Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: LVMS may get shut out of open-wheel racing

Tuesday, June 20, 2000 | 9:46 a.m.

Brian Hilderbrand covers motor sports for the Las Vegas Sun. Reach him at 259-4089 or by e-mail at bh@lasvegassun.com.

Two significant announcements concerning American open-wheel racing were made within 48 hours of each other over the weekend, and both could have an impact on the future of Indy-style racing at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

On Friday, CART president and CEO Andrew Craig resigned under pressure and was replaced on an interim basis by CART team owner Bobby Rahal. Rahal told the Sun last week that he was in favor of bringing the series to Las Vegas -- if not next season, then perhaps by 2002.

Two days later, the rival Indy Racing Northern Light Series released its 2001 schedule -- without a date at LVMS, but with the caveat that additional races could be added by the end of the year.

Las Vegas Motor Speedway, at the moment, has neither an IRNLS nor a CART race on its 2001 schedule. In fact, the only major event at the 1.5-mile superspeedway next season is the annual NASCAR Winston Cup and Busch Series weekend in March.

In recent weeks, it appeared LVMS general manager Chris Powell had been leaning toward trying to land a CART race rather than renewing an agreement with the IRNLS after each of the past four IRNLS events in Las Vegas have failed to draw sufficient crowds.

On Monday, Powell said he has not closed the door on either open-wheel series.

"I have not given up on 2001 -- on either series," Powell said. "We're going to do what's best for the speedway and the city of Las Vegas.

"I think our facility lends itself well to open-wheel racing and we'll do what we can to give it exposure to the CART guys and I think the IRL guys know already what a good facility it is."

It seems a forgone conclusion that the IRNLS will not return to LVMS next season. The 12-race schedule the series released Sunday includes events in new markets such as Chicago, Kansas City, Kan., St. Louis, Nashville and Richmond, Va.

IRNLS founder Tony George left the door open for a possible date at LVMS, saying that "we think 12 is a good number (of dates), but I think you could see 14 or 15 before it's all over."

He added that discussions are continuing with both Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Atlanta Motor Speedway.

But persistent rumors that the IRNLS is headed to California Speedway in Fontana and/or Daytona International Speedway next season would appear to leave LVMS out of that series' picture for 2001 and beyond.

Rahal told the Sun last week that while "all of CART's sponsors" are eager to hold a race in Las Vegas, fitting a date into the schedule next year may be difficult because the series already has commitments to race in Mexico and, reportedly, Germany and England.

"Las Vegas is an important market for us and (LVMS) is a good circuit," Rahal said, "but timing may be another issue."

Regardless of what transpires in the coming weeks and months, Powell said it would not be devastating if LVMS does not host an open-wheel race next year.

"It would be unfortunate if we did not have an open-wheel race in 2001, but I don't think it would be a real negative mark for the speedway," Powell said. "Everybody wants to come here -- there's no secret the IRL wants to be here next year and I think CART is keeping its eyes on Las Vegas.

"It's just a matter of fitting an event, both for the speedway and for either or both series. If we don't have an open-wheel race in 2001, it's not strictly a matter of neither series (not) wanting to be in Las Vegas. It has to be the right time of the year for both the speedway and that particular series."