Race fans, we are entering the third race of the 2009 Sprint Cup Series season. This week’s event will be the Shelby 427, held at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Let’s dive into some fun tidbits about this event and venue.
Las Vegas Motor Speedway History
Just a few miles north of The Strip, Las Vegas Motor Speedway sits like a diamond in the desert. One of the most complete racing complexes in the world, its 1,600 acres include road courses, a three-eighths mile oval, a dirt track and a state-of-the-art drag racing facility.
At its heart, however, is the 1.5-mile Las Vegas Motor Speedway, home of a 400-mile race on the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series, as well as Busch and Truck Series events.
Construction of the $200 million complex began in 1995.
Nearly 2,000 tons of concrete were originally used to build more than 100,000 seats. Shortly after Speedway Motorsports Inc. bought the track in 1998, it announced plans to add 22,000 seats in the Dale Earnhardt Tower overlooking the frontstretch.
The first NASCAR race held at Las Vegas Motor Speedway was a Truck Series event in 1996. The Busch Series held a race there in 1997, and a year later the Cup series made its first visit with Mark Martin picking up the victory in 1998.
Construction of the Richard Petty Terrace in Turn 1 was completed in 2006, allowing fans a shot at 14,000 additional tickets and pushing the track's seating capacity to nearly 150,000.
Additionally, the track saw several major changes in 2006, as the entire surface as reconfigured with progressive banking installed, as well as fan-friendly features in the infield and moving pit road closer to the straightaway. Beginning in 2007, officials made grandstand seating during NASCAR weekend smoke-free.
Mark Martin won the first Cup race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 1998
Las Vegas Motor Speedway Facts
Configuration
Location
7000 Las Vegas Blvd. North, Las Vegas, NV 89115
Completed
1996
Shape
D-shaped Tri Oval
Distance
1.5 miles
Banking
Turns: 20 degrees; Frontstretch: 9 degrees; Backstretch: 9 degrees
Frontstretch Length
2,275 feet
Backstretch Length
1,572 feet
Track Records
Qualifying Record
Kasey Kahne – 184.856 mph (29.212 seconds); Set March 9, 2007
Race Record
Mark Martin – 146.554 mph; Set March 1, 1998
Aerial view of Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Previous Winners (1999-2008)
| Year | Driver | Car | Avg. Speed |
| 1999 | Jeff Burton | Ford | 137.537 |
| 2000 | Jeff Burton | Ford | 119.982 |
| 2001 | Jeff Gordon | Chevrolet | 135.546 |
| 2002 | Sterling Marlin | Dodge | 136.754 |
| 2003 | Matt Kenseth | Ford | 132.934 |
| 2004 | Matt Kenseth | Ford | 128.790 |
| 2005 | Jimmie Johnson | Chevrolet | 121.038 |
| 2006 | Jimmie Johnson | Chevrolet | 133.358 |
| 2007 | Jimmie Johnson | Chevrolet | 128.183 |
| 2008 | Carl Edwards | Ford | 127.729 |
Most Wins
3
Jimmie Johnson
Most Top 5s
5
Mark Martin; Jeff Gordon
Most Top 10s
9
Mark Martin
Most Starts
11
Jeff Burton; Mark Martin; Jeff Gordon; Bobby Labonte
Most Poles
2
Kasey Kahne; Bobby Labonte
Most Laps Led
438
Matt Kenseth
Avg. Start
7.3
TV Broadcast Schedule For 2009 Las Vegas Speedway Events
Camping World Truck Series
No events this week
Nationwide Series
Friday, February 27, 2009
Practice – 1:30 PM EST
Final Practice – 4:30 PM EST
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Qualifying – Noon EST
Race – Sam’s Town 300 - 4:00 PM EST
Sprint Cup Series
Friday, February 27, 2009
Practice – 3:00 PM EST
Qualifying – 6:30 PM EST
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Practice – 1:30 PM EST
Final Practice – 2:30 PM EST
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Race – Shelby 427 - 3:30 PM EST
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