Remember
the old song,
What
a difference a day makes?
Twenty-four
little hours…
We’re not
sure if you can see it, but check out the flash of flame in the hood scoop of
Larry Morgan’s Dodge as he clears the finish line during qualifying.
No? Never heard that one? Ah, you’re just too darn young. Anyway, that’s what happened in Las Vegas,
only it wasn’t 24 hours, it was something like 16. Whatever.
When dawn broke there was no wind, the skies were clear, and the
temperature climbed just enough to make it a very comfortable day for the fans
who poured into The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Yes, the
crowd was certainly better than Friday’s but even LVMS employees acknowledged
they were a bit disappointed in the turnout.
However, considering the circumstances, it was actually pretty
good. The real problem this facility faces is the horrendous construction
mess on Interstate 15, and this is no joking matter. LVMS is one of the few facilities in the
nation with its own Interstate exit, and with Las Vegas a destination city,
i.e., it attracts a tremendous number of out of town visitors who aren’t
familiar with the place other than the “real” Strip where all of the big hotels
and casinos are located, so getting around on surface streets can be
daunting. Ironically, those very surface
streets provide excellent access to the track (Las Vegas Boulevard – the Strip
– literally runs south to north, from the concentration of hotels right to the
back door of the facility), so if you’re willing to deal with a few traffic
lights, access is surprisingly easy.