Las Vegas is adding another huge NASCAR event to its portfolio next year, but it’s not exactly what Bruton Smith had in mind.
NASCAR.com reported Friday that the annual Sprint Cup banquet, which has been held in New York City since 1981, is moving to sin city this year. According to the report, the move has been approved by NASCAR and is only waiting an approval from the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.
Once approval is granted — which is expected to be a formality — choosing a location would be the next step. Either way, the move is expected to infuse a little energy in what has become, let’s face it, an extremely boring event in recent years.
“At the end of the day our banquet needs some life injected into it,” Jeff Burton said. “It needs fan involvement, it needs a fresh look with new ideas. The country music awards and those kinds of things where the fans are involved and are right there— that’s what we need. We need something new and exciting.”
Smith, owner of Las Vegas Motor Speedway, has been lobbying for NASCAR to look at moving the banquet to Vegas. Of course, he also has been trying to get a second race date for the popular track. For now, it looks like he’ll have to settle for the banquet, where I’m sure he will be grandstanding for that second date come December.
Lindsey Young is a sports writer at the Chattanooga Times Free Press who started work at the Chattanooga News-Free Press 24 years ago. He covers the Northwest Georgia prep beat and NASCAR. Lindsey’s hometown is Ringgold, Ga., and he graduated from Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe High School. He received an associate’s degree from Dalton Junior College (now Dalton State) and a bachelor’s degree in communications from UTC. He has won several writing awards, including two Tennessee Sports ...
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