Thousands pack The Strip for three days of speed

By Ray Brewer (contact)

Sunday, April 5, 2009 | 5:50 p.m.

The sights, smells and sounds associated with drag racing are unmistakable.

For the thousands of fans who packed the stands at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway the past three days for the SummitRacing.Com Nationals, the drag racing pageantry – naturally including the thunderous sounds from cars reaching speeds of more than 300 mph – made the weekend at the races a can’t miss.

The punctuating sounds as the cars jet down the strip, sounds so loud that most are equipped with earplugs, are music to the ears of the faithful fans.

The distinct smell of nitromethane mixed with alcohol for fuel could be considered nauseating. Not for the loyal fan, however.

Watching the races, as witnessed by several first-timers covering their ears this weekend, is an acquired taste. But for a die-hard fan base, it is an event they have long circled on their calendars. NHRA also hosts an event at the speedway each October.

“It’s the vibration from when those big boys fly by,” said Kevin Olson, an East Las Vegas resident. “I love it when my teeth start rattling.”

It is against speedway and NHRA policy to release attendance figures. The facility sits nearly 30,000 fans and was full for races on Saturday and Sunday. Wind and rain on Friday is credited with keeping several away, said John Bisci, the speedway’s media relations manager.

Bisci said the crowd was better than he expected, especially considering the current down economic climate.

The speedway offered reduced general admission tickets at $19, down from prices ranging from $35 to $55. Officials also coordinated with nearby Nellis Air Force Base to give military personnel free admission.

“We had a lot of military walking around in their uniforms,” Bisci said.

When Gene Healy from Pearl City, Hawaii, won a trip to Las Vegas last fall, he knew exactly when he would redeem his prize — during the NHRA event.

Healy brought his brother, John Healy, along for the trip — with the bribe of a few beers at the track — and the brothers raved about the speed and power of the cars.

“You can’t drive that fast in Honolulu,” John Healy jokingly said as two Top Fuel cars darted past them.

The event included more than the races, especially for racing junkies like Olson and his wife, Carla.

Kevin Olson is such a fanatic that he arrived at the speedway on Wednesday to watch testing heats and stayed in a motor home at the facility all weekend. Bisci said 512 recreation vehicles parked in the speedway’s RV lot.

“We had a good time chatting with our neighbors and making new friends,” Olson said.

Several vendors set up tents inside the facility to sell everything from turkey legs to sweet roasted corn on the cob. Joe Money, who travels to Las Vegas from Vancouver, Canada, each year for the races, snacked on a foot-long corn dog between races.

“This is an amazing facility to watch a race,” Money said. “You can’t beat a day at the races.”

That includes the sounds and smells that make drag racing unique.