An aerial view of Las Vegas Motor Speedway during a NASCAR Sprint Cup event | The concept of multiple racetracks at a single facility is not a new one. In 1957, Riverside International Raceway opened with a road course, a drag strip on the back straight, and a half-mile oval that was partly compromised of the last turn of the road course. To improved safety, the final turn was reconfigured and the oval was lost, not that it seemed to see much action.Then in 1970, a full-scale replica of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway was built in Ontario, California, about 30 miles west of Riverside. Unlike Riverside, it featured a 2.5 mile oval track, a 3.2 mile infield road course, and a full-on NHRA drag strip right down pit lane. 
The crowds are close to the action at Las Vegas Motor Speedway's 1.5 mile oval | What separates the Las Vegas Motor Speedway from most other multi-use race track facilities is not just the number of venues on the property (11), it’s that unlike the previous attempts no attempt was made to interconnect venues. Instead they were constructed separately around the property so that none were compromised by having to share functionality with another.Rising from the ashes of Stardust Raceway located west of The Strip just off Flamingo (and is now a housing development), which closed in 1970 was the Las Vegas Speedrome. Built on the site of the current facility in 1972, the location was selected due its proximity to the Nellis Air Force Base, calculating that developers were unlikely to squeeze out a race track from such an undesirable site for housing or commercial development. 
The Strip at LVMS hosts the annual K&N Horsepower Challenge for the top eight Pro Stock drivers | Originally just a drag strip and a road course, a 3/8ths mile bullring was added in 1985. But the move to the big time came in 1996 with the additional of a 1.5 mile banked oval with permanent seating well over 100,000. At this point the road course and drag strip were relocated on the property. Since adding the oval, the track has hosted the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series and the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, as well as the open wheel IndyCar series. The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway is one of the most popular venues in the NHRA Drag Racing Series. The event at Las Vegas is not only at a critical point in the season for competitors working on a championship run, but it’s also the site for the K&N Horsepower Challenge. 
Earlier this year Greg Anderson won the Horsepower Challenge in his Summit Racing Camaro | The K&N NHRA Horsepower Challenge is a unique series-within-a-series competition that pits the top eight NHRA Pro Stock drivers against one another in a three-round shootout during the NHRA Nationals at The Strip for a Horsepower Challenge trophy and $50,000 cash.In addition to the on track contest, fans also have a chance to win big during the K&N NHRA Horsepower Challenge. Starting in the next few months, fans can enter the K&N Horsepower Challenge Sweepstakes to try their hand at becoming one of eight lucky fans to win a trip for two to Las Vegas, Nevada and get the racing experience of a lifetime. 
"The Bullring" at LVMS provides thrilling short track stock car action for local fans | Of the eight finalists chosen at random, each will be paired with one of the eight NHRA Pro Stock drivers who have qualified for the Challenge. The finalist who is paired with the 2017 K&N Horsepower Challenge winning driver will become the owner of something really cool -- but not decided yet (however last year’s winner drove home a specially-equipped TRD Toyota Tacoma). The winning driver was Greg Anderson who took a record-breaking fifth win in the Horsepower Challenge in the Summit Racing Camaro. Check back for updates on the K&N Horsepower Challenge sweepstakes or better yet follow K&N on Facebook so you’ll know immediately when the sweepstakes opens.The K&N Horsepower Challenge isn’t the only cooperation between K&N and LVMS, in fact K&N has been a sponsor of the facilities for 13 continuous years, a pretty lengthy period of time in the motorsports industry. 
The global Red Bull World Champion Air Races make an annual stop at LVMS to wow the fans | Other venues at the LVMS site includes an infield road course as well as three outfield road courses (two of which can be combined) that are very popular with car clubs and racing schools. There’s also a 0.5 mile clay oval for winged sprint cars. One of the most popular venues is "The Bullring" where local stock car racing runs every other weekend, from mid March thru November on the 3/8th mile paved oval track. Classes range from Legends, Bombers and Super Stocks to Modifieds and Late Models. To round things out, there's also an 11 turn karting track that can be utilized in six different configurations and a off-road course with variations to suit the needs of motocross to Baja qualifying, all right there at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. 
The Electric Daisy Carnival is one of the largest electronic dance music events in the world | While that covers a lot of four-wheel action, LVMS hosts other exciting events as well. For several years it has been the venue for the Red Bull Air Race World Championship, where pilots compete just a few hundred feet in the air on a course almost entirely sited within the infield, providing a birds-eye view to virtually every grandstand seat.Perhaps the most unusual event held at the LVMS is the Electric Daisy Carnival, commonly known as EDC. It’s one of the biggest electronic dance music festivals in the world, with over 400,000 attendees. Featured are multiple stages with DJs spinning electronic dance music, full-size carnivals rides, circus performers, interactive art concepts,and large-scale art installations. 
Whether you prefer the right seat or left, you won't forget the Richard Petty Experience | But if you’re a race fan, the last stop on our tour of LVMS is for you. It’s the Richard Petty Driving Experience, also sponsored by K&N Filters. The Petty Experience provides a number of options, ranging from a ride along for a few laps to hopping behind the wheel from eight to 50 laps. Other programs offered include an IndyCar ride along and an American Muscle Car Driving Experience.There are any number of other motorsports that have competed at LVMS, including drifting, rallycross, Baja qualifications, and virtually anything with an engine. So short of the LVMS staff constructing a lagoon to host the America’s Cup or even hydroplane racing, LVMS will remain one of the most versatile motorsports facilities on this continent. |
