NASCR LAS VEGAS

BY JOHN MASTALIR jmastalir@yahoo.com

OBSERVATIONS, REACTIONS AND ANALYSIS OF THE 15th ANNUAL KOBALT TOOLS 400 AT THE LAS VEGAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY.

I HAVE WRITTEN THIS BEFORE AND I HOPE I WILL AGAIN...I WISH WE COULD RUN THE COUNTRY LIKE WE RUN NASCAR....ON TIME....FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILTY...GREAT PUBLIC RELATIONS...FAN FRIENDLY...SPONSER FRIENDLY...MAGNIFICENT MANAGEMENT...GREAT RACE REGULATION AND A CONSTANT WEEKLY SPECTACLE.

THE SUNDAY RACE IN LAS VEGAS WENT OFF WITHOUT A FLAW ON GORGOUS NEVADA SUNDAY AFTERNOON.

PERSONALLY.... THE DAY IS AN EVENT ITSELF AND AFTER THAT THEY HAVE A GREAT RACE.

THE TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT NOW SUPERB WITH THE EVENT RUNNING LIKE A WELL OILED MACHINE.

IN THE OLD DAYS THIS JOURNALIST NEVER HAD THE BEST OF IT AND NEVER GOT FIRST CLASS TREATMENT AND RESPECT AND TOTAL ASSISTANCE IN COVERING EVENTS....NASCAR HAS THE ANSWER.

I LOVE THE PRE GAME... JERSEY BOYS LIVE.....DRIVER INTRODUCTIONS...THE 6 PLANE FLYOVER TIMED PERFECTLY TO THE ...."HOME OF THE BRAVE ".....THEY ALWAYS DO A REPLAY AND DID HERE AGAIN. I ALWAYS WONDER WHAT IT COST TO PUT UP 6 F-16s ?

WE ARRIVED EARLY AND CAUGHT THE CAR INSPECTIONS AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC DRIVERS MEETING....HOW FAN FRIENDLY DOES IT GET. PRIOR TO THE RACE EVERY BODY AND HIS DOG ARE IN THE PITS...IN THE GARAGES...IN THE INSPECTION AREA AND NEAR THE DRIVERS WHO SEEM OVERLY HAPPY ABOUT SIGNING AUTOGRAPHS. THEN WHEN THE TIME COMES EVERYONE IS IN HIS PROPER SEAT....CROWD CONTROL TRULY AMAZING AND FRIENDLY.

THE ENTIRE PROCESS JUST MAKES ME HAPPY TO BE ALIVE...I HAVE COVERED ALL 15 LAS VEGAS NASCAR RACES AND IT SEEMS IMPOSSIBLE THAT THE EXPERIENCE CAN BE BETTER EVERY YEAR BUT IT IS.

I REAL NICE ARTICLE APPEARED IN THE LAS VEGAS NEWSPAPER ABOUT PRSIDENT AND G M CHRIS POWELL....EVERYTHING POSITIVE, WITH ALL THE RIGHT ANSWERS TO THE QUESTIONS...JUST A QUALITY INDIVIDUAL MAKING EVERY EFFORT TO DO HIS BEST AND BE ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE TOTAL PICTURE....HOW CAN YOU NOT LOVE THIS GUY. A GREAT NUMBER OF GREAT PEOPLE MAKE THIS GO EVERY YEAR AND I APPLAUD THEM ALL.

I AM JUST HAPPY TO BE ALIVE AND HAVE THE EXPERIENCE...150,000 OTHERS AGREED WITH MY ANALYSIS AND CLAMMER FOR A SECOND LAS VEGAS RACE.

THERE WAS A RACE !

BEAUTIFUL !

NASCAR ONLY BRILLIANT ON TV WITH GREAT PRODUCTION AND ANNOUNCING AND ANNOUNCERS AND IN PERSON SPECTACULAR.

DALE EARNHARDT JR BROUGHT OUT HIS ROCKET CAR FOR THE FIRST 77 LAPS AND LOOKED UNTOUCHABLE TIL HE CHANGED 4 TIRES AND LOST HIS COMMUNICATION SETUP...CHAMPION TONY STEWART HELD OFF JIMMY JOHNSON FOR THE WIN. ALL GAMES AND ALL RACES NEED TO BE PLAYED OUT AND THIS ONE WENT 144 LAPS WITHOUT A SCRATCH OF PAINT LOST.

I WAS NOT UNHAPPY TO SEE TWO BUSCHS SCRATCH SOME PAINT AT THE END.

IN MY REPORTING I LOVE EVENTS WHERE I CAN GO HOME FEELING GOOD...HERE I WENT HOME FEELING GREAT.

A+ A+ 105