at LVMS would be an overwhelming success.

"I think we would do very well here," Craig said. "I think it would tend to be a very big corporate event, with sponsors coming to town and bringing their guests and so forth."

Powell was quick to point out that talks between CART and LVMS are in the preliminary stages.

"We've got to make sure that (a CART race) fits into our schedule and Andrew Craig has to make sure that it fits into his schedule -- and he has got some scheduling concerns for his race teams," Powell said. "This is by no means a done deal ... at this point, we're both exploring this opportunity."

LVMS also hosts CART's rival series, the Indy Racing League, in the fall. Powell said the Speedway is looking for a spring date if it is to hold a CART race. If Powell is successful in landing a CART race, Las Vegas would be the only speedway to host both a CART and IRL race.

Smith is closely aligned with IRL founder Tony George, hosting five IRL races at his six tracks. Powell said LVMS is committed to the upstart open-wheel series, which has struggled to draw fans at the past two races in Las Vegas.

"We are very happy with our affiliation with the IRL," Powell said.