Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Las Vegas Motor Speedway, located in Clark County, Nevada in North Las Vegas about 15 miles northeast of the Las Vegas Strip, is a 1,200-acre (490 ha) complex of multiple tracks for automobile racing.
The first NASCAR Sprint Cup (then Winston Cup) event was held March 2, 1998 with Mark Martin winning the inaugural event. In December 1998, Speedway Motorsports purchased Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Veteran motorsports publicist Chris Powell was named the speedway's president and general manager and still holds that position today.
The Winston No Bull 5 Million Dollar Bonus was held at the track from 1999 to 2002. Jeff Burton won a million dollars in 2000 and Jeff Gordon won the bonus in 2001.
In 2006, plans were announced to reconfigure the track after the March 2006 Sprint Cup Series race, increasing the banking from 12° to 20°. This reconfiguration entailed "progressive banking" which increases the degree of banking on a gradient towards the outside of the track. This increased side-by-side racing. The speedway also constructed a fan zone called The Neon Garage. This area has live entertainment, unprecedented access to the drivers and teams, such as viewing areas for fans to watch their favorite driver's car get worked on and talk to the drivers, and is home to the Winner's Circle.
On August 8, 2006, the newly reconfigured track reopened to stock cars. Kurt Busch, the 2004 NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion and Las Vegas native, became the first Sprint Cup driver to test a stock car on the newly reconfigured track in his #2 Miller Lite Penske Dodge. Jeff Burton won the first Nationwide Series race on the new surface, taking a Monte Carlo SS to Victory Lane. The following day Jimmie Johnson drove a Chevrolet to Victory Lane, capturing the first Sprint Cup Series win on the new pavement.
The first NASCAR Sprint Cup (then Winston Cup) event was held March 2, 1998 with Mark Martin winning the inaugural event. In December 1998, Speedway Motorsports purchased Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Veteran motorsports publicist Chris Powell was named the speedway's president and general manager and still holds that position today.
The Winston No Bull 5 Million Dollar Bonus was held at the track from 1999 to 2002. Jeff Burton won a million dollars in 2000 and Jeff Gordon won the bonus in 2001.
In 2006, plans were announced to reconfigure the track after the March 2006 Sprint Cup Series race, increasing the banking from 12° to 20°. This reconfiguration entailed "progressive banking" which increases the degree of banking on a gradient towards the outside of the track. This increased side-by-side racing. The speedway also constructed a fan zone called The Neon Garage. This area has live entertainment, unprecedented access to the drivers and teams, such as viewing areas for fans to watch their favorite driver's car get worked on and talk to the drivers, and is home to the Winner's Circle.
On August 8, 2006, the newly reconfigured track reopened to stock cars. Kurt Busch, the 2004 NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion and Las Vegas native, became the first Sprint Cup driver to test a stock car on the newly reconfigured track in his #2 Miller Lite Penske Dodge. Jeff Burton won the first Nationwide Series race on the new surface, taking a Monte Carlo SS to Victory Lane. The following day Jimmie Johnson drove a Chevrolet to Victory Lane, capturing the first Sprint Cup Series win on the new pavement.
NASCAR Events
Sprint Cup Series - Kobalt Tools 400 Nationwide Series - Boyd Gaming 300 |
Track Records
Qualifying: Kasey Kahne, 2012, 28.353 sec. - 190.456 mph Race: Kyle Busch, 3 hrs. 34 min. 40 sec. - 119.513 mph |
2014 Race Dates
March 9 Kobalt Tools 400
March 9 Kobalt Tools 400