Source: LVMS Media Relations
Date: 02/20/2008

LAS VEGAS – The world-famous Las Vegas Strip, through the years, has seen it all. It’s been the site of Evel Knievel’s death-defying motorcycle jumps, attracted thousands of New Year’s Eve revelers and served as the backdrop for hundreds of movies.

And on Thursday, Feb. 28, a new spectacle will take place on one of the world’s most famous streets.

The colorful NASCAR team haulers, transporting the Sprint Cup race cars that will compete later that week, will parade north on the Strip among the world’s most well-known hotels and casinos.

“During the week of the NASCAR event at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, this entire town becomes NASCAR crazy,” said Chris Powell, LVMS general manager. “Every opportunity we get to take NASCAR to the Strip is something special. Parades of any kind are very rare on the Strip, so we are very appreciative of the support from the various public agencies that have helped make this happen.”

The transporters will be staged at approximately 2:30 p.m. in the right lane of Las Vegas Boulevard just south of Russell Road. Once all trucks are lined up, the haulers will move north using the middle lane of northbound Las Vegas Boulevard. The haulers will proceed the roughly five miles to Sahara Avenue before returning to Interstate 15 and the short ride north to the speedway.

“Las Vegas has become a NASCAR town,” said Rossi Ralenkotter, president of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. “Every year, the speedway hosts sold- out events for its NASCAR Weekend. Our community embraces NASCAR, its teams and its fans like no other area in the western United States. I think this parade will be a memorable experience for everyone.”

The speedway expects 48-50 haulers to take part in the parade, which will conclude with the haulers parking in their assigned spaces in the LVMS garage in preparation for the March 2 UAW-Dodge 400.

“We are honored that the speedway would include us in one of the highlights of the race weekend,” said Robby Maschhaupt, who drives the transporter for Las Vegas driver Patrick Carpentier. “We have done parades before, but never down a road like the Las Vegas Strip. This is going to be as exciting for the hauler drivers as it will be for the fans.”

Race fans will be able to watch the hauler parade from both sides of the Strip and from any of the properties along Las Vegas Boulevard.

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