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Sports
Apr. 03, 2009
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Las Vegas lands NASCAR's season-ending awards show

NASCAR, LVCVA reach tentative deal to move event here

By JEFF WOLF
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL
More Info


Rossi Ralenkotter
LVCVA president bringing NASCAR awards banquet to Las Vegas

A second annual NASCAR Sprint Cup race isn't in Las Vegas' foreseeable future, but one of the sport's big events apparently is coming to town.

NASCAR and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority have reached an agreement in principle to bring the Sprint Cup banquet, awards ceremony and postseason celebration to Las Vegas in the first week of December.

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    • LVCVA president Rossi Ralenkotter confirmed the tentative agreement to move the annual event from downtown New York, where it has been held for the past 27 years, and make it a citywide event centered on the Strip.

    "Some deal points still need to be finalized," Ralenkotter said Thursday.

    The sides have yet to settle the length of the contract; Ralenkotter wants a deal of three to five years. Also to be determined is the degree to which Las Vegas will be included in advertising and media references to the event.

    The LVCVA would pay NASCAR between $500,000 and $1 million for each year of the contract, Ralenkotter said. NASCAR has the option of selecting the venue for the banquet, likely to be Dec. 4.

    A spokesman for NASCAR, Ramsey Poston, said "nothing's been finalized" about this year's banquet plans.

    The event honors the top 10 drivers from the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship.

    Speedway Motorsports Inc., owner of Las Vegas Motor Speedway, has lobbied in recent years for the postseason event to be moved here.

    "Every key person in our industry -- top executives from NASCAR, sponsors and our superstar drivers and crew chiefs -- attends the banquet," speedway president Chris Powell said.

    Talks between NASCAR officials and Ralenkotter began two years ago, with Ralenkotter attending the 2007 banquet. Negotiations picked up in the past two months.

    NASCAR moved its banquet from Daytona Beach, Fla., to New York in 1981 in part to establish a Madison Avenue presence. The move was highly successful, helping to attract a number of Fortune 500 sponsors, including Home Depot, Dupont and Sprint Nextel, to the sport.

    But high-priced hotel rooms in Manhattan and often harsh winter weather created problems for racers, sponsors and media traveling to the five-day event. Last year the "Victory Lap" parade around midtown with the top-10 Cup cars and drivers was canceled because it caused traffic congestion.

    NASCAR would be the second major professional sport to shift its awards ceremony to Las Vegas this year. Ralenkotter negotiated a three-year deal to bring the NHL awards to the Palms on June 18.

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

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    southern race fan wrote on April 04, 2009 06:56 AM: @ elenor:

    I will keep my white trash self and my white trash Newell motorcoach the hell out of Las Vegas and Nevada on my next cruise out west. You can relish in a job well done with your uninsightful post. Your local CVA thanks you.


    mike wrote on April 03, 2009 07:36 PM: Boogety boogety boogety...let's go racin boys!


    Eric wrote on April 03, 2009 07:09 PM: Its about time NASCAR did something right, now all they have to do is move California's second date to LVMS as the season finale. Kudos to Chris Powell and the LVCVA for gettin' 'er done!!


    Ken wrote on April 03, 2009 12:36 PM: Note to Elenor -- climb back into your bunker and put the blanket over your head you whining idiot.

    Do you view them as white trash because you are a racist pig or because you are white and believe you are too cool for southerners.

    Regardless, you are a moron for spewing hatred at a time when we should be happy someone is coming to Vegas and with them, will be lots of hangers-on with money.


    Scuba Steve wrote on April 03, 2009 10:13 AM: "Some deal points still need to be finalized," -- I think those deal points are paying a ridiculous amount of money to R&R to come up with a slogan for it. Hopefully its something no one has heard before like "What happens at the reace track, stays at the race track"


    Elenor wrote on April 03, 2009 09:13 AM: Great. More white trash.


    Free Nevada wrote on April 03, 2009 06:51 AM: Has anyone else noticed the price of Premium Unleaded has skyrocketed overnight in anticipation of today's long awaited street racing movie by Orange County's Justin Lin and Paul Walker?


    Sid wrote on April 03, 2009 06:10 AM: Having the awards banquet in New York City made as much sense as turning a bull loose in a china shop. Nobody in their right mind wants to negotiate JFK, Taxi ride to Manhatten, and inflated hotel rates. I suggest having the banquet at a Downtown Las Vegas venue. Keep up the good work Jeff.