Vegas, baby?
Not once, but twice a year, and let it roll.
The force of nature _ and business sense _ point to the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series adding a second date in Vegas, likely as part of the 10-race playoff format beginning in 2018.
The scenario could take a sharp and positive turn on Wednesday when the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority board of directors meets to discuss a sponsorship proposal worth $2.5 million. A vote could come as early as Wednesday as well.
There are moving pieces in play, of course. The math says that one venue has to go, and that likely involves a track belonging to Speedway Motorsports Inc., which owns Vegas. Other SMI tracks with fall dates include Loudon, N.H., Charlotte and Fort Worth. Overall, there are 12 races involving SMI tracks.
The New Hampshire track would be the likely choice to get squeezed, but it would not be a painful sacrifice.
Business at Vegas has been brisk for NASCAR, which brings its traveling show to Vegas this weekend. That is not nearly the case for other tracks, including Loudon. Thrown in the $2.5 million sponsorship package and the fact that Vegas is prime turf as a destination, and we're talking business.
The tourism office proposal cites that last year's Las Vegas NASCAR weekend in March attracted 96,400 visitors with an economic impact of $139 million.
It makes dollars and sense.
"We love the support we get out of Las Vegas," Speedway Motorsports CEO Marcus Smith told reporters in Atlanta last weekend. "I think the fans love it. It's a great track for us. When we see that the community is supportive of racing there, it's definitely encouraging to us."
And then there is the support for the guys who will do business there in stock cars.
"Great track. Fun town. No problem with this," tweeted Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Kevin Harvick elaborated on the pluses:
"I love Vegas," he said. "I think it is a great atmosphere and it would be good, but sometimes you can turn one great into two mediocre. I think that is something you have to be careful of and look at and really evaluate.
"Vegas is a great place to race and I enjoy going there. If it did wind up with a second race, I would be fine with that but I would be cautious to look at a California-type situation where we have the one great event there and when we had two, it wasn't so great. You just have to be careful of not doing that."
There may be a downside to the revised schedule. The Cup series' annual awards and banquet held in Las Vegas could move to Charlotte as early as the 2018 season, reports motorsport.com.
Moving the last race of the season from Homestead to Las Vegas and stretching the time there into the following week would not be feasible because there is a week between the last race and the awards banquet, which coincides with Thanksgiving weekend.
But moving a race there is very much in play.
"You just never know," Smith said. "The schedule is something that we're always working on. But there are a lot of moving parts _ a lot of dominoes that kind of have to fall into place."
Dominoes? No thank you. It's just another roll of the dice. Let it ride on Vegas, baby.
