For even faster times in Sin City, head a few miles northeast of the Strip, to the far corner of the Las Vegas Valley. There you'll find the 1,200-acre motorsports complex known as the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The speedway, which now features nine different racetracks, is a relatively new addition to the American motorsports scene, but it's become a destination for racing fans in short order. At various points on the calendar, it is home to NASCAR's top racing series, NASCAR's pickup truck racing series, and NHRA drag racing, among other events.

Las Vegas Motor Speedway History

The speedway's roots go back to 1972 when the Las Vegas Speedrome opened. A road course and drag strip, the Speedrome added a short track in 1985. Eleven years later, Ralph Engelstad of what was then the Imperial Palace and Casino joined up with William Bennett of the Sahara Hotel to build a $72 million superspeedway on the site of the Speedrome. IndyCar driver Richie Hearn christened the shiny new digs with a victory in the Las Vegas 500K. Two years later, NASCAR's cup series came to the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The inaugural race, the Las Vegas 400, was won by Mark Martin, with 120,000 people in attendance. As of 2020, Jimmie Johnson held the track record for Cup Series victories with four.

Visitors to Las Vegas Motor Speedway should be sure to check out the Neon Garage, an interactive fan zone known in racing circles as "NASCAR's Disneyland." It's located in the center of the speedway's infield and features concession stands, live music, the Winner's Circle, and up-close-and-personal access to drivers and their race teams. Lucky fans might come away with a souvenir lug nut. Beyond racing events, the speedway also offers a variety of driving "experiences" for car lovers who want to get behind the wheel themselves.