Penny Press Las Vegas, NV Volume 2 Number 23 MARCH 10, 2005 8th Anniversary 9th Anniversary THE PENNY PRESS, MARCH 10, 2005 PAGE 2 LVMS introduces Thursday Night Street Wars By JOHN BISCI Special To The Penny Press The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway will intro- duce another program to combat illegal street racing – also referred to as “the illegals” – on March 17. Dubbed “Thursday Night Street Wars,” the new program will go head-to-head with “the illegals” on what has become its busiest night. An illegal street-racing accident took the life of a young motorist two weeks ago and a similar crash last week sent two more to the hospital. “We learned through the grapevine that Thursday is now the big night to congregate for illegal street racing,” said Chris Blair, LVMS senior director of drag racing operations. “Initially, we planned to conduct this new program in the early evening on selected Thursdays, but were afraid we simply might be used as a warm-up ses- sion for the late-night ‘illegals.’ We adjusted the hours to run directly against the illegal street races, thus offer- ing a safe alternative to this dangerous activity.” The Strip’s scheduled Friday night Midnight Mayhems will not be affected. Like Midnight Mayhem, Thursday Night Street Wars will be open to any licensed driver with proof of insurance. All cars and motorcycles must be street legal, driven to the track and pass a safety inspection. As an added incentive, Thursday Night Street Wars will award $100 and a trophy to the drivers turning in the fastest speed and lowest elapsed time (E.T.). “Thursday Night Street Wars hopefully will attract experienced Midnight Mayhem participants and illegal street racers who want an additional challenge,” Blair said. “Racers will compete on a fully-prepped track, just like the NHRA professional drag racers are used to.” Thursday Night Street Wars will be conducted from 8 p.m.-1 a.m. Gates will open at 7 p.m. Entry fee is $20 to race. Spectator admission is $5. Alcohol is not allowed at the events. Thursday Night Street Wars will be held on March 17, March 31, May 12, June 9, July 14, August 11 and September 15. More events may be added to the sched- ule to meet demand. For more information, telephone Las Vegas Motor Speedway at (702) 632-8213, visit www.lvms.com or www.lvmsstrip.com. www.pennypresslv.com The Penny Press is published weekly by Penny Credits: 5010 Productions, Inc. All Contents © Penny Press 2005 Publisher and Editor: Contributing Editors: Letters to the Editor are encouraged. They should be sent to our offices at 418 1/2 S. Maryland Parkway, Las Press Fred Weinberg George Harris Al Thomas Vegas 89101. They can also be emailed to: Logotype Circulation: Doug French Bill Here [email protected] No unsigned or unverifiable Pointedlymad Charlotte Weinberg Dolores Lonergan Pat Choate letters will be printed. licensed from: Rich Gast Joyce Meyer Bob Jennings 702-740-5588 Fax: 702-920-8215 Penny Press LAS VEGAS, NEVADA 16 PAGES VOLUME 2 NUMBER 23 MARCH 10, 2005 Speedway Started On Bar Napkin By FRED WEINBERG But one of the entrants was Tiny said that he took a huge bath on the Richie Hearn won. Editor and Publisher Lund, who would go on to win the race and, until Richie Clyne, Ralph The next major event was a 1997 1963 Daytona 500. He was an early Engelstadt and Bill Bennett came Busch race which was the first time When the green flag drops of version of Darrell Waltrip. along, that was it for anything for a top NASCAR touring series per- Sunday’s Nextel Cup race, it will not According to a piece written more than short-track stock car rac- formed on the new track. actually be the ninth season of Las by historian Bill Hill for the 1997 ing in Las Vegas. It was an off Winston Cup week- Vegas events on a “superspeedway”. Busch race program, Wisconsin was They turned the first shovel full end in March and 1996 Cup winner It will be the tenth. big even before Dave Marcis with of dirt for the current track in 1994 Terry Labonte led a field which But it was a long time from Norm Nelson taking the pole driv- after Clyne came up with the idea on also included Steve Park’s rookie October 16, 1955 to March 16, 1997 ing a Chrysler 300 in his NASCAR the back of a napkin at the Mai Tai start in Las Vegas in the number 3 when we ran the first Busch series debut. bar in the Imperial Palace. Busch car owned by Dale Earnhardt event on the than brand-new LVMS To make what would probably He sold the idea to IP owner Incorporated. super speedway. be a very long story short, Nelson Engelstadt and there was a frenzy of Jeff Green won the race but the The 1955 event was a late model won from the pole with the race construction which still was not fin- big winner was Clyne and com- regional event which would have shortened to 111 laps because of a ished when it came time for the first pany in August of 1997 when it roughly translated to the Winston 12-car pile-up which took an hour to Indy Racing League race in 1996. was announced that there would be West series of the day. clean up. Lights weren’t an option The suites weren’t finished, they a Winston Cup race on March 1, It was run at the Las Vegas in 1955. had little idea how to move a large 1998. Jockey Club’s one mile dirt track Also, Nelson was the only car on number of cars in and out of the park- What started on the back of a bar where the Las Vegas Convention the lead lap. ing lot but more than 70,000 people napkin became a very real proposi- Center stands today. There was a USAC stock car showed up to watch the last time tion on Sunday morning, March 1, The purse was $5,000 which is race on the same track in 1959 which CART and IRL drivers would mix 1998. a far cry from the over $6-million was won by NASCAR’s golden boy, it up on the same track until Roger It was the third race in the 50th being distributed Sunday. Fred Lorenzen, but the promoter Penske came back to Indianapolis. Continued on page 4 Welcome To Las Vegas’ GEORGE HARRIS PAGE 4 Newest Paper! PAT CHOATE PAGE 5 FRED WEINBERG PAGE 6 Inside: Penny Wisdom DOUG FRENCH PAGE 7 If you think that the last four DRIVERS' PHOTOS PAGE 8 NASCAR Dads In words of the national anthem AL THOMAS PAGE 10 are Gentlemen Start Your Engines...you might be a red- JOYCE MEYER PAGE 12 Vegas This Week neck. PET OF THE WEEK PAGE 15 —Jeff Foxworthy See Editorial Page 6 THE PENNY PRESS, MARCH 10, 2005 PAGE 4 Commentary: George Harris “For him to boast of the merits of drinking and routine commute are much more impression- Oscar, Oscar before impressionable children, when teachers able than Mayor Goodman indicating he’d like and parents are doing everything they can to save have a bottle of gin on a desert island. As part of “Nevada Reading Week,” them from life-threatening addictions, is uncon- Kemala Washington, principal of Jo Goodman read to a group of fourth graders. scionable,” the editorial reads, concluding that Mackey Elementary, made an excellent Afterwards, students asked the mayor various Goodman’s drinking references are “harmful.” point: The comment was over the kids’ heads. questions, such as what would he like to have Everything they can, eh? It’s highly doubtful However, the moralists that the Las Vegas and with him on a desert island. “A bottle of gin,” parents and teachers isolate children from maga- national media are, they couldn’t help but cru- the mayor answered. A firestorm of criticism zines and television, which are widespread with cify the mayor for the sake of innocent children resulted. alcoholic and sexual content. It’s also unlikely because of a truthful statement. Clever wordsmiths, the Sun’s editorial board alcoholic parents cater to their addiction only Should Mr. Greenspun ever field that question unleashed embarrassing clichés to articulate when the children are tucked in bed. And en route about a desert island, we suggest he respond with its mundane, high-road position. In the gospel to school, children certainly aren’t blindfolded to the same degree of honesty. according to Brian Greenspun, Mayor Goodman prevent any glimpse of alcoholic or cleavage-rid- “A newspaper interesting enough to read.” “hit rock bottom with his drinking and arrogance.” den advertisements stationed atop a taxi or draped The mayor also needs to seek “professional help” down a billboard. While extreme examples, the GEORGE HARRIS before something like this happens again. point is casual channel surfing, parental influence LVMS History Starts With Bar Napkin In Imperial Palace Lounge Continued from page 3 Smith. season of NASCAR competition. Dale Earnhardt had just ended 20 years Smith wasted no time putting his stamp on the track, bring in much of of frustration in an hugely emotional win at the Daytona 500. the current management and setting the facility on a course to make it one And we were about to have our first Winston Cup race in Las Vegas. of the finest in the world. It was long and green and a one-two Roush Racing finish with Mark Saturday’s race will be the ninth Busch start, Sunday’s race the eighth Martin winning and Jeff Burton second.