Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Next year’s CART race at LVMS could be in spring

Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2003 | 9:14 a.m.

Brian Hilderbrand covers motor sports for the Las Vegas Sun. His motor sports notebook appears Friday. He can be reached at bh@lasvegassun.com or (702) 259-4089.

Officials from CART and the Las Vegas Motor Speedway aren't talking for the record, but there are indications that next year's proposed Champ Car race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway could be held in the spring -- possibly in the month of May.

Although LVMS general manager Chris Powell has stated on numerous occasions that he did not want to add another event to the speedway's crowded spring schedule -- which includes NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Busch Series, World of Outlaws and NHRA races in a five-week stretch -- it is believed he would make an exception for the CART race because the event would not be promoted by the speedway.

Paul Gentilozzi, who is among a group of CART team owners that is in the process of buying out the series, fueled Internet rumors that the Las Vegas race actually could be a street race -- which won't happen -- after an appearance Monday night on the Speed Channel.

Gentilozzi attempted to make the claim that CART's announcement about a Las Vegas race in 2004 did not specify the race would be at the speedway (it did).

"Deductive reasoning by some takes (the race) to a place where we don't yet have a signed deal," Gentilozzi said, according to a transcript of the interview provided by the Speed Channel. "We want to be in Las Vegas. We want to be at the best place for our fans. It could be at the Speedway or certainly it could be a street race.

"When we put that list of cities out, it was to let our teams know where we would be going next year. ... Sometimes the dynamic of where you have a contract and where you run the race can change, but we needed to let people know that we were going to have 16 (to) 18 races and we were going to be in those cities."

Gentilozzi apparently was backtracking to soothe the feathers he ruffled at LVMS by announcing a Las Vegas CART race before the sanctioning body had a signed deal and before the speedway could stage its own announcement.

For the final three races of the season, the cars of Paul Tracy and Patrick Carpentier -- both Las Vegas residents -- will not bear any Player's logos. Instead, the team will replace the Player's logos with words of appreciation to its fans.

Tracy is leading the Champ Car standings by 13 points in his quest to win his first CART championship.

The Associated Press reported that Superior Court Justice Jean Crepeau refused to consider arguments that the sponsorship ban would hurt the city's economy by depriving it of millions of dollars spent during the Formula One event.

The Canadian Grand Prix was taken off the F1 schedule next year due to the prohibition of tobacco logos at sporting and cultural events. Tobacco companies finance many of the F1 teams.

Kinser, the defending and 17-time series champion, was the fastest qualifier, won the First Dash Race and lead all 40 laps in the main event while Lasoski finished sixth.

Defending SRL champion Lonnie Adamson of Salt Lake City holds a 90-point lead over Bob Bigiogni of Salinas, Calif., heading into the final 40-lap event. Also on the racing card Saturday night will be IMCA Modifieds, Mechanix Wear Speed Trucks and Thunder Roadsters. Spectator gates open at 5:30 p.m., qualifying begins at 6:20 and racing starts at 7:15.