THE OPENING LINE

Monday, Dec. 31, 2007 | 1:34 a.m.

When Clark County commissioners voted unanimously to deny Bruton Smith's request to build a 10-story condominium tower on the grounds of the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, I have to admit my first reaction was to chuckle.

Finally, I thought to myself, a billionaire who doesn't get everything he wants.

Then I remembered the little stunt Smith pulled this fall in Concord, N.C. After being denied permission to build a state-of-the-art drag strip on the grounds of his Lowe's Motor Speedway because of objections from nearby residents, Smith stamped his feet and held his breath and threatened to take his speedway and go elsewhere.

No, really: Smith actually told city and county leaders that he would close the speedway and build a new one in another county if they didn't let him have his way and allow him to build his drag strip. His tantrum paid off handsomely when city, county and state rubes - er, officials - refused to call his bluff and enticed him to stay with an incentive package that will cost North Carolina taxpayers $80 million. Smith will get his drag strip - as well as having the main drag from Interstate 85 to the speedway renamed Bruton Smith Boulevard.

The question is, does Smith see the Clark County commissioners as another group of bumpkins he can bully into giving him his way? Will Smith waltz into the media center at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in March and say, "Gee, folks, I'd sure like to bring a second annual NASCAR weekend to Las Vegas, but I can't see doing that unless I can build some revenue-generating condos ..."?

Such a threat might ring hollow in that Smith has spent at least $30 million in the past two years to reconfigure the 1.5-mile LVMS racing surface and construct a fan-friendly "Neon Garage." And that's on top of the millions he has spent upgrading the facility since he purchased it in 1998.

Surely, our elected leaders wouldn't be so gullible as to reverse themselves and allow Smith to build the condo project over the objections of officials from the United States Air Force and neighboring Nellis Air Force Base, would they?

Then again, Smith might be thinking, who ever thought the elected leaders in Concord and Cabarrus County would be so naive as to believe he would pick up his racetrack and move it to another county?

THIS WEEK'S BEST BET

Las Vegas Wranglers vs. Fresno Falcons, 7:05 p.m. Friday, Orleans Arena

No giveaways, just good old-time hockey between two division rivals. Friday's game is the first of three meetings in five days between the Wranglers and Falcons.

TICKETS: $12.50 to $36.75; $7.50 and $10.50 for kids

ON THE WEB: lasvegaswranglers.com

ALSO WORTH A LOOK

Las Vegas Wranglers vs. Fresno Falcons, 7:05 p.m. Saturday, Orleans Arena

If you missed them Friday, you can catch the same two teams Saturday and then again on Tuesday. OK, so there's not much going on in the way of live sports this week. Give us a break.

TICKETS: $12.50 to $36.75; $7.50 and $10.50 for kids

ON THE WEB: lasvegaswranglers.com