Speedway CEO talks up second NASCAR race at Las Vegas

Cars make pit stops during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Kobalt 400 race at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Las Vegas on Sunday, March 6, 2016. (Chase Stevens/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @csstevensphoto

Somebody in NASCAR finally had something to say about the possibility of Las Vegas Motor Speedway getting a second Cup Series race in 2018 — a high-placed somebody.

When reporters cornered Speedway Motorsports CEO Marcus Smith before Sunday’s race in Atlanta, he was coy about the story that first was reported by the Review-Journal. But at least he didn’t issue a terse statement adding nothing to the conversation.

So how about a fall race in Las Vegas?

“Always a possibility,” the son of speedway magnate Bruton Smith said.

“You just never know. The schedule is something that we’re always working on. But there are a lot of moving parts. A lot of dominoes that kind of have to fall into place.

“We love the support we get out of Las Vegas. I think the fans love it. It’s a great track for us. When we see that the community is supportive of racing there, it’s definitely encouraging to us.”

It was thought SMI — which owns Las Vegas Motor Speedway as well as the tracks at Atlanta, Bristol, Charlotte, Kentucky, Texas, New Hampshire and the road course at Sonoma, California — would have to move one of its 12 Cup races to accommodate another date in Las Vegas.

Not necessarily, Smith said, hinting that a race could be purchased from a non-SMI track such as Dover, Pocono or even Indianapolis.

But, he said, “I’ve heard of neither.”

The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority will meet Wednesday to discuss committing $2.5 annually over the next seven years to bring a second Cup race to town.

SHORT FIELDS

Too bad Lightning McQueen — a computer animated stock car to be portrayed by Owen Wilson in the upcoming movie sequel “Cars 3” — is just a figment of the imagination of Pixar Animation Studios. NASCAR could have used ol’ No. 95 to fill out the grid at Atlanta Sunday.

Only 39 cars, one short of a full field, started.

Yes, there are plenty of cars collecting dust in race shops that would have been fast enough to make the field. The problem is that cars without sponsorship or a NASCAR charter cost too much to run, and would only wind up costing their owners money.

The trend will continue at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on NASCAR Weekend, as only 39 Xfinity Series and Cup Series cars are entered for both the Boyd Gaming 300 and Kobalt 400.

GROOMED FOR SUCCESS

The first two winners of the Cup Series season were Kurt Busch of Las Vegas at Daytona and Brad Keselowski at Atlanta — both of whom were married during the off-season.

So smart money may be on Dale Earnhardt Jr. — who also tied the knot during the brief holiday respite — in Sunday’s Kobalt 400 at LVMS.

With our city rife with round-the-clock wedding chapels, this also might be a great opportunity for happily married drivers devoid of championship points to renew their vows.

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