There is just something about Las Vegas that gets me so excited and happy. I’ve figured out part of the reason why…it’s LAS VEGAS!
How can one not love this city? Sure I have only been to Sin City twice in my life, with a third coming in just over one week, but it is a great place. However it is a surprising town at the same time. I say this because in reality, there are two different sides to Las Vegas. There’s the Vegas you see, such as the great shows, the neon lights, casinos and hotels that hit the sky like what one would see in New York City.
However, when one gets off Las Vegas Boulevard, which everyone knows as “The Strip,” it’s a completely different town – run down homes, beat down cars, homeless folks living next to businesses asking for food.
Last season, when my dad and I were in town for another motorsports event, we went to a 7-Eleven next to our hotel just to grab some sodas to drink for the night, and put in our luggage to take home, and he noticed a man going through the back dumpster, just hoping to find a leftover piece of fruit. When we checked out, I heard about it, and with the amount of drinks we bought, I had a free hot dog, and when we stepped out to go to our car, I looked to see if the man was still there. He wasn’t, and I felt bad. The reason, because I had something he needed…a bite to eat. Had that man still been there, I would have walked over and said “Excuse me, but I think this is better off in your hands,” and then handed him the hot dog and the bag of chips I had.
I certainly would have given him one of my five sodas I bought, would have been one dollar well spent.
So, when I see all the lights in Vegas, and all the fun people talk about, then hear the “What happens here, stays here” slogan, I keep thinking maybe some things should not be left in Vegas, because that’s a story one should hear, and more importantly understand.
But on Sunday, I made sure to keep those folks in mind as the glitz and glam of Las Vegas was all the talk of NASCAR. It’s no secret that such a town will always be a popular tourist spot. Heck, my dad and I fly out on March 22 to make yet another trip to Las Vegas for a show we’ve seen the last two years.
I love Las Vegas because it is a tourist town, and they make a lot of money from those tourists paying for hotels, and the gambling they do in every casino.
In a way, I wish I was there on Sunday because Las Vegas took to NASCAR the same way a dog takes to a new toy, just makes everyone happy. Seeing Tony Stewart finally get his victory at a track where he missed a win last season was his way of gambling, and cashing in big. Even someone that has it all, including a Sprint Cup championship, always wants to get revenge on a race that got away.
For Stewart, that was on Sunday.
Viva Las Vegas everyone, it is truly a town one must visit if given the opportunity. There’s a whole lot more to Vegas than gambling, the lights, and some “other” activities. Don’t forget to visit the Hoover Dam when you are there.
RESULTS: 1-Stewart 2-Johnson 3-Biffle 4-Newman 5-Edwards 6-Bowyer 7-Menard 8-McMurray 9-Bayne 10-Earnhardt Jr.
NOTABLE FINISHES: 11-Harvick 12-Gordon 19-Kahne 20-Hamlin 22-Kenseth 23-Kyle Busch
CAUTIONS: 8 for 33 laps. Lap 46-49 (#37 accident-T2), 74-77 (#10 accident-T4), 128-133 (Fluid on track), 206-209 (Debris), 230-233 (Debris), 246-250 (Fluid on track), 256-258 (#51 accident-BS), 261-263 (Debris).
LEAD CHANGES: 16 among 11 drivers. Kahne POLE, Earnhardt Jr 1-43, Harvick 44-45, Biffle 46, Earnhardt Jr 47-73, Biffle 74, Ragan 75, Harvick 76-77, Kenseth 78-98, Johnson 99-133, Stewart 134-175, Keselowski 176, Allmendinger 177, Gordon 178-179, Stewart 180-230, Bowyer 231-233, Stewart 234-267.
TIME OF RACE: 2 Hrs, 54 Mins, 44 Secs.
AVERAGE SPEED: 137.524 MPH
MARGIN OF VICTORY: 0.461 Seconds
POINT STANDINGS: 1. Biffle, 125 points; 2. Harvick, -10; 3. Hamlin, -12; 4. Earnhardt Jr, -18; 5. Kenseth, -23; 6. Edwards, -23; 7. Stewart, -25; 8. Truex Jr, -27; 9. Logano, -27; 10. Martin, -28; 11. Menard, -36; 12. Kyle Busch, -38.
