Las Vegas can’t get second Cup race until at least ’09

The sale of New Hampshire International Speedway to Speedway Motorsports Inc. should be finalized early next year, but 2009 is the earliest one of the track's two Nextel Cup Series races could be moved to Southern Nevada.

Bruton Smith, chairman of SMI, which owns Las Vegas Motor Speedway, said Friday his publicly held corporation agreed to pay $340 million for the 1,100-acre complex in Loudon, N.H., that features a 1-mile oval track. Smith is purchasing it from Bob Bahre and his son, Gary, who have owned the track since 1989.

Smith would not say if he eventually intends to move a race to Las Vegas from New Hampshire, which is within 200 miles of 18 million people.

"I have no plans to move anything or do anything. We're just into this thing," Smith said at a news conference at Texas Motor Speedway, one of six SMI tracks and the one hosting each of NASCAR's three national series -- Cup, Busch and Craftsman Truck -- this weekend. "All of our plans certainly are not in place and will take time. We don't plan to make any changes at this time."

A statement released by NASCAR chairman and chief executive Brian France quashed any possibility of Las Vegas having two races next year.

"All sanctions for 2008 have been signed and finalized," France said. "As a result, there will be no location changes to the 2008 schedule that was released last month."

The pending transaction is seen by LVMS general manager Chris Powell as a "crack in the door" big enough for him to begin rallying Southern Nevada support for a second annual Cup weekend.

"After 2008, (Smith has) left the door somewhat cracked about the lineup of events within our company," Powell said.

A crowd of 146,000 attended this year's Cup race at the 11/2-mile tri-oval, and Powell expects comparable attendance next year for the UAW-Dodge 400, scheduled for March 2.

"I have a meeting with NASCAR next week, and maybe they'll give me another date for Las Vegas," said Smith, who knows that's highly unlikely.

The stock-car sanctioning body's position has been to create new events only if a track is built in the New York City area or in the Pacific Northwest.

France, however, opened the door to possible venue changes in 2009 by saying, "Looking beyond 2008, NASCAR will continue to consider requests by any track operator, including SMI, to relocate race dates. ... Ultimately, any change must meet NASCAR's objectives and serve our fans."

Smith has said countless times he wants a second Cup race for Las Vegas and, if needed, he would buy a track to move one of its races to the superspeedway.

But Friday he either ducked questions about moving a New Hampshire race to Las Vegas, rather insisting plans were still being formulated for future improvements to the Loudon track.

It's unlikely details of any major changes will be revealed before the sale is finalized during the first quarter of the 2008 fiscal year.

Las Vegas native Kurt Busch, who, with his younger brother, Kyle, compete in the Cup series, said LVMS "deserves two dates, but I am under the (opinion) that we should try to race at every racetrack once, that way a track like Kentucky Speedway gets a date, Nashville gets a day. ... Fans up in the Midwest are dying for their NASCAR and Iowa Speedway is a great racetrack that deserves to be on the schedule."

But Busch realizes a second date in Las Vegas appears closer to becoming reality.

"A little bit of politics here or there and it all might work out," Busch said. "I think Chris Powell and Las Vegas Motor Speedway deserve a second date."

In the meantime, the name of New England's biggest sports facility will change to New Hampshire Motor Speedway to be in line with the use of "Motor Speedway" in the names of other SMI tracks.

Contact reporter Jeff Wolf at jwolf@reviewjournal.com or (702) 383-0247. The Associated Press contributed to this report.