New $200 Million Vegas Speedway

04/08/96

Richie Clyne, owner/builder/manager/President of the new Las Vegas Motor Speedway told the Motor Press Guild today of the Speedway's configuration and scheduling plans. The place is going to be Las Vegas for real, a motorsports palace. The most modern, efficient, high tech race plane ever conceived, and IT IS FOR REAL and will open with an IRL race September 15, this year.

The concrete permanent grandstands with seats for 107,000 are in place. The pavement for a 1.5 mile oval has been poured. There will be 24 track configurations including a 2.5 road course, dirt ovals, bike tracks, an off-road course and others. A six lane highway takes you into the circuit, where there will be fountains, and palm trees. There will also be a drag strip where the little red light doesn't go off when you screw up, an entire 40 foot wll lights up. There will be 10 drivers' schools including Richard Petty's for stock cars, Ray Hill's for drag racing, and others. Hill has a two-seat top fueler for student instruction. Six trams will take you directly to hotels. No gambling. 21 manufacturer offices/shops and 3 elevators to take you to the press box. 100 VIP suites. It will cost $200 million and will not have a Formula One event, as Ecclestone is talking with Casino owners re staging a GP on the streets of Vegas.

THE SCHEDULE

September 15                  Indy Racing League
October 4-6                   AMA Superbikes
November 2                    NASCAR Winston west  finale
November 3                    NASCAR Trucks
November 6                    World of Outlaws 

Bill Maloney -- The Auto Channel