Las Vegas Weekly

February 25, 2010 · 2:02 PM

Photos: NASCAR weekend starts on the Strip tonight

By Robin Leach

Action from the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Photo: Tom Donoghue/www.donoghuephotography.com

It was 13 years ago that Richie Clyne had a “Dream in the Desert” and it came true, and this weekend marks the 13th year for NASCAR in Las Vegas. The four-day frenzy gets underway tonight on the Strip when some 70 18-wheel haulers parade from just past Mandalay Bay and head north to end at the Sahara.

Once upon a time, it was legendary racers such as Bill Elliott, Ken Schrader, Ernie Irvan, Jimmy Spencer, Darrell Waltrip, Rusty Wallace, Terry Labonte and Dale Earnhardt. Now the young guns are here, including NASCAR’s first female speedster Danica Patrick, who will drive the #7 Go Daddy Chevrolet in Saturday’s Sam’s Town 300. Also look for hometown heroes Kurt and Kyle Bush, Jimmie Johnson, Jamie McMurray, Kasey Kahne, Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Carl Edwards, Ryan Newman, Clint Bowyer, Matt Kenseth, Joey Logano, Jeff Gordon, Jeff Burton and Tony Stewart, with Jimmie Johnson heavily favored to win on Sunday.

Somewhere in those two age groups, you’ll find Mark Martin caught in the middle. Looking back at Tom Donoghue photos through the years, we realized that yes it was 12 years ago on March 1, 1998, that Mark won the inaugural Las Vegas 400, and Wayne Newton himself presented that first trophy. Dale Earnhardt delighted the fans, and a few years later Jeff Gordon won $1 million in the No Bull race.

It’s a weekend filled with stars rubbing shoulders with pit crews and high-speed drivers dicing with death. On Sunday for The Big Race, I’ll emcee the pre-show at the center starting line and introduce hundreds of thousands of fans to the drivers. The Mirage headliner Terry Fator will sing the national anthem, and Down Under singers Human Nature from Imperial Palace will warm up the crowd with some of their amazing Motown sound-alike songs.

Said Terry: “It is an honor for me to sing the national anthem at the Shelby American race in Las Vegas. I believe that my fans and NASCAR fans are one and the same, so it is a match made in heaven. I grew up in Texas, so you know I’m a true NASCAR fan!”

Automobile legend Carroll Shelby and TV star Kim Kardashian will serve as co-grand marshals for Sunday’s Shelby American NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race and share the microphone to give the command to start engines. “Of course, I will have my rooting interest during the race,” Kim said excitedly about Tommy Baldwin Racing’s No. 36 Chevrolet driven by Mike Bliss, which will feature a special paint scheme celebrating the launch of her brand new fragrance. “I’m really looking forward to meeting all the drivers. It’s such a tremendous honor to serve as co-grand marshal, and I’m really looking forward to experiencing a Sprint Cup race up close.”

Carroll has raced and designed cars for more than 50 years and is known throughout the world for his legendary Cobra and Shelby GT350. His company Shelby Automobiles Inc. is headquartered here and is the sponsor of Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at LVMS. The aggressively styled 2011 Shelby GT350 will serve as the pace car, and it will be the public’s first opportunity to see the supercharged supercar at speed -- and the first time for a Shelby GT350 to pace a NASCAR event.

Here’s the ROYAL ROBIN RUNDOWN of racecar driver appearances in Las Vegas for the next four days (our apologies that some of today’s appearances have passed):

THURSDAY, FEB. 25

Noon: Martin Truex Jr., Kurt Busch, Marcos Ambrose, Michael Waltrip, crew chief Pat Tryson at Martin Truex Jr. Foundation’s No-Limit Texas Hold ‘em Poker Tournament at the Monte Carlo. Spectator admission is free; $225 to play.

2 to 4 p.m.: Raybestos Rookie drivers Terry Cook and Kevin Conway (and others TBA) will participate in a cooking competition at ESPN Zone in New York-New York.

4 to 6 p.m.: Tony Stewart at Office Depot, 1435 W. Craig Road.

4 p.m.: Brad Keselowski at Discount Tire, 6565 E. Lake Mead Blvd.

4 p.m.: Dale Earnhardt Foundation Poker Tournament, Stratosphere: Kerry Earnhardt, Kenny Wallace, Kirk Shelmerdine, Casey Mears, Matt Crafton, Regan Smith, Aric Almirola, Eric McClure, Todd Bodine, Mike Bliss, Scott Lagasse Jr., Andy Ponstein, Danny Efland and car owner Tommy Baldwin. Spectator tickets are $20.

5 p.m.: Sam’s Town Live! inside Sam’s Town Hotel – 12th Annual AutoTrader.com NASCAR Driver Auction. Drivers scheduled to appear include Greg Biffle, Bobby Labonte, David Ragan and Kyle Petty. Event also includes silent auction, appearance by Home Improvement star Mickey Jones and music by Skid Rodeo. Admission is $20.

5:30 p.m.: Kasey Kahne at PT’s Pub, Interstate 215 at Decatur Blvd.

6 p.m.: Kurt Busch at Pole Position Raceway, 4175 S. Arville.

6:30 to 8:30 p.m.: Kyle Busch at M&M’s World on Las Vegas Blvd.

6:30 to 7:30 p.m.: David Reutimann at NASCAR Cafe at Sahara.

7:15 to7:45 p.m.: Jimmie Johnson at The Orleans.

7 to 9 p.m.: Matt Kenseth at Mandalay Bay. Autograph session open to the first 175 fans.

8 to 9 p.m.: Trevor Bayne at NASCAR Cafe at Sahara.

FRIDAY, FEB. 26

2 p.m.: Fast Chats on Sprint Stage: NASCAR President Mike Helton.

2 p.m.: Meet-and-greet with NASCAR legends Junior Johnson and Ned Jarrett in the Neon Garage.

2:25 p.m.: Fast Chats on Sprint Stage: 2009 NASCAR Raybestos Rookie of the Year Joey Logano.

6 8 p.m.: 1999 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Dale Jarrett at the MGM Grand.

7 to 9 p.m.: Bobby Labonte and Terry Cook at the Stratosphere.

7 to 7:30 p.m.: Trevor Bayne at The Pub in the Monte Carlo.

7:30 to 8 p.m.: Michael McDowell at The Pub in the Monte Carlo.

8:15 to 9:15 p.m.: Kurt Busch in Indigo Lounge at Bally’s.

8:30 to 9:30 p.m.: Kyle Busch at the Retail Store inside the Hard Rock Hotel.

9 to 10 p.m.: Shelby Howard, Terry Cook, Mike Bliss, Boris Said, Dennis Setzer, Morgan Shepard, Dave Blaney, Robert Richardson Jr., Chrissy Wallace, Stanton Barrett, Scott Lagasse Jr., Andy Ponstein, Danny Efland, Brian Keselowski, Johnny Chapman and Josh Wise at the Stratosphere.

SATURDAY, FEB. 27

9:15 a.m.: Fast Chats on Sprint Stage: Kasey Kahne.

11 a.m.: Meet-and-greet with NASCAR legends Junior Johnson and Ned Jarrett in the Neon Garage.

Noon: Fast Chats on Sprint Stage: NASCAR legends Junior Johnson and Ned Jarrett.

5 p.m.: Tony Stewart, Ryan Newman at Lagasse’s Stadium in Palazzo. Stewart will be honored as part of The Venetian and Palazzo’s Legends of the Sport series. An $89 package is available for purchase, which includes premium seating in Lagasse’s Stadium for the Q&A, meet-and-greet with Tony and Ryan and autographed photo by both drivers.

5:30 to 6 p.m.: Marcos Ambrose at The Pub in the Monte Carlo.

SUNDAY, FEB. 28

8:15 a.m.: PRN interview with A.J. Allmendinger on the Speed Stage at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

8:25 a.m.: PRN interview with Robby Gordon on the Speed Stage at LVMS.

8:30 a.m.: Meet-and-greet with NASCAR legends Junior Johnson and Ned Jarrett in the Neon Garage.

Our contributing photographer Tom Donoghue and the LVMS camera team will be covering every aspect of the NASCAR activities starting tomorrow, and we’ll post the full photo coverage during the weekend, with the victory photo late Sunday and a recap of all on Monday. Since I will be at the starting line, I also will tweet pix from my iPhone just in case you aren’t watching the coverage on Fox.

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 at Twitter.com/Robin_Leach.

Follow Vegas DeLuxe on Twitter at Twitter.com/vegasdeluxe.

Follow VDLX Editor Don Chareunsy on Twitter at Twitter.com/VDLXEditorDon.

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