Added Cup and XFINITY Series Races Create Triple-Event Fall Weekend
LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Las Vegas Motor Speedway will hold a pair of aces next year as the
1.5-mile superspeedway doubles down with a second Monster Energy NASCAR
Cup Series race for the 2018 season and beyond.
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The speedway made the announcement at a joint news conference with the
Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority at Cashman Center Wednesday,
just two days before the green flag drops on its 2017 NASCAR weekend.
LVMS will host the new Monster Energy Cup race beginning in the fall of
2018 in addition to its customary March NASCAR weekend.
LVMS also will welcome a second NASCAR XFINITY Series race beginning in
the fall of 2018 and an additional NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
race beginning in the spring of 2018, meaning both of the speedway’s
NASCAR weekends will include races from each of NASCAR’s top three
series – the Camping World Truck Series, XFINITY Series and Monster
Energy Cup Series.
Las Vegas Motor Speedway will become the first facility on the NASCAR
schedule to host two annual event weekends with all three national
touring series. Official race dates will be announced later by NASCAR as
part of the full 2018 schedules.
“This is a tremendous opportunity for Speedway Motorsports and Las Vegas
Motor Speedway to create a NASCAR spectacle worthy of the greatest
racing in the world and the Entertainment Capital of the World,” said
Speedway Motorsports, Inc. President and Chief Executive Officer Marcus
Smith.
“It’s taken a tremendous amount of work to make this happen, and we are
very thankful to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority and
NASCAR for their support in our endeavor to create a triple-header
NASCAR weekend in such a world-class destination.”
In 2018, Speedway Motorsports (NYSE: TRK) will realign the September
Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
races from New Hampshire Motor Speedway and the September NASCAR XFINITY
Series race from Kentucky Speedway to create the two triple-header
weekends in Las Vegas.
“Fans and tourism officials in New Hampshire and Kentucky should know
that we are still very committed to creating motorsports entertainment
in those regions,” Smith added.
“We will work hard to make sure the July NASCAR race weekends that we
will continue to host in New Hampshire and Kentucky are bigger and
better than ever before for our fans, sponsors and stakeholders.”
LVMS first hosted a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race in 1996,
added a NASCAR XFINITY Series race in 1997 and will host its 20th
Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series event, the Kobalt 400, this Sunday. The
first race held at the 1.5-mile oval was the Indy Racing League’s Las
Vegas 500K in 1996.
“We’re honored that NASCAR has entrusted us with a second NASCAR
weekend,” LVMS President Chris Powell said. “We’ve pursued a second
NASCAR premier-series race weekend for quite some time, so this news is
monumental for everyone at Las Vegas Motor Speedway as well as everyone
in our wonderful city.”
“Las Vegas and Las Vegas Motor Speedway have become great destinations
for NASCAR fans,” NASCAR Executive Vice President and Chief Racing
Development Officer Steve O’Donnell said. “The experience is unique to
any other in our sport. We look forward to having NASCAR racing there
for two race weekends in 2018.”
The addition of a second NASCAR weekend in Las Vegas will be a big boost
for the “Entertainment Capital of the World,” and the news was welcomed
by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitor’s Authority Board of Directors
at a meeting earlier today.
“We have outstanding support from the LVCVA and other Las Vegas leaders,
and we’re supremely confident that we’ll host two top-notch race
weekends,” Powell added. “Today’s news will create lasting memories for
our fans and will provide immeasurable economic impact for Southern
Nevada.
“Over the years, Las Vegas has become a major sports city as a popular
destination for a variety of championship and professional sports
events, and today we are proud to add a second NASCAR Cup race to that
roster. Las Vegas, NASCAR and Las Vegas Motor Speedway (LVMS) have
developed a strong and successful partnership, and we are certain this
second race will prove to be another great success,” said Rossi
Ralenkotter, president and CEO of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors
Authority.
“Last year’s March race attracted more than 115,000 fans, with more than
96,000 coming from out-of-town, and generated nearly $140 million in
economic impact. We have worked with LVMS and NASCAR for years to bring
a second Cup race to Las Vegas, and now we are committed to making the
fall race just as successful for all of us.”
“Las Vegas is the ideal destination for a second NASCAR Cup race, and
this addition will delight the thousands of fans who love visiting
Southern Nevada to watch their favorite drivers in action,” said
Lawrence Weekly, chairman of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors
Authority and Clark County commissioner. “As a city, we are uniquely
positioned to provide sports fans with a top-notch experience, and our
energy and passion are the perfect complement to NASCAR.”
LVMS’ 2017 NASCAR Weekend begins with the Stratosphere Pole Day on
Friday, March 10 with Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series qualifying
beginning at 4:45 p.m. Pacific Time. The XFINITY Series’ Boyd Gaming 300
takes place at 1 p.m. on Saturday, March 11, and the weekend’s racing
culminates on Sunday, March 12, with the Kobalt 400 at 12:30 p.m.
For tickets to all 2017 LVMS events, fans should call 1-800-644-4444 or
log on to LVMS.com.
About Speedway Motorsports, Inc.
Speedway Motorsports, Inc. is a leading marketer, promoter and sponsor
of motorsports entertainment in the United States. The Company, through
its subsidiaries, owns and operates the following premier facilities: Atlanta
Motor Speedway, Bristol
Motor Speedway, Charlotte
Motor Speedway, Kentucky
Speedway, Las
Vegas Motor Speedway, New
Hampshire Motor Speedway, Sonoma
Raceway and Texas
Motor Speedway. The Company provides souvenir merchandising services
through its SMI
Properties subsidiaries; manufactures and distributes smaller-scale,
modified racing cars and parts through its U.S.
Legend Cars International subsidiary; and produces and broadcasts
syndicated motorsports programming to radio stations nationwide through
its Performance
Racing Network subsidiary. For more information about the company,
please visit the Speedway Motorsports website.
This news release contains forward-looking statements, particularly
statements with regard to our future operations and financial results.
There are many factors that affect future events and trends of our
business including, but not limited to, economic factors, geopolitical
conditions, weather, the success of NASCAR and others as sanctioning
bodies, capital projects and expansion, financing needs, and a host of
other factors both within and outside of management control. These
factors and other factors, including those contained in our Annual
Report on Form 10-K and subsequently filed Quarterly Reports on Form
10-Q, involve certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual
results or events to differ materially from management's views and
expectations. Inclusion of any information or statement in this news
release does not necessarily imply that such information or statement is
material. The Company does not undertake any obligation to release
publicly revised or updated forward-looking information, and such
information included in this news release is based on information
currently available and may not be reliable after this date.
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Source: Speedway Motorsports, Inc.