With 1,600 acres in the northeast portion of the Las Vegas Valley, the "Diamond in the Desert" has been deemed the most remarkable race complex in the world. Sports Illustrated called it the Racing Capital of the West. With more than a dozen different venues at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, ranging from go-karts to NASCAR Winston Cup at the 1.5-mile super speedway, there's something for everyone at the complex. Short track programs include a 3/8-mile paved oval, along with a road course, dirt track and drag strip.

On any given weekend, there is activity in virtually every portion of the facility. Simply put, if it has wheels, it can be raced at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. And with the many racing schools like the Richard Petty Driving Experience, Derek Daly Performance Driving Academy, Legends Cars of Nevada, CART Driving 101 and Freddie Spencer's High Performance Riding School, fans can do more than watch racing—they can also get first-hand instruction from the best in the business. The many race schools at LVMS enable the race fan to get inside knowledge of what it takes mentally and physically to perform in a race event.

The History
Since it opened with the Las Vegas 500 Indy Racing League event in 1996, Las Vegas Motor Speedway has blossomed. And on March 5-7 of 1999, another Nevada attendance record was established when more than 250,000 fans attended Pennzoil World of Outlaws, Orleans 150 NASCAR Winston West, Sam's Town 300 and Las Vegas 400 NASCAR Winston West race events. In a city of marquee superstars, this was strongest group of headliners ever assembled under one marquee. NASCAR stars Jeff Gordon, Mark Martin, Jeff Burton, Ward Burton, Dale Earnhardt and the rest now invade Las Vegas every year to bring a new meaning to the word "entertainment."

LVMS has been lauded by drivers and race fans alike. The tri-oval features 12-degree banking in all turns, three-degree banking on the backstretch and nine-degree banking on the front stretch. Additionally, the nearly 100,000 hotel rooms situated throughout Las Vegas provide the perfect getaway with affordable prices. As one hotel director of advertising said, "We have the best prices in hotel rooms, food and entertainment. You can't beat Las Vegas." Las Vegas is a fun city, and LVMS is a fun facility. The combination couldn't be any better, and the hospitality in the city that never sleeps is virtually unchallenged anywhere else in the nation.

The Track
Construction on LVMS began in 1995, and required crews to move a total of four million cubic yards of dirt, equaling 35,000 yards per day. A custom-designed lighting system features 2,600 lighting fixtures on 200 light poles. In addition, LVMS has 8,000 mirrors, 175 miles of wire, 600 tons of steel and 1,975 tons of concrete. A total of 42,000 tons of asphalt was added just on the racing surface, equal to 17 miles of residential roadways.

As the perfect icing on the cake, the air-conditioned infield garages of the super speedway have room for 106 teams. A $200 million state-of-the-art facility, Las Vegas Motor Speedway is the crown jewel of auto racing. The 1,500-acre complex has complete accommodations for virtually every form of motor sports activity, along with any type of function. One thing is for sure: in a city that never sleeps, the action at Las Vegas Motor Speedway never seems to slow down much either.

The School
Freddie Spencer's High Performance Riding School is conducted on the infield portion of the same track used for AMA National Roadracing. This 9-turn, 1.5 mile track is ideal for reproducing conditions encountered on the street, and is also an excellent example of a mid-sized roadracing facility. It includes tight, flat turns combined with sweeping bends, and a front straightaway long enough to let a sportbike dip into triple-digit speeds. And like everything else at this new, state-of-the-art facility, the pavement is smooth, clean, and well-kept.