Strip parade planned for NASCAR haulers

NASCAR revelry will begin a few days early this year as Las Vegas Motor Speedway officials announced that trucks used to transport the race cars will parade up Las Vegas Boulevard midday Feb. 28.

Speedway events for NASCAR Weekend are scheduled for Feb. 29-March 2.

The colorful NASCAR team haulers, decorated with decals and advertisements similar to what is seen on the race cars, will drive up the Strip about 3 p.m. Feb. 28. The drive will begin at Mandalay Bay and go to Sahara Avenue before heading north on Interstate 15 back to the Speedway.

"It will be quite a spectacle for the race fans to enjoy," said Speedway general Manager Chris Powell.

The haulers will stage in the northbound lanes of the Strip just south of Mandalay Bay about 2:45 p.m. before embarking on the five-mile drive north to Sahara. The parade will stretch for about a half mile as the 48, 53-feet-long haulers embark on the drive north. Officials hope the parade will be finished by 4 p.m.

"For those of you who are not as familiar with the passion of the sport, you will hear cheers and you will hear boos when certain haulers come by ... Tony Stewart," Powell said, suggesting the Home Depot decal representing Stewart's number 20 car will draw an ill-tempered reaction from some race fans. Stewart tends to be the NASCAR driver race fans love to hate.

The Speedway is forking over the cash to pay for the 30 or so Las Vegas police officers that will be needed to escort the trucks up the Strip.

Lt. Les Lane, with the Police Department's special events section, said police cruisers and motorcycles will escort the haulers in two lanes on the left side of northbound Las Vegas Boulevard as regular traffic uses the right lane.

Traffic lights will be preempted to turn green for the haulers and intersections blocked by officers, Lee said.

Powell added that "it was worth giving it a try," as the Sprint Cup race weekend is one of the biggest sporting events in the valley annually and draws a large number of tourists who would revel at the sight of the haulers.

The parade probably will cause traffic problems for those traveling east and west across the Strip; motorists heading north or south are expected to slow as the spectacle rumbles by. The haulers are expected to travel between 20 mph and 25 mph.

Powell said the parade would inconvenience some but said officials had a small window of time to pull off the event. The haulers won't be free for the parade until after 1 p.m. that day and must be back at the Speedway by 6 p.m. following NASCAR guidelines.

Officials chose 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. to avoid the afternoon rush as much as possible, Powell said.