Signs point to LV getting another NASCAR event

Southern Nevada is on the cusp of landing a second yearly race on the NASCAR Nextel Cup schedule.

Bruton Smith, chairman of Speedway Motorsports Inc., has scheduled a news conference for today at Texas Motor Speedway where it is believed he will announce that SMI has purchased New Hampshire International Speedway, which currently hosts two Cup races.

A source in the motor sports industry with close ties to SMI told the Review-Journal on Thursday that publicly held SMI has purchased the facility in Loudon, N.H., and one of its two annual Cup races will move to Las Vegas Motor Speedway, possibly as early as next season.

The unnamed source said the sale requires Smith to keep one race in New Hampshire for at least two years.

This year's March race drew a sellout crowd of 140,000. It provided an estimated economic impact of more than $198 million, according to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. A study showed 114,450 of those who attended the race came from outside Southern Nevada for what was Nevada's largest sporting event of the year.

The race brings more money into the area than any other sports or special event, said Pat Christenson, president of Las Vegas Events.

Christenson said LVE has pledged to sponsor a new Cup race if that's what it takes to get a second one.

"We have not had any formal discussions about another race, only the possibility, and Las Vegas Events is very interested in helping that happen," he said.

Foxsports.com on Wednesday was the first to report the pending announcement. The Boston Globe reported Thursday its source at SMI said an agreement had been reached between Smith and Bob Bahre, the 80-year-old owner of the Loudon track.

Chris Powell, general manager of the Las Vegas track, said Thursday he is unaware of what will be announced today.

Smith, a billionaire businessman in Charlotte, N.C., and largest SMI shareholder, has stated over the past few years that he would find a way to put a second Cup race in Las Vegas. Buying a track and moving one of its dates is his only option for getting Las Vegas another race because NASCAR has been vehement about not adding dates to its 36-race schedule or independently giving tracks that have a Cup race another one.

The stock-car sanctioning body has said it would create additional races if tracks were built near New York City or in the Pacific Northwest.

Smith and Bahre have a history of buying tracks and shifting races. In 1996, Smith and Bahre bought the track in North Wilkesboro, N.C. Smith moved one of its Cup races to his new track in Texas, while Bahre took the other to Loudon for a second annual race in NASCAR's premier series.

Three years ago, SMI bought North Carolina Speedway in Rockingham, N.C., from International Speedway Corp. and moved its only Cup race to Texas, giving it a second yearly race.

New Hampshire opened in 1990 and has 91,000 permanent seats. Track officials announced a crowd of 101,000 for its Sept. 18 race for its 26th consecutive sellout.

Bahre has said over the past few years that his son, Gary, who is the track's president, was not interested in running the track without his father.

Contact reporter Jeff Wolf at jwolf@reviewjournal.com or (702) 383-0247.