Las Vegas Weekly

September 16, 2009 · 2:24 PM

Strip Scribbles: NASCAR gets OK to shut down the Strip for victory lap

By Robin Leach

Kyle Busch celebrates his NASCAR win at Body English.

Photo: Hard Rock Hotel

The news isn’t supposed to be released yet, but Clark County and downtown officials have given NASCAR the green light to have 10 NASCAR racecars drive the Strip. The victory lap featuring the Top 10 drivers of the year is set for early evening Dec. 5. The run will precede the annual NASCAR dinner and awards ceremony at the MGM Grand.

It’s the first time the prestigious event that attracts thousands of NASCAR folks and fans will be held in Las Vegas after years in New York City. I have a tip on the best viewing spot for the laps: Reserve one of the outside patios at the new Hard Rock Cafe now just steps from the MGM Grand, and you can have a party of 50 friends for the best seat in town to gaze down on the racecar action.

*Las Vegas-based magicians will head to Santa Monica, Calif., on Oct. 10 to perform their most famous tricks and illusions at the World Magic Awards hosted by husband-and-wife magic fans Robert Wagner and Jill St. John. We’ll have the final list of our local talent who will be presenting, performing and hopefully accepting awards closer to the date. The two-hour show will be taped for a later broadcast on MyTV and worldwide as a fundraiser to benefit Feed the Children.

*Three local independent filmmakers have won a big award for their documentary Who Will Stand. Attorney Gerald Gillock, who funded the work of director Phil Valentine and director of photography Michael Bedik, were present when they won the Theme Award at the Cinema City International Film Festival in L.A. The documentary addresses how U.S. soldiers kill themselves more than they are killed by enemies. The film says as many as 18 soldiers commit suicide each day and that most of them kill themselves after they return home.

A local screening date has yet to be set, but we’ll post the details as soon as it’s planned. Cinema enthusiasts who have seen the documentary predict that it will win film festival awards and might reach Oscar screening status, too! Go to WhoWillStand4Us.com for more on the film.

*Las Vegas residents appearing with Pat Sajak and Vanna White on tonight’s third Wheel of Fortune taped at The Venetian and Palazzo are Amber McIntosh, a Strip resort coordinator; Christina Alsup, a project engineer; and Grant Wingert, a U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor crew chief stationed here at home.

Star surveillance

NFL Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway dined at Michael Mina’s Stripsteak in Mandalay Bay. … Brittany Mason, America’s entry in the Miss World Pageant in South Africa in December, was at the Palms with a group of model gal pals. The former Miss Indiana USA winner won Miss Photogenic when she took part in her first pageant and placed runner-up in Top Teen Model of the World in 2004. … New Peepshow star Aubrey O’Day raced around the Walgreens Strip store buying gifts for Holly Madison’s dog Napoleon and picking up Kevin Spacey’s film Shrink. … The Matt Goss and Nicole Scherzinger video that we posted HERE on Monday became the 11th most watched on YouTube overnight! Congratulations also are in order for Matt, our new Palms resident headliner, because his new album Gossy, released yesterday, debuted at No. 28 on iTunes and is rising higher! His video and single “Evil” is getting the most play and purchases, but, as producer and Pussycat Dolls founder Robin Antin says, don’t overlook the track “Change Me.”

Tonight’s tips

If you’re looking for the ladies tonight, check out Rare 120 for dinner and then Carey Hart’s Wasted Space at the Hard Rock Hotel. The largest group of girls who attend will do battle to win tickets for Kid Rock’s private party and show at The Joint on Saturday. He’s been booked for the corporate-invited-guests-only show, plus the arm charm beauties! BTW, nice to see Carey and wife Pink together at the MTV Video Music Awards! … Comedian D.L. Hughley kicks off a four-night stand-up run at Lance Burton’s Monte Carlo theater while the magician is on vacation. … The five guys who make up Umphrey’s McGee are at the House of Blues in Mandalay Bay.

Tomorrow’s teases

We have our interviews with CSI star Marg Helgenberger and creator and executive producer Anthony Zuiker at the new CSI: The Experience exhibit, which opened this week at MGM Grand, plus the first photos of Flamingo headliner Donny Osmond and his Dancing With the Stars pro partner Kym Johnson at the first unveiling of their trip-the-light-fantastic skills!

Robin Leach has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past decade giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world’s premier platinum playground.

Follow Robin Leach on Twitter HERE.

Follow Vegas DeLuxe on Twitter HERE.

Follow VDLX Editor Don Chareunsy on Twitter HERE.

Share This