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Joe Elbert
Don Sweet, second from right, and friend Jason Hartley have been coming to NASCAR races at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the past five years. They stay on a budget by going to Costco for their supplies for the long weekend, but spend an hour gambling on the Strip.
Friday, Feb. 26, 2010 | 2 a.m.
Sun Coverage
NASCAR Hauler Parade on the Strip
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The NASCAR Hauler parade kicked off race weekend Thursday evening as more than 60 haulers honked loudly as they traveled northbound on the Strip. NASCAR fans cheered on the large colorful trucks, which carry the race cars and gear to the track.
Kyle and Kurt Busch
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Las Vegas natives, brothers Kyle and Kurt Busch greet their fans during NASCAR weekend.
Sun archives
- Busch brothers mingle with hometown NASCAR fans (2-26-2010)
- Lights of Las Vegas Strip provide unique setting for hauler parade (2-26-2010)
- Neon Garage epicenter of NASCAR entertainment (2-25-2010)
- Speedway’s Bullring puts Las Vegan’s racing aspirations on fast track (2-25-2010)
- Hayley Lager gets a jumpstart on racing (2-24-2010)
- Speedway president discusses NASCAR, race weekend (2-24-2010)
- Widening of I-15 will improve drive to the speedway (2-22-2010)
Salt Lake City mason Clair Smith was laid off from his job a month ago, but that didn’t keep him from making his eighth visit to Las Vegas for NASCAR weekend.
“I’m spending a lot less because I am making a lot less, but I saved for it all year. This is my one trip,” Smith says outside his RV in the infield of Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Thursday afternoon.
Knowing that the recession has most people making less and spending less, local tourism officials are holding out hope that this year’s NASCAR weekend will bring in more people who will spend more.
In 2009, the biggest event of the weekend, the Sprint Cup race Sunday, drew about 140,000 spectators. That was down from about 152,000 in 2008 and the record of 156,000 in 2007.
Ticket prices were reduced for this year’s race, so organizers figure that should help bring out some people who otherwise would have not attended.
NASCAR weekend also involves more than just the marquee event, the Sprint Cup Shelby American on Sunday. The dirt track next to the speedway had races Thursday; the speedway has qualifying runs today and the Sam’s Town 300 on Saturday.
All told, attendance for the four days should add up to about 300,000, predicts Chris Powell, president of the Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Powell is fond of noting “that’s four times what they had at the Super Bowl.”
Because a lot of the out-of-town fans will be here for all four days, the result is one of the top weekends of the year for the local economy, says Jeremy Handel, spokesman for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.
The economic impact from last year’s events, not including gambling revenue, was $107 million, the authority reports.
That sounds pretty good — until you stack it up against 2008 when the estimated impact was about $28 million more.
This year’s tally won’t come close to $134 million, Handel and Powell agree, but it might be better than last year.
Dan Hippler, vice president of marketing at VEGAS.com, which is owned by the Greenspun family that also owns the Las Vegas Sun, says the travel Web site’s hotel room sales are up 30 percent.
“We are seeing a pretty big increase from what we did last year at this time,” Hippler says. “It definitely looks like there’s an increase in the booking window, which means people are booking their hotels further in advance.”
Harrah’s is sold out all weekend, and Wynn Las Vegas and the Hard Rock Hotel are sold out Saturday.
Rates at the most popular Strip hotels are higher than they have been in recent weeks, and rates at budget hotels also are much higher than normal for the weekend, all thanks in part to NASCAR events.
And although the number of people who decide at the last minute to attend Saturday’s race may suffer because of the rain clouds that are supposed to sit over the valley through the day and into the night, the worst-case scenario — Saturday’s race gets postponed to Monday — could work in the economy’s favor because it might keep race fans in town an extra day or two.
The rain is more of a problem for the racers than for fans such as Don Sweet, a 49-year-old Wal-Mart truck driver from Tooele, Utah.
“We drove down through a blizzard of snow to get here, so hell no, we don’t care about rain,” Sweet says.
His fellow road-tripper, Jason Hartley, a 31-year-old building engineer, said they’re regular visitors to the Las Vegas race because “you can’t beat the weather and the planes” from nearby Nellis Air Force Base that fly over the track regularly.
Sunday is expected to be sunny for the big race. That forecast and the success of certain drivers make it possible that the speedway could sell an usually high number of tickets at the last minute.
“It certainly helps that Danica Patrick will be here and that Dale Earnhardt Jr. actually fared well at Daytona,” Powell says. “Undoubtedly, he’s the most popular in the sport.”
Still, Powell described the chances of a sellout as “less than an outside shot.” The majority of tickets are sold in advance to the 70 percent of the crowd from out of state.
Included in that group are fans from every state and 33 countries, Powell says. They will provide a major economic boost.
“The gaming, the restaurants, the hotels, the shows, the transportation,” Powell said, “you name an aspect of this city and this event touches it.”
The big question, though, is whether that touch will be stronger than last year.
go kurt and klye, both have grown over past coupler years to be good ambassadors for vegas.
the nascar crowd has committed less crime in 10 years than the nba crowd committed in 1 weekend.
Every picture tells a story, don't it?
Gear heads unite!!
SteveM,you got that right! I wonder what Dale Sr would be doing if he was alive? Just an owner ,I imagine and Jr would still be driving for DEI.
The NASCAR awards and the National rodeo events are in December.
It would be wise for some ad money would go to promote those events.
Stevem, they're plotting to kill the President. NBA crowd just kill each other.
gmag39, only thing missing are their hang'em, witch doctor, revolution signs. They're the tea party crowd when not protesting in this pic. Heading to a gun show afterwards I suspect. Do they pack heat at the races?? Coo coo coo!! Get er done!!
If NASCAR is such a boon for the economy, let's have one every month and the Nevada, Clark County, and all city budget problems are solved.
hmmm...these guys coming to town pays your rent, you liberal morons.
the NASCAR crowd is good for the economy based on sheer volume. Their the cheapest and most difficult people around when it comes to the service industry.
Facts are facts - The NASCAR crowd brings a lot of money to the local economy. Regardless of how you and I feel about the people, they help us all. And yes, the NBA crowd that came in probably cost us more in theft and damages than they shelled out.
FRM - Thats why the donate tickets to teachers and everyone else so they can pack the stands. They need it to look good for NASCAR and on TV. Vegas has been pushing to get a second NASCAR race for a couple of years and probably will get one sooner or later. Its not as simple as throwing a shindig every month.
And VegasJ - thanks for identifying yourself and a closed-minded imbecile. It makes it much easier to get through these discussion boards when you know which posters to ignore.
Hmmm. Just curious. I wonder if attendance and/or money spent will be down this year.
These guys don't waste their college money in Vegas because they don't go to college. Coo coo coo!!
wrong.
the nba all-star fans were THE worst bunch of arrogant goons and thugs ever to stink up this city.
one of my best friends in vegas was the graveyard bartender that weekend at a nightclub that clearly has a "no hat" policy in the lounge area. it's posted on the door.
every person that walked in with a hat threw out "you're racist" and gave a bunch of attitude and threatened her. then the few that DID take their hats off and stay would order a round of drinks and then walk out to use their phones and come back 20 minutes later and get upset when their drinks were gone.
there's a reason why it hasn't been back and there is no movement to get another all-star game here.
The plan is this: Bet on the Nascar race, and win money. Then, go to the sportsbook to collecct your winnings. Plus, have a few drinks in the casino, which will make you feel comfy. And then spend all the money at the tables, enjoy Vegas, have a great time. And return soon.
The plan stands. You guys got that right. Now it's about making it real.
From Switzerland
They are REALLY that cheap when it comes to tipping??
Is the stripper mobile going to be in the nascar race this weekend?
Go Kurt Go. Bring that Dodge home for a win.
LMFAO....Kurt couldnt find the finish line at a potatoe sack race,, much less a nascar race.....
Kurt set the track speed record, moron.