Las Vegas Motor Speedway President Chris Powell said that he believes Mexican-born NASCAR driver Daniel Suárez will help "accelerate the process" of the governing body tapping into the Hispanic fan base in the U.S., according to Jesse Granger of the LAS VEGAS SUN. Powell said, "Instead of just asking the Hispanic community to come out and see the good ol’ boys of NASCAR, now we’ve got a face we can build around, and it’s important." Of the 38 races on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series schedule, only four are in cities "west of Texas." The first comes this Sunday at Las Vegas with the Kobalt 400. Suárez: "There are a lot of Hispanic and Latin American people here, and it’s amazing. I just love to be here, and I know that they love NASCAR here" (LAS VEGAS SUN, 3/5).
DOUBLE DIP? NBCSPORTS.com's Dustin Long noted the Xfinity and Camping World Truck Series both held their races Saturday at Atlanta Motor Speedway, which "marked the only time this season that NASCAR has a doubleheader scheduled among its top national series." However, a series exec said that the sanctioning body "would be for more such events in the future." NASCAR Exec VP & Chief Racing Development Officer Steve O'Donnell yesterday appeared on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio and said, "It's something we'd love to expand on. For the fans, it's a full day of racing" (NBCSPORTS.com, 3/6).
BOYS, HAVE AT IT? The AP's Jenna Fryer wrote rivalries are the "lifeblood of sports, and NASCAR sorely needs a few to spice up the action." The "discourse among drivers has been tame for several years." NASCAR no longer wants to see "fisticuffs from its drivers, who also have sponsors that prefer they be family-friendly brand ambassadors." But everything is "built around excitement, and NASCAR needs more of it, immediately" (AP, 3/6).
