Gunning for green: Speedway's effect on tourism watched

      As the drivers gear up for Sunday's Las Vegas 300 NASCAR race, it appears that the 6-month-old Las Vegas Motor Speedway has become a tourist draw.
      But just how much of a tourist draw and how local hotels can best take advantage of it remains in question.
      "It's still something we're trying to figure out: what kind of customers these race fans are," said Harlan Braaten, president of Coast Resorts Inc.
      For the highest profile racing event yet at the speedway, a top official there said he expects to see about 25,000 fans, most of whom will come from out of town. The speedway has a 107,000-seat capacity.
      "The Las Vegas 300 is being marketed worldwide," said Richie Clyne, president of Las Vegas Motor Speedway Inc.
      Speedway advertising director Connie Ross describes an advertising campaign that promoted the Busch Grand National Series race in racing publications, at speedways across the country and in television and radio spots during other races. It was also heavily promoted on Las Vegas television, radio and print, Ross said.
      Some hotel operators confirmed they have guests this weekend who are in town specifically for the race.
      A number of resorts are also promoting the race. The Imperial Palace and the Sahara, owned by speedway co-owners Ralph Engelstad and Bill Bennett, respectively, are advertising that race tickets are on sale in their casinos. So is Station Casinos Inc., owners of Boulder Station, Palace Station and Texas Station.
      Most resorts in town have also reserved blocks of seats for Sunday's race, according to Clyne.
      Officials with Station Casinos and from Coast Resorts Inc., owners of the Orleans, Gold Coast and Barbary Coast, say they have given some of their tickets to their best casino customers.
      But Braaten said he has also given away tickets to vendors that Coast Resorts does business with and to some employees.
      Although tourists who come to town for sporting events are generally thought of as good casino customers, casino officials do not yet know how much race fans like to gamble, according to Braaten.
      "I think they're a good gambling profile customer," Braaten said. But "it's certainly not as good as you would get for a fight weekend."
      Station Casinos has used the race to promote itself through advertisements at the speedway. Texas Station also hosted a benefit concert Thursday night for Chris Trickle, the Las Vegas race car driver who was shot in the head Feb. 9 by an unknown assailant while driving on Blue Diamond Road.
      "We're taking a pretty aggressive posture in making our property the place to go after the race," said Kevin Kelly, general manager of Texas Station.
      "After this weekend, we'll see if there's a real impact or what," he said.