LVMS says Sisolak’s decision on fans identical to their proposal

As Kurt Busch showed in winning the South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on a late pit stop Sunday, timing is everything on the track.

But it can have the opposite effect away from it.

Gov. Steve Sisolak’s announcement Tuesday that restrictions would be eased for spectators attending local sporting events amid the coronavirus pandemic came a few days late for LVMS.

Speedway officials had petitioned the governor’s office to allow 8,000 fans — about 10 percent of the speedway’s capacity — to attend Sunday’s playoff race, only to be denied at short notice.

Under the new edict, sports and other facilities with capacities exceeding 2,500 will be allowed to host 10 percent of their total capacity, provided they follow social distancing requirements and receive approval from local health and state oversight authorities.

“It’s almost exactly what we were requesting a month ago,” LVMS president Chris Powell said Tuesday of a plan that was rejected a week before the race weekend. “We would have done everything we could have possibly done to comply.”

In anticipation of receiving the green light from Carson City, LVMS made myriad changes to satisfy NASCAR protocols and provide race fans with a safe experience.

“We certainly would have made every effort to have lived by the guidelines and have had fans at the event,” Powell said about any changes not covered by the LVMS proposal.

Powell and local hotel officials said the delay in hearing back from the governor regarding spectators left those who had purchased race tickets and packages in a planning lurch — a sentiment echoed by former state legislator and Las Vegas City Councilman Bob Coffin.

“I left two messages for the governor endorsing the speedway plan, and I have been a big supporter of his efforts,” Coffin said. “Every governor was left on their own (to establish COVID-19 protocol) by the federal government. It is a stunner to find out the speedway proposed something to his office that they now adopt.”

The timing of the decision also put a damper on Busch’s breakthrough victory.

The NASCAR racer from Las Vegas snapped an 0-for-21 winless streak at his hometown track, but heard only silence instead of cheers upon removing his helmet in victory circle.

Busch said that while most of his supporters probably were watching on TV and riding with him in spirit, it wasn’t the same without the visceral reaction.

“Yes, with empty grandstands, that’s tough,” said the 2004 Cup Series champion after earning one of the most satisfying victories of his long career. “Everything aside, it’s a bit empty.”

Next up on the LVMS schedule is the NHRA Dodge Nationals from Oct. 31 to Nov. 1. Because drag racing and NASCAR have vastly different business models, Powell said, no decision has been made regarding spectators.

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