Las Vegas to Host NASCAR 2012 Champions Week
In 2008 when NASCAR Champions Week left New York – its host city for twenty-five years – in favor of Las Vegas there were some who voiced their concern that the move was less than wise, with quips about rebounds and quickie divorces being made. However, after three years in Las Vegas, NASCAR officials are more than satisfied with the results and have made it known that NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series Awards and Champions Week will be held in Las Vegas for at least three more years – a happy union between the hot-spot tourist playground and the country’s most popular sport.
In 2008 when NASCAR Champions Week left New York – its host city for twenty-five years – in favor of Las Vegas there were some who voiced their concern that the move was less than wise, with quips about rebounds and quickie divorces being made. However, after three years in Las Vegas, NASCAR officials are more than satisfied with the results and have made it known that NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series Awards and Champions Week will be held in Las Vegas for at least three more years – a happy union between the hot-spot tourist playground and the country’s most popular sport.
NASCAR’s chief marketing officer Steve Phelps noted in an interview that the first three years in Las Vegas were very successful, and that the city is a great backdrop for the sport. The NASCAR Champions week is an all-out celebration of the end of the season, with fans having the opportunity to interact with their on-track heroes in a number of events, including the popular ‘Victory Lap’ and ‘After the Lap’ events. Building on previous success, organizers are constantly looking for more ways to engage the fans that support this fast-paced, adrenaline pumping sport, so it is very likely that there will be even more to enjoy by the time the event rolls around in late-November. While the full schedule has not been made available yet, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards will take place on November 30 at Wynn Las Vegas.
Sports marketing director for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) Julian Dugas emphasized the amount of work that was put into ensuring NASCAR would continue to host the event in Las Vegas. Although Las Vegas is a popular event for all manner of conferences, with some attracting up to 30,000 attendees, Dugas noted that co-branding with NASCAR opens up untapped markets in the Southeast for the city. He concluded that the partnership was a win-win situation.
NASCAR’s three national series – the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series; the NASCAR Nationwide Series; and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series – are broadcast in up to twenty languages in over 150 countries. Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, NASCAR has offices in eight cities in North America, and sanctions over 1,200 races at tracks in thirty states, Canada and Mexico.
