Any attention good for local Cup race

For the first time during prerace introductions at a Sprint Cup race in Las Vegas, Jeff Gordon might not draw the most boos.

That honor would probably go to President Obama if he accepts an invitation from Las Vegas Motor Speedway to be grand marshal for the Shelby American on Feb. 28.

Speedway president Chris Powell extended the offer in a news release Wednesday, a day after Obama's comment about Las Vegas made him persona non grata to many in the valley who are hurting amid a dismal economy.

"You don't go buying a boat when you can barely pay your mortgage," Obama said. "You don't blow a bunch of cash in Vegas when you're trying to save for college."

The closest the speedway will get to a presidential appearance on race day is if ventriloquist Terry Fator uses an Obama puppet when he sings the national anthem.

Powell doubts Obama will attend, giving it an optimistic 1-in-20 chance of happening. He should add several more zeros to those odds.

But Powell succeeded in getting the message out about the importance of visitors to Las Vegas and special events like those at the speedway. NASCAR Weekend attracts about 300,000 fans and generates about $150 million in economic impact for Southern Nevada.

The invitation to Obama also generated more attention for LVMS's 13th annual NASCAR Sprint Cup race, and it needs all the help it can get.

Ticket sales for the race are behind last year's pace -- and all ticket prices were reduced last fall. Tickets are as low as $49 for the Sunday Cup race. Even though fewer than 15,000 went on sale in September, some remain.

Deals were offered last year at concession stands, which are run independently of the speedway.

Attendance has dropped each of the past three years from the all-time high of 156,000 in 2007. The figure dropped by about 4,000 the following year and fell to 140,000 a year ago.

It's not all woe, however. If the crowd for this year's race dips by 10 percent, it would still be 126,000, meaning the race would remain the biggest single-day sports event this side of Fort Worth, Texas, and one of the 10 best attended on the 38-event Cup tour.

The decline in attendance is a nationwide trend.

Powell is confident that sales will pick up after the season-opening Daytona 500 on Feb. 14.

Don't start crying for NASCAR or the tracks; both remain hugely profitable. Barring rain, the speedway will net at worst $30 million from the weekend.

NASCAR took steps last year to help teams reduce costs. Testing was cut drastically, and the number of crew members allowed to travel to races was reduced, among other cutbacks.

NASCAR is giving most tracks a break this year on the cost of hosting a race. For a track like LVMS, that price tag is about $100,000.

The speedway could also save some dough if Obama declines its invitation, given the cost of beefing up security for a presidential visit.

If the president doesn't accept the offer, Sarah Palin probably would. The former vice presidential candidate will be a guest at the Daytona 500. Fortunately, she is not expected to speak to the crowd.

But Palin, with her trademark response of "you betcha," would be a perfect fit for our gambling town.

These days, Las Vegas needs every subtle plug it can get.

Jeff Wolf's motor sports column is published Friday in the Las Vegas Review-Journal. He can be reached at jwolf@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0247. Visit Wolf's motor sports blog at lvrj.com/blogs/heavypedal/ throughout the week.