LVMS race pushed back by one week

Friday, May 14, 2004 | 10 a.m.

NASCAR this morning announced a 2005 Nextel Cup schedule that includes several major changes, including a new date for its annual stop in Las Vegas.

In addition to Texas Motor Speedway and Phoenix International Raceway hosting two Nextel Cup races each beginning next season, the annual NASCAR weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway will be moved back a week, to March 11-13, 2005. LVMS traditionally has hosted its Nextel Cup race on the first weekend of March.

NASCAR is moving the lone Nextel Cup race date at North Carolina Motor Speedway in Rockingham to Texas to settle a lawsuit filed by a Speedway Motorsports Inc. shareholder who alleged NASCAR reneged on promises to award a second date to the Fort Worth-area speedway. The sanctioning body also is moving one of Darlington Raceway's Cup dates to Phoenix, leaving the South Carolina track with one Cup race in 2005.

International Speedway Corp., which is controlled by NASCAR's France family and counts North Carolina Speedway, Darlington and Phoenix among its track holdings, also purchased Martinsville Speedway and its two Cup races from Clay Campbell for $192 million. The publicly traded company also sold North Carolina Speedway and its Cup date to SMI for $100.4 million as part of the lawsuit's settlement.

Texas Motor Speedway's second date will be Nov. 6 and will be a part of NASCAR's final 10-race "Chase for the Championship." Phoenix International Raceway's second Cup date is scheduled for April 23. Both will be Saturday night races, televised in prime time.

"Last year, we unveiled a strategic plan called 'Realignment 2004 -- And Beyond,' " NASCAR chairman Brian France said. "The aim of that plan is to ensure that NASCAR keeps pace with its growing fan base nationwide.

"The changes for the 2005 schedule ... fit perfectly with our realignment plan."

The 2005 season will open Feb. 20 with the Daytona 500 and the series will race at California Speedway in Fontana on Feb. 27. After a week off, the series will resume March 13 with the eighth annual UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Las Vegas Motor Speedway general manager Chris Powell said he had no problem with NASCAR staging another Cup race on the West Coast within two weeks of his speedway's race -- even though LVMS and California Speedway would be competing for many of the same fans.

"I don't see any down side to it whatsoever," Powell said. "I think people will continue to see the value in being in Las Vegas in March and I don't foresee having any negative effect from any race -- be it within a few hours driving distance or a few hours of flight time (of our race).

"I think our race stands on its own merits and we've proven to the motor sports industry that we're one of the premier races not only on the West Coast, but on the entire NASCAR schedule."

Powell added that it could work to his track's advantage to hold its race a week later than it has in the past.

"I would like to believe that there is a greater opportunity for good weather the later we go," Powell said.