LVMS World of Outlaws event called off

Friday, Nov. 3, 2000 | 10:18 a.m.

With little hope of Las Vegas Motor Speedway getting its half-mile dirt track into adequate shape to race, the Pennzoil World of Outlaws has canceled tonight's Z-Max Silver State Shootout.

Tonight's show had been rescheduled after the racing surface was deemed unsafe Tuesday night. The Outlaws put on a limited show Wednesday night, but the 800-horsepower winged sprint cars left the track in no condition to hold competition tonight, according to LVMS general manager Chris Powell.

"With the racing we were left with after (Wednesday) night's event, there was just not going to be enough time where it would be safe for the competitors and exciting for the fans," Powell said.

Wednesday night's show was scaled back and the preliminary feature was reduced from 30 laps to 20. But, after several accidents that WoO officials attributed to the bumpy track, the race was halted after 15 laps with Sammy Swindell leading.

Powell insisted that the problem with the track this week would not jeopardize future WoO events at the Speedway. The series is scheduled to return to LVMS March 1-3, 2001.

"This will in no way effect future events," Powell said. "We're going to completely rebuild the racing surface and Ted agrees with us that we're going to have to take some time and get it right.

"It will be better than it has ever been when they come back in March."

Ted Johnson, owner and founder of the Outlaws, was attending the series' annual awards banquet Thursday night and could not be reached for comment.

Powell said the Speedway would issue refunds -- or a 2-for-1 offer for the March 1 Outlaws show -- to all fans that had tickets for Tuesday's race and did not use them for Wednesday's show.