NASCAR races out of the Big Apple for Las Vegas

Sam Morris

Kyle Busch heads through turn four on his way to winning the Shelby 427 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race March 1 at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

By Ray Brewer (contact)

Thursday, April 23, 2009 | 1:02 p.m.

The Candy Man Can

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In his M&M-sponsored car, hometown driver Kyle Busch snagged his first career win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Sunday's Shelby 427.

NASCAR’s end-of-the-year festivities are leaving New York after nearly three decades for Las Vegas.

NASCAR, which announced the move Thursday, was lured by Las Vegas’ proposal that included reduced room rates and fan activities on the Las Vegas Strip.

The Sprint Cup Series Awards Ceremony will be held in Las Vegas for three years, said Jeremy Handel, a spokesperson for the Las Vegas Visitors and Convention Authority.

“The fans base here is obviously fantastic,” Handel said. “The race here every spring is one of the most popular races on the circuit.”

The annual banquet, which had been held in New York since 1981, will be Dec. 4 at the Wynn Las Vegas. It will cap a week of activities — like the “Victory Lap,” a parade of NASCAR’s top 10 finishing cars on the Strip — to celebrate the past season of racing.

“This is a great day for Las Vegas,” said Chris Powell, President of the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. “Las Vegas has proven itself to be a great motorsports attraction, both for locals and for fans from around the country and the world. NASCAR’s move to Las Vegas with the year-end awards ceremonies opens up many more opportunities to get the fans involved.”

The move is a welcome change for some.

“At the end of the day, our banquet needs some life injected into it,” racer Jeff Burton said. “We need something new and exciting. It needs something that’s built around fun, built around excitement that embraces the fans more. Vegas may give us a better opportunity to do that.”

A Sprint Cup Race is held each spring at the speedway and the city usually draws praise for several drivers.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.