Pennzoil 400 at LVMS hopes to beat heat with later start
Usually when you hear the heat is on at a NASCAR race, it’s a good thing.
Unless it is in the literal sense.
With midday temperatures at September’s inaugural Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway turning the 1.5-mile oval and surrounding grandstands into a blast furnace, speedway officials sought and have been given a new starting time of 4:15 p.m. for Sept. 15, 2019 .
There’s a good chance it still will be hot at the start, as statistics show that 3 p.m. usually is the hottest time of the day in Las Vegas.
But the later starting time will mean the NASCAR playoff opener will finish under the lights and in cooler weather, which should make the second half of the race more bearable for drivers and fans.
“We’re excited about this change to our start time for the South Point 400 and feel it will be a big hit with fans,” LVMS president Chris Powell said in a statement. “We listened to fan feedback about the heat we experienced at this race, and we applaud NASCAR and NBC Sports Network for working with us to provide a more favorable starting time.”
It was 100 degrees when the green flag fell at this year’s fall race — seven degrees higher than the historical Las Vegas high temperature for Sept. 15. With the later start time, the grandstands will be shrouded in shade for the majority of the 267-lap race even if blistering temperatures return.
The first fall race at LVMS, won by Brad Keselowski, attracted an estimated crowd of 45,000 — the lowest turnout in the speedway’s NASCAR history.
The #SouthPoint400 gets a cool new start time!
The Cup Series Playoffs kickoff race is set for Sunday, Sept. 15 at 4:15 p.m. PT, assuring a cooler nighttime finish under the lights! The #Pennzoil400 will begin at 12:30 p.m. PT on March 3.
More Info: https://t.co/ukHSnxMJA8 pic.twitter.com/3V3TwObeLC
— Las Vegas Motor Speedway (@LVMotorSpeedway) December 11, 2018
Green, white, checkered
—- The Strip at LVMS has announced a 68-event schedule for 2019, topped by the DENSO Spark Plugs NHRA Four-Wide Nationals April 5 to 7 and the NHRA Nevada Nationals Oct. 31 to Nov. 3. The drag strip also will host its usual array of Bracket Series and Junior Dragster races, along with Test-n-Tune and Midnight Mayhem, which will hit the track seven times on Wednesday instead of Friday.
Mayhem also is returning to prior regulations, with only street-legal vehicles with treaded tires permitted. High-performance vehicles with racing slicks will be limited to eight Friday Test-n-Tune sessions that have been added to the calendar.
The 2019 schedule for The Strip at LVMS has been released! With nearly 70 events on tap for next year, it's going to be an action-packed 12 months! Release & schedule: https://t.co/sVYVvrqDzZ pic.twitter.com/ibNon31kYL
— Las Vegas Motor Speedway (@LVMotorSpeedway) December 11, 2018
—- John Hunter Nemechek has been announced as driver of the No. 23 Xfinity Series GMS Chevrolet for 2019. He’ll replace Las Vegan Spencer Gallagher, who announced his retirement in October to assume a managerial position in the NASCAR team founded by his father Maury, CEO of Las Vegas-based Allegiant Air.
NEWS: @JHNemechek to drive the No. 23 in the #XfinitySeries for @GMSRacingLLC in 2019.
Details: https://t.co/ZTxRkIY7u2 pic.twitter.com/hj1YuTa1Bg
— NASCAR Xfinity (@NASCAR_Xfinity) December 6, 2018
Nemechek, 21, had 18 Xfinity starts for Chip Ganassi Racing in 2018, collecting six top-five finishes including his first Xfinity win, at Kansas Speedway.
—- It was another successful year for the Las Vegas Chapter of Speedway Children’s Charites which will distribute $260,000 to local charities and has now raised more than $5 million since inception in 1999. Awards were made at the annual holiday tree lighting ceremony at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Tuesday.
Top fundraising events included Laps for Charity at LVMS, the Drive for Charity Golf Tournament, the PJ 5K Run and 1-Mile Walk, a NASCAR driver memorabilia auction and the Glittering Lights holiday display at LVMS.
.@LasVegasLights was nominated for one of the Top 20 Light displays in the US and need your help voting them to No. 1! You can vote every 12 hours from now until Sunday, Dec.9.
Vote here: https://t.co/xpxy3uKMeW pic.twitter.com/XP1KX6G5Va
— Las Vegas Motor Speedway (@LVMotorSpeedway) December 5, 2018
Contact Ron Kantowski at rkantowski@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0352. Follow @ronkantowski on Twitter.