Speedway GM wants to host auto racing's 'spring training'

Las Vegas Motor Speedway general manager Chris Powell is no closer today to landing a CART race or renewing its agreement with the Indy Racing League than he was a week ago.

But that isn't stopping Powell from entertaining thoughts of a major open-wheel event in Las Vegas.

Powell said the city and his facility would be ideal for hosting an open-wheel "spring training" for either CART or the IRL -- or both -- as a prelude to a regularly scheduled race at the Speedway's 1.5-mile superspeedway.

"I believe that Las Vegas would be the perfect host for some type of open-wheel spring training situation -- be it both organizations or one -- as well as a (race)," Powell said. "I think it would be great for the community and the facility lends itself so well to a race."

In years past, the Indy Racing League has held open tests for its teams during the winter at LVMS, prior to their traditional season opener in Orlando, Fla., in late January. Next year, the IRL will open its season in Phoenix in March.

CART has held a more formal spring training the past few years in February in South Florida, prior to its March season-opening race at Homestead-Miami Speedway. CART announced earlier this month that it no longer would race in Homestead, Fla.

The spring training is a combination open test for all the teams and a chance for the media to conduct interviews with drivers and team owners prior to the season.

Powell said that with Las Vegas' reputation as a destination city and plenty of hotel rooms, this city would be a natural site for such an event.

"I think January, from the standpoint of the business community here, is a good opportunity to bring some people in and fill some hotel rooms at a time that typically is slow (for the hotel/casino industry)," Powell said.

"If we were able to do this spring training week or two in Las Vegas, I think the community would be ecstatic over the publicity that Las Vegas would receive in the month of January. From a motor sports perspective, all eyes would be on Las Vegas."

While such spring trainings in the motor sports community usually are limited to open-wheel racing, Powell said he could see NASCAR becoming part of such an event.

"The Winston Cup guys test in Las Vegas in late January, so you could potentially have Winston Cup, Busch, IRL and CART all testing in Las Vegas in January," Powell said. "I get excited just thinking about the possibilities."

In order to host a spring training involving either CART or the IRL, LVMS first would have to have an open-wheel race date because neither series likely is to test at a facility where it does not race.

As far as making progress toward landing either a CART or an IRL race for the 2001 season, Powell said he still is talking with both series.

Powell also said he has held "preliminary" talks with NASCAR about holding a stand-alone Busch Series race -- in addition to the race held on the Winston Cup weekend in March -- and also having the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series return to LVMS.

"Those are just ideas we have kicked around," Powell said. "I would like to believe that within the next couple of weeks, things will come a lot more into focus."

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