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New Hampshire dates not safe

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When O. Bruton Smith was asked pointedly at a press conference Nov. 2 at Texas Motor Speedway if he intended to take one of New Hampshire's two NASCAR Nextel Cup dates and give it to Las Vegas - one of the seven tracks he owns after his $340 million purchase of New Hampshire International Speedway - Smith's reply seemed to be telling. Sitting alone on the dais at Victory Theater, the 80-year-old chairman and CEO of Speedway Motorsports Inc. spotted Chris Powell, the executive vice president and general manager of Las Vegas Motor Speedway, who was standing on the left side of the stage with Eddie Gossage, president and general manager of Texas Motor Speedway, and caused the room to break into laughter when he waved and said, "Hi, Chris." Turning to the media, Smith didn't miss a beat. "Do you realize that they have 146,000 hotel rooms in Las Vegas?" he said, prompting more laughter. "And in about 18 months, it'll be up to 175,000? I understand, or I read somewhere, or someone told me, that NASCAR is considering moving the awards banquet there [from New York], which I think is fantastic. Wouldn't you all enjoy that? Let's have some applause on that." Applause.

Boston Globe

Bruton Smi, AP Bruton Smi, AP

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November 10, 2007  09:05 AM ET
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I guess the good news here is that NH isn't that great of a track to begin with. The bad news is that Vegas doesn't really excite me either.

November 10, 2007  10:05 AM ET
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Anybody that follows Nascar & has seen how Ol' BS does business could see this coming. As far as moving the banquet from NYC to Vegais is concerned, I think it will change the complexion of how the sport is perceived. It will go from the formal setting of the Waldorf and being in NYC to going to a more circus & party amosphere of Las Vegas. I don't see this being a good thing for the long term health of the sport.

November 10, 2007  10:51 AM ET
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Let's also remember, Mr. Smith, that Vegas has how many casinos? Answer: quite a few. With casinos comes gambling. With gambling comes the possibility to the introduction of some other undesirable influences in NASCAR. You want to talk about conspiracy theories? There are plenty now, but there would be even more if NASCAR was suspected of being on the take because of catering to the Vegas types. I could be totally wrong. That happens often. Or I could be onto to something. That happens not so often.

November 10, 2007  11:50 AM ET
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look at where this story came from....
the dr.

November 10, 2007  11:55 AM ET
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You all three ((Jr. fan in VA ))((Red Zone))((nin_man )) Have good
imput here BS as everyone knows is an underhanded Little
IMP of a man that can buy anything = including how a race might
turn out = ect.Nascar should watch what image it has left.
Great comments guys.
SLY

November 10, 2007  11:57 AM ET
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Another mistake - agree redzone. Love to see the cars on the Manhatten street. The more things change the more they stay the same....same as it ever was.

November 10, 2007  11:57 AM ET
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Yea,, I see that dr. Unreal

 
November 10, 2007  03:41 PM ET
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I agree with Red Zone.

Very good point Jr fan in VA.

The Waldorf setting keeps it classy....something which is slowly being eroded away..

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