Las Vegas Weekly

January 19, 2010 · 9:28 AM

Photo Gallery: A tour of Carroll Shelby’s temple of speed in Las Vegas

By Robin Leach

Ford Motor Co. takes out its latest model vehicles for a test drive at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Photo: Tom Donoghue/www.donoghuephotography.com

It’s less than six weeks until the Shelby American NASCAR Spring Cup Race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, and this year’s Feb. 28 event reverts to the traditional 400-mile distance. A year ago, to honor the Shelby 427 lines of Cobras and Mustangs, the race was extended 27 miles.

Ford Motor Co. executives invited members of the media to Las Vegas for a rare glimpse of Carroll Shelby’s temple of speed. Our contributing photographer Tom Donoghue was invited to capture the tour of the museum and plant, which has been the birthplace of many a special Shelby right here in Las Vegas.

The media mob had the opportunity to drive the Shelby GT500 Mustang, the Raptor, the Fusion, the +Hybrid and the Flex, among many others. They tested power and speed on the Super Speedway, the Road Course, the Drag Strip and the Dirt Track.

Note that the race logo includes GT350. That’s part of the Shelby American salute to the historic car models and shouldn’t be confused as a reference to a shortened race.

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.

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

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