NASCAR recently announced that it would "return to Las Vegas" for the 10th consecutive year for its postseason awards celebration, but it "won't receive a penny" for it, according to Bob Pockrass of ESPN.com. Las Vegas Events, which is funded from the Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority through a hotel tax designed to "bring events to the city," had paid NASCAR $400,000 in each of the past three years as "part of a deal that kept the postseason awards in Vegas." It was not a surprise that NASCAR "didn't land a deal with LVE," considering Las Vegas Motor Speedway already has two Monster Energy Cup Series stops. It "made little sense for LVE to offer NASCAR an incentive package." An LVE spokesperson last week confirmed while LVE was "happy the awards celebration remains in the city, it was no longer writing what amounts to a sponsorship check to NASCAR." NASCAR "never received a check" in the decades it held the postseason celebration in N.Y., but "in this economic climate, it seems bizarre that NASCAR would lose a $400,000 deal and still return." The sanctioning body "probably spends seven figures on the champions week, when considering the events, parties, logistics, travel costs and putting the drivers up at the Wynn Las Vegas." NASCAR traditionally "staged a parade of show cars down The Strip (including burnouts), as well as displays of cars throughout the city and other events." NASCAR could "keep some of those events" during the week, but is also "considering moving them to the week prior to the race that opens the playoffs, which could have a bigger impact on ticket sales for that track and the playoffs in general" (ESPN.com, 6/21).
