NASCAR’s Kurt Busch honors fellow Las Vegas racing pioneer Mel Larson

He was responding to a question about his and brother Kyle’s contribution to Las Vegas’ pro sports legacy when Kurt Busch made an abrupt turn to pay homage to Mel Larson, the local auto racing pioneer and hotel executive for whom memorial services were held Saturday at Palm Mortuary and Las Vegas Country Club.

Speaking during NASCAR Champion’s Week at Wynn Las Vegas, the elder Busch said the thought of him and Kyle as pathfinders “hasn’t hit in that fashion just yet.”

You want to talk about pathfinders and pioneers, Busch said, you should talk about Mel Larson.

“I got an invitation to go to the funeral, a ceremony service, for Mel Larson, who was an integral part in helping Las Vegas Motor Speedway becoming what it is today, as well as motorsports in general in Southern Nevada.

“Mel Larson helped build up the Legend Car community around here, and Kyle and I are beneficiaries of that.”

Kurt Busch stayed in town after Jimmie Johnson was feted as NASCAR champion to attend services for Larson, who was 87 when he died Nov. 1 after a lengthy illness. Sam Schmidt, the IndyCar team owner from Henderson, was there. Bruton Smith, proprietor of Las Vegas Motor Speedway (and myriad auto racing facilities under the Speedway Motorsports banner), was there, and gave one of the eulogies.

Lots of Larson’s family members and friends were there — around 300 altogether. I’m told Mel’s widow, Marilyn, was a perfect host.

Those who wanted to share a story or an anecdote about Mel Larson did. It took a while before everybody went home.

Norm Johnson, who co-founded the legendary Mint 400 off-road race with support from his colorful pal, shared two stories.

One was about Larson pursuing and helping to apprehend a thief during a chase through the Sahara parking lot featuring Mel’s pink Cadillac with the Circus Circus motif. Johnson said Larson used tactics he learned racing on the NASCAR circuit to apprehend the suspect by spinning him out.

Another anecdote shared, this one more profound, was about Mel piloting his helicopter to the top of the old MGM Grand when it was on fire in 1980 to rescue people and fly them to safety.

“He should have been proclaimed a hero, but he never was,” Norm Johnson said.

Maybe not officially. Maybe not with a proclamation.

But if you were one of those on the rooftop, you never forgot Mel Larson.

NASCAR

Las Vegan Spencer Gallagher will compete full-time in the 2017 Xfinity Series in the No. 23 car, the number he has raced on various tours (including 58 starts in the NASCAR Truck Series) to honor fellow Las Vegan and former NASCAR racer Spencer Clark, who was killed in a highway accident in 2006.

Gallagher, 27, ran selected NXS races in 2016, with a best finish of eighth at Daytona International Speedway in July. He will drive for GMS Racing, a team founded by his father, Maurice, owner of Las Vegas-based Allegiant Air.

LVMS

The Las Vegas Chapter of Speedway Children’s Charities raised $243,000 for 57 local charities, which was distributed Tuesday during a holiday tree lighting ceremony at LVMS hosted by NASCAR pit road reporter Jamie Little of Las Vegas and KOMP-92.3 FM’s Brittney Cason.

ELSEWHERE

Southern Nevada Off Road Enthusiasts (SNORE) will converge on Laughlin this weekend for the annual McKenzie’s Range at the River. More than 300 racers are expected to contest a tight 12-mile course at the Laughlin Event Center with racing Saturday and Sunday. For more information, go to snoreracing.net.

Contact Ron Kantowski at rkantowski@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0352. Follow @ronkantowski on Twitter.