Though the 2001 NASCAR Winston Cup schedule won't be
released for a few weeks, races "will be added" at new
tracks near K.C. and Joliet, IL, according to David Poole of
the CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, who writes that it is "surprising"
that the two races "will simply be added to produce a 36-
race season." Poole notes that none of the current tracks
"will lose a race" for 2001 (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 4/25).
WAIT AND SEE: In Las Vegas, Jeff Wolf wrote that IRL
Founder Tony George and Las Vegas Motor Speedway (LVMS) GM
Chris Powell "could not have been more noncommittal about
whether" the IRL "will return" to Las Vegas next year, after
an estimated crowd of 18,000 attended Saturday's Vegas Indy
300. Wolf added that the attendance was a "far cry" from
George's "guess of between" 30,000-40,000, which is a figure
George said "is likely to be needed for the series to
return." George: "From where I was sitting in race control
(above the grandstands) the crowd looked pretty good" (LAS
VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 4/23). Powell: "If anything hurt this
event more than any one issue, my guess would be ... the
NHRA event two weeks ago because we had a significant number
of people attending the event from inside this market."
Powell also "confirmed he recently renewed talks" with CART
Chair Andrew Craig "about holding" an event at LVMS,
"possibly as early as" next season (LAS VEGAS SUN, 4/24).
