Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: With Charlotte gone, IRL tries to branch out

Monday, Oct. 4, 1999 | 12:42 p.m.

Brian Hilderbrand's motor sports notebook appears Friday. Reach him at bh@lasvegassun.com or 259-4089

Having apparently lost its race at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Charlotte, N.C., the Indy Racing League now is setting its sights on Bill France's International Speedway Corp. tracks.

IRL founder Tony George said he hopes to court several ISC venues, including California Speedway in Fontana, to host races beginning with the 2001 season.

"I've told many people who can influence that (decision) that we expect to earn their respect and confidence (and) that one day they will want us at their venues because we're a good business opportunity for them," George said.

"I think there's a chance that we could go ... certainly, we would like to get into certain markets for our sponsors and we'll keep working on that. Southern California would be nice and there are other venues with a lot of tradition and history of their own. If it's an oval track, we would like to run on it. We just have to see what opportunities may present themselves in the next year."

The IRL continues to work on its 2000 schedule, which is expected to be without a race at Charlotte and with only one visit to Pikes Peak International Raceway in Fountain, Colo. The series held two races at Pikes Peak this season.

George reportedly was trying to add a race in the spring so teams could have more than two races (the season opener at Walt Disney World Speedway in Orlando, Fla., and the race at Phoenix International Raceway in late March) to prepare for the Indianapolis 500.

This year, the series made stops in Phoenix and Charlotte between the season opener and Indy, although the Charlotte race was canceled because of the deaths of three spectators during the race.

Without a race in Charlotte, the IRL would be back to running a season-opening race in January, a race in Phoenix in March and the Indy 500 the last week in May.

"There's not a lot of good opportunities to tighten (the schedule) up from January to March, but hopefully we'll be running some more races before May so that we don't go back to Phoenix being the last race before (Indy)," George said. "We'll have to see. The schedule is still not finished -- much to my chagrin. I think two-thirds of it is in place and the rest of it could be in place next week if everything comes together.

"I think, over time, if we can grow the schedule and be out in the public more with races, will help us raise the level of awareness. That's why we're anxious to expand our schedule, not just stay at 11 races. We've got to make the best of it for 2000 and hopefully in 2001 we'll make some (additions)."

George, who was critical of the way the previous ownership at Las Vegas Motor Speedway promoted its IRL races, said he was pleased with the way LVMS general manager Chris Powell and his staff promoted last weekend's race.

"I think there was definitely some promotion of this race," George said. "It's just a challenge to figure out what works out here. It's not NASCAR, so you don't just announce the race and everyone flies and drives in from around the country to sell it out.

"It's something that we still have to educate the public on and we've tried to do that. Again, they did a good job of promoting it. I listened to a couple radio stations and I heard the promotion of the activities out here this week. I also saw some stuff on TV and (in) print."

* NASCAR: Three Las Vegas drivers -- Brendan Gaughan, Wayne Jacks and Doc Faustina -- are scheduled to compete in the NASCAR Winston West Series season finale Nov. 20 at Twin Ring Motegi in Japan.

The Coca-Cola 500 on the 1.549-mile superspeedway at Motegi, which caps a 14-race schedule, is the first points race in NASCAR history outside of North America. It will carry with it the largest purse in the history of the series.

Gaughan is the only one of three local drivers who has competed at Motegi, having driven in a NASCAR Winston Cup exhibition race there in 1998.

* CART: Budweiser will end its five-year sponsorship of Della Penna Motorsports' CART entry, driven by Las Vegas resident Richie Hearn, at the conclusion of this season, team owner John Della Penna announced this week.

"We have had a great relationship with Budweiser since 1995 and Richie Hearn and I respect their recent decision," Della Penna said. "We already have several positive leads to secure a new primary sponsor."

Budweiser served as an associate sponsor on Hearn's ride from 1995 to 1997, then stepped up as a primary sponsor in 1998. ...

CART has reached multi-year agreements to continue racing in Long Beach, Calif., and Road America in Wisconsin.

CART's agreement with the Grand Prix of Long Beach was extended through 2005 while Road America will continue to host the Champ car series through 2003.

* IRL: Now that he has his first IRL victory under his belt, Henderson resident Sam Schmidt is looking to add another in the series finale Oct. 17 at Texas Motor Speedway.

Recent history would appear to put the odds in Schmidt's favor. Scott Goodyear earned his first IRL win in March in Phoenix, then came back and won again in early June in Texas. Greg Ray picked up his first win in June at Pikes Peak and won again at Dover on Aug. 1 and again at Pikes Peak in late August.

"Now we know we can (win) and it should, in theory, be a little easier to do it again -- it seems like history has gone that way," Schmidt said. "Goodyear and Ray and some of these guys that are first-time winners this year have been able to go back and get another one pretty soon."

Schmidt, who dyed his hair and long sideburns jet black and dressed up as Elvis Presley for a function at The Orleans hotel-casino last week, said he doesn't plan to dress up as The King next month in Texas.

"I think it'd be a little tougher to find an Elvis costume in Dallas than it was in Vegas," Schmidt said. "And, I'd be afraid to get shot down there for dressing up that way."

* BACKMARKERS: Former Las Vegas Motor Speedway general manager Ray Wilkings is leaving his post as vice president and chief operating officer of Irwindale (Calif.) Speedway to take the position of executive vice president of Rebco Racing Enterprises, one of the nation's leading suppliers of specialized racing equipment. Irwindale's director of operations, Robert DeFazio, has been named to replace Wilkings. ...

The American Motorcyclist Association visits the 1/2-mile dirt oval at LVMS tonight and Saturday. Tonight's AMA Hot Shoe includes 600cc, 883cc and 750cc motorcycles. Gates open at 5 p.m. and the first race starts at 7:30. General admission tickets are $10; children 12 and under are $5.

Saturday's Grand National will feature the top motorcycle riders on the circuit including Scott Parker, Jay Springsteen, and many others riding 750cc Harley Davidsons. Gates open at 5 p.m. and racing start at 7:30. General admission tickets are $25. Children 12 and under are $10.